DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4376#0107
OP THE MAUSOLEUM. 91
there being no convenient manner of disposing of the
earth and rubble as it was dug out, it had to be piled
up in mounds, which interfered with a proper survey
of the ground. To the west of the spot where I
had discovered the group of the Persian horseman,
finding that the earth was very deep, and sufficiently
solid to admit of mines being driven without wooden
frames to support them, I opened two parallel
galleries, working westward from the line of excava-
tion. After advancing a few feet, we came to a
staircase cut out of the solid rock,, which Ave
ascended step by step, driving the galleries upwards
till we came to the surface of the field. I then suc-
ceeded in obtaining possession of the ground, and
cleared the staircase. It was twenty-nine feet wide,
and consisted of twelve steps. The mass of earth
accumulated over the lowest step was tAventy feet in
depth. This soil was of a Avhite and friable nature,
containing much decomposed native rock, and little
or no vegetable matter. On the north, as will be
seen by the cut, this staircase is flanked by a Avail of
good isodomous masonry, built of large blocks of
native rock. A few feet to the east of the stair Ave dis-
covered some alabaster jars of remarkable size and
beauty, such as were used by the ancients for precious
ointments, and are called, from their material,
alabastra.
On one of these jars I discovered, to my great
surprise, two inscriptions, one in hieroglyphics, the
other in the cuneiform character. The inscription
in hieroglyphics contained a royal cartouche, which
led me at the time of the discovery to think that the
there being no convenient manner of disposing of the
earth and rubble as it was dug out, it had to be piled
up in mounds, which interfered with a proper survey
of the ground. To the west of the spot where I
had discovered the group of the Persian horseman,
finding that the earth was very deep, and sufficiently
solid to admit of mines being driven without wooden
frames to support them, I opened two parallel
galleries, working westward from the line of excava-
tion. After advancing a few feet, we came to a
staircase cut out of the solid rock,, which Ave
ascended step by step, driving the galleries upwards
till we came to the surface of the field. I then suc-
ceeded in obtaining possession of the ground, and
cleared the staircase. It was twenty-nine feet wide,
and consisted of twelve steps. The mass of earth
accumulated over the lowest step was tAventy feet in
depth. This soil was of a Avhite and friable nature,
containing much decomposed native rock, and little
or no vegetable matter. On the north, as will be
seen by the cut, this staircase is flanked by a Avail of
good isodomous masonry, built of large blocks of
native rock. A few feet to the east of the stair Ave dis-
covered some alabaster jars of remarkable size and
beauty, such as were used by the ancients for precious
ointments, and are called, from their material,
alabastra.
On one of these jars I discovered, to my great
surprise, two inscriptions, one in hieroglyphics, the
other in the cuneiform character. The inscription
in hieroglyphics contained a royal cartouche, which
led me at the time of the discovery to think that the