DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4192#0066
M
NOETH SIDE OF THE VALLEY.
59
namely 25"5". The architrave has no project-
ing pilasters or antae, but the line of the side
wall is interrupted, and recedes 22*6" at the
points where the architrave meets it on either
side. Above and in front of the architrave
was a cornice semi-square in section, but with-
out the dentils seen at Beni Hasan.
The ceiling of the portico is flat, and painted
with yellow «=$=* on a fine blue ground and with
some lines of inscription.
The columns, architrave and capitals were
painted to represent granite; the architrave was
inscribed on both sides with a finely cut list of
titles, in large hieroglyphs painted green.
A wall 58*4" thick divides the main chamber
from the portico. The doorway in this wall mea-
sures 50-4" wide X 130-0" high; the threshold
is raised 17-9" above the level of the floor of
the portico. The doorposts and lintel project
slightly, and the jambs of the doorway are
inscribed with the titles of the owner. The
great door was in one leaf; the sockets of the
doorpost remain.
The main chamber measures 308#3" long and
248" broad; it was lighted from the door, and
has a height of 163-2*.
The ceiling is flat, and painted with yellow
flowers «=§=• on a blue ground, with bands of
inscription down the middle. There are no
columns in the chamber, which thus differs from
the best examples at Beni Hasan. In the centre
of the northern wall is the door of the shrine,
97" in height and 50" in width, approached by
three steps.
The shrine is a rectangular chamber, 99'5"
long and 49"8" wide, with a flat roof, and
height of 97-8".
Here again we have an important difference
from Beni Hasan; for if there was a &a-figure
in this shrine, it was moveable and not, as at
the former place, cut in the solid rock.
The main chamber contains no mummy-pits,
a fact which puzzled the ancient spoilers very
considerably, and caused them to dig a great
trench in the solid rock across the centre of
the tomb from east to west, and to make various
smaller excavations at the four corners and
other parts of the floor, and a considerable
trench in the shrine floor. This labour must
have employed them several weeks, but was
finally successful, as they succeeded in hitting
upon the passage to the burial chamber, which
was most ingeniously contrived as follows.
Completely outside the portico, and on the
left-hand side of the outer court, the architect
sunk a large shaft measuring 133"x74-5", in
the northern side of which was the entrance to
a passage 86" high, 74'5" wide and 55 feet long.
The passage ran level under the main chamber
of the tomb, and only slightly below the floor.
It ended in a small chamber 97" X108", with a
small square cavity cut in the middle of the
floor, possibly for the foundation deposit.
The outer well was no doubt very carefully
paved over, or it would never have escaped the
plunderers' notice, for they cleared another
small shaft which is situated in the other
corner of the outer court. They broke into
the passage from the main chamber, and pro-
bably found the end of the passage walled up
with stone in front of the burial chamber, as
we found a great deal of stone in the passage,
as well as fragments of the painted scenes from
the main chamber, showing that the tomb was
plundered before the earthquake.
The passage was carefully cleared, and on the
ground, amongst fragments of the burnt coffin,
nearly all the pieces of a beautiful thin alabaster
cup were found. Fragments of the coffin, a
wooden inscribed kohl-pot, mummy-cloth, and
a number of pieces of inlays made of paste,
with one fragment of dark blue glass amongst
them, were also found ; the inlays seem to have
been for the large sacred eyes at the ends of
the coffin. Amongst this miscellaneous col-
lection I myself picked up a long steatite bead
of the Xllth Dynasty, with the names of
Usertesen and Amenemhat on either side, and
NOETH SIDE OF THE VALLEY.
59
namely 25"5". The architrave has no project-
ing pilasters or antae, but the line of the side
wall is interrupted, and recedes 22*6" at the
points where the architrave meets it on either
side. Above and in front of the architrave
was a cornice semi-square in section, but with-
out the dentils seen at Beni Hasan.
The ceiling of the portico is flat, and painted
with yellow «=$=* on a fine blue ground and with
some lines of inscription.
The columns, architrave and capitals were
painted to represent granite; the architrave was
inscribed on both sides with a finely cut list of
titles, in large hieroglyphs painted green.
A wall 58*4" thick divides the main chamber
from the portico. The doorway in this wall mea-
sures 50-4" wide X 130-0" high; the threshold
is raised 17-9" above the level of the floor of
the portico. The doorposts and lintel project
slightly, and the jambs of the doorway are
inscribed with the titles of the owner. The
great door was in one leaf; the sockets of the
doorpost remain.
The main chamber measures 308#3" long and
248" broad; it was lighted from the door, and
has a height of 163-2*.
The ceiling is flat, and painted with yellow
flowers «=§=• on a blue ground, with bands of
inscription down the middle. There are no
columns in the chamber, which thus differs from
the best examples at Beni Hasan. In the centre
of the northern wall is the door of the shrine,
97" in height and 50" in width, approached by
three steps.
The shrine is a rectangular chamber, 99'5"
long and 49"8" wide, with a flat roof, and
height of 97-8".
Here again we have an important difference
from Beni Hasan; for if there was a &a-figure
in this shrine, it was moveable and not, as at
the former place, cut in the solid rock.
The main chamber contains no mummy-pits,
a fact which puzzled the ancient spoilers very
considerably, and caused them to dig a great
trench in the solid rock across the centre of
the tomb from east to west, and to make various
smaller excavations at the four corners and
other parts of the floor, and a considerable
trench in the shrine floor. This labour must
have employed them several weeks, but was
finally successful, as they succeeded in hitting
upon the passage to the burial chamber, which
was most ingeniously contrived as follows.
Completely outside the portico, and on the
left-hand side of the outer court, the architect
sunk a large shaft measuring 133"x74-5", in
the northern side of which was the entrance to
a passage 86" high, 74'5" wide and 55 feet long.
The passage ran level under the main chamber
of the tomb, and only slightly below the floor.
It ended in a small chamber 97" X108", with a
small square cavity cut in the middle of the
floor, possibly for the foundation deposit.
The outer well was no doubt very carefully
paved over, or it would never have escaped the
plunderers' notice, for they cleared another
small shaft which is situated in the other
corner of the outer court. They broke into
the passage from the main chamber, and pro-
bably found the end of the passage walled up
with stone in front of the burial chamber, as
we found a great deal of stone in the passage,
as well as fragments of the painted scenes from
the main chamber, showing that the tomb was
plundered before the earthquake.
The passage was carefully cleared, and on the
ground, amongst fragments of the burnt coffin,
nearly all the pieces of a beautiful thin alabaster
cup were found. Fragments of the coffin, a
wooden inscribed kohl-pot, mummy-cloth, and
a number of pieces of inlays made of paste,
with one fragment of dark blue glass amongst
them, were also found ; the inlays seem to have
been for the large sacred eyes at the ends of
the coffin. Amongst this miscellaneous col-
lection I myself picked up a long steatite bead
of the Xllth Dynasty, with the names of
Usertesen and Amenemhat on either side, and