DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1350#0009
THE ROCK INSCRIPTIONS OF ASSUAN.
where; as it was impossible to excavate tombs in
the granite rocks, the interments must have been
generally in the sand, and the stela, in place of being
in a tomb, was cut on the rocks. Other inscriptions,
which merely state the name and titles of some
official, were probably cut by travellers while waiting
in the neighbourhood for their boat to pass the
cataracts, though not one actually refers to the
passage of the cataracts. These brief mentions are
very rough in general, and abound on the rock at the
east side of the lower end of the rapids, just where
voyagers would disembark.
The positions of the inscriptions are various.
Some are on the granite faces which dip straight
down into deep water, and are below the present
level of high Nile ; generally they are at the level of
the roads by which they stand, or raised somewhat
on prominent faces of rock. Effective display has
been sought for in most cases; the corner of some
road, or an unusually large block of stone, or a wide
flat face, well exposed, have generally been occupied.
In some cases, as the scene No. 109 and others, by
Amenemapt, the highest faces on the cliffs have been
used, about IOO feet above the road beneath, and
several tablets cannot have been cut without ladders
or scaffolding. Prominence was not, however, always
wished for; and one very beautifully deep-cut in-
scription, No. 86, is on the flat side of a huge block
facing to the cliff, and not to be seen without
climbing up some distance over the piled masses, so
as to reach its level.
In the time of the Empire, the courtiers of the
XVIIIth dynasty were not too scrupulous as to the
positions they seized on; and just south of Assuan,
on the road to the Cufic cemetery, are many early
tablets, the engraving of which has been cleared out,
and fresh inscriptions cut on the stolen sites (No. 274,
&c). In all earlier times, however, a strict regard
seems to have been shown to older inscriptions. It
is seldom that the face of the rock has been specially
dressed down, either in a bordered square or other-
wise ; usually the smooth worn face, or a flat cleavage
face of the granite was selected, and the inscription
cut on it. ' Thus the natural wearing of dark brown,
or the shiny pitchy black where exposed to the Nile,
served to throw up the light bruised surfaces of the
cutting, so that no more than a mere hammering on
the surface, and stunning of the crystals, sufficed for
distinction in some cases. Some inscriptions, indeed,
are so slightly and roughly marked, that it needs an
examination of the granite crystal, by crystal, to trace
the course of the bruised lines. In a few cases there
are remains of red or of yellow paint on the figures;
but if painting had been general, more would have
been visible now under the very minute examination
of the cracked surfaces that has been continually
made in the course of copying the inscriptions.
8. In the accompanying plates all the inscriptions
not hitherto published are here given. As they
were copied partly by Mr Griffith, and partly by
myself, the copyist's initial, G. or P., is placed at
the foot of each ; and where a copy has been checked
by a second reader, the checker's initial follows the
copyist's. Where a photograph has been used, the
letter <p follows the copyist's; and in a few cases
where an inscription is given in the Denkmaler, the
variations between that copy and this are noted.
The order of the copies here is geographical from
South to North, without an exact distinction however
between those in the same group, though generally
they follow in nearly their order on the ground.
The positions of Mr Griffith's originals not being
connected with those of mine, his copies are placed
in a group 131 to 154, which is parallel with my
group 68 to- 130; and some additional copies of
his appear as an addendum to the general order,
Nos. 332 to 356. The quickest and most satisfactory
way of working was by my making the copies,
and Mr Griffith checking them, and this plan was
followed as far as we could. Besides the 338
inscriptions here from Assuan to Philae, there are
about two dozen in the Denkmaler; these will be
found in Band IV. 118 (Usertesen I) ; 123 (3); 144;
150 b. c. (Mentuhotep); 151, e. f. h. (Noferhotep); V.
16 (Tahutmes I); 69 (Tahutmes IV); 81 (2), and
82 (3), Amenhotep III.); VII. 202 (Merenptah): and
VIII. 274 (Psamtik, Haabra, and Aahmes). About
60 in all have been hitherto published by Lepsius,
Champollion, Mariette, &c; all of these bear kings'
names, and scarcely any of them have been re-
published here.
9. Several tablets with kings' names, however,
have been hitherto unnoticed, and these are given in
full; the following being the list of kings' names
occurring in these inscriptions, including those lower
down at Silsileh and Thebes, and the cones and
other monuments on PI. xxi.-xxiii.
Nefer-kha-ra, No. 309.
Unas, No. 312.
Pepi I., Nos. 309, 539, 630.
Rameren (year 4), Nos. 81; 338.
Pepi II., No. 311.
Antef, No. 489.
Antefa, No. 310.
where; as it was impossible to excavate tombs in
the granite rocks, the interments must have been
generally in the sand, and the stela, in place of being
in a tomb, was cut on the rocks. Other inscriptions,
which merely state the name and titles of some
official, were probably cut by travellers while waiting
in the neighbourhood for their boat to pass the
cataracts, though not one actually refers to the
passage of the cataracts. These brief mentions are
very rough in general, and abound on the rock at the
east side of the lower end of the rapids, just where
voyagers would disembark.
The positions of the inscriptions are various.
Some are on the granite faces which dip straight
down into deep water, and are below the present
level of high Nile ; generally they are at the level of
the roads by which they stand, or raised somewhat
on prominent faces of rock. Effective display has
been sought for in most cases; the corner of some
road, or an unusually large block of stone, or a wide
flat face, well exposed, have generally been occupied.
In some cases, as the scene No. 109 and others, by
Amenemapt, the highest faces on the cliffs have been
used, about IOO feet above the road beneath, and
several tablets cannot have been cut without ladders
or scaffolding. Prominence was not, however, always
wished for; and one very beautifully deep-cut in-
scription, No. 86, is on the flat side of a huge block
facing to the cliff, and not to be seen without
climbing up some distance over the piled masses, so
as to reach its level.
In the time of the Empire, the courtiers of the
XVIIIth dynasty were not too scrupulous as to the
positions they seized on; and just south of Assuan,
on the road to the Cufic cemetery, are many early
tablets, the engraving of which has been cleared out,
and fresh inscriptions cut on the stolen sites (No. 274,
&c). In all earlier times, however, a strict regard
seems to have been shown to older inscriptions. It
is seldom that the face of the rock has been specially
dressed down, either in a bordered square or other-
wise ; usually the smooth worn face, or a flat cleavage
face of the granite was selected, and the inscription
cut on it. ' Thus the natural wearing of dark brown,
or the shiny pitchy black where exposed to the Nile,
served to throw up the light bruised surfaces of the
cutting, so that no more than a mere hammering on
the surface, and stunning of the crystals, sufficed for
distinction in some cases. Some inscriptions, indeed,
are so slightly and roughly marked, that it needs an
examination of the granite crystal, by crystal, to trace
the course of the bruised lines. In a few cases there
are remains of red or of yellow paint on the figures;
but if painting had been general, more would have
been visible now under the very minute examination
of the cracked surfaces that has been continually
made in the course of copying the inscriptions.
8. In the accompanying plates all the inscriptions
not hitherto published are here given. As they
were copied partly by Mr Griffith, and partly by
myself, the copyist's initial, G. or P., is placed at
the foot of each ; and where a copy has been checked
by a second reader, the checker's initial follows the
copyist's. Where a photograph has been used, the
letter <p follows the copyist's; and in a few cases
where an inscription is given in the Denkmaler, the
variations between that copy and this are noted.
The order of the copies here is geographical from
South to North, without an exact distinction however
between those in the same group, though generally
they follow in nearly their order on the ground.
The positions of Mr Griffith's originals not being
connected with those of mine, his copies are placed
in a group 131 to 154, which is parallel with my
group 68 to- 130; and some additional copies of
his appear as an addendum to the general order,
Nos. 332 to 356. The quickest and most satisfactory
way of working was by my making the copies,
and Mr Griffith checking them, and this plan was
followed as far as we could. Besides the 338
inscriptions here from Assuan to Philae, there are
about two dozen in the Denkmaler; these will be
found in Band IV. 118 (Usertesen I) ; 123 (3); 144;
150 b. c. (Mentuhotep); 151, e. f. h. (Noferhotep); V.
16 (Tahutmes I); 69 (Tahutmes IV); 81 (2), and
82 (3), Amenhotep III.); VII. 202 (Merenptah): and
VIII. 274 (Psamtik, Haabra, and Aahmes). About
60 in all have been hitherto published by Lepsius,
Champollion, Mariette, &c; all of these bear kings'
names, and scarcely any of them have been re-
published here.
9. Several tablets with kings' names, however,
have been hitherto unnoticed, and these are given in
full; the following being the list of kings' names
occurring in these inscriptions, including those lower
down at Silsileh and Thebes, and the cones and
other monuments on PI. xxi.-xxiii.
Nefer-kha-ra, No. 309.
Unas, No. 312.
Pepi I., Nos. 309, 539, 630.
Rameren (year 4), Nos. 81; 338.
Pepi II., No. 311.
Antef, No. 489.
Antefa, No. 310.