Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (12.2000(2001))

DEIR EL-BAHARI

EGYPT

Excavations under stone S have revealed
the presence of a horizontal platform. It is
probably a natural rock formation about
7 meters below our “0-level”, which
roughly corresponds to the top of the debris
accumulation prior to the excavations in
sector C. A considerable number of white
limestone chips lay on the platform.
SECTOR D
Although no regular excavations could be
carried out in this area {Fig. 5), because of
the dangerous position of stones CC and /?,
two further robbery shafts, structurally
related to this sector, have been localized.
Shaft no. 2 (Fig. 6) was revealed on the
eastern slope, 5 m down from stone Ot, and
approximately flush with the platform

found under stone d. It consists of a vertical
section leading to a horizontal tunnel,
pierced through the debris accumulation in
the direction of stone a. In structure, it
resembles robbers' shaft no. 1, discovered in
the previous season. At the end of the
tunnel, which was given up after hitting on
the vertical face of the gebel, a flint-tool
fragment was found, supporting an ancient
date for the tunnel. The shaft was, however,
searched also at the beginning of this
century (by Naville?), as proved by
fragments of newspapers of those days.
Shaft no. 3 was localized west of stone
(X and northward of the “gate”. Newspaper
fragments suggest it, too, had been
searched before by Naville. A number of
man-made chips come from this shaft.


Fig. 6. Cross-section through robbers' shaft no. 2
(Drawing M. Muraszko)

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