DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1350#0033
THE PYRAMIDS OF DAHSHUR.
3t
This is certainly intended for ioo cubits of 20-646
±005 inches. The actual points recovered of this
pyramid are: — N.N.W., casing in situ weathered
somewhat, but still fairly defined, as well as the
pavement; N.N.E., casing gone, but a front edge
clearly defined on the pavement; E.N.E., a line on
the pavement, which is similar to one at 55 inches
inside of the N.N.E. edge, and which was therefore
supposed at the time to have been 55 inches inside
the E. side, but which is now seen, by the accordance
of the above measurements, to be really the line of
the E. side itself; outside of this line the paving is
destroyed; E.S.E., casing in situ on the pavement;
S.S.E., line on pavement; S.W. corner, edge of slop-
ing bed on pavement; verified by W.S.W., casing
in situ over pavement; W.N.W., casing in situ
over pavement. Thus it will be seen that in most
parts a course of casing, more or less destroyed
by weathering, still remains in the debris around
this pyramid. The casing does not seem to have
been sunk into sockets at the corners, but to have
been bedded on the pavement with a slightly sloping
bed. The angle of the casing on a good block at
the E.S.E. is 44° 34'; and on a worse example,
45° 3'; no other stone was in sufficiently good
condition to be worth measuring. The height was
therefore 2034 inches. This is probably the same
angle as the North Stone pyramid, which I observed
as 44° 36' on its core masonry. The entrance to
this pyramid is blocked up with rubbish. The
pavement around the pyramid seems to form a sort
of narrow plinth to it at the N.W. corner; it is there
25 inches wide on the N., and 29 on the W., with
a space of mere sand and rubbish between it and the
peribolos-wall.
46. The foundations of the peribolos wall around
these pyramids is well constructed of roughish blocks;
these probably supported a fine stone wall above.
The entrance happens to be remarkably well pre-
served, the east side of the gateway being still 18
inches high. This shows fine work and the best quality
of limestone; the outer and inner faces of the wall
have a slight batter. The form is shown below the
plan on PI. xxiv. On the outer side are two recesses
for the hinges of the doors, with socket holes 12
inches deep; the mark is clear on the side of gate-
way where the door post wore against it in turning,
and this suggests that the door remained in use
for some length of time before it was dismantled.
The doorway is 113 inches wide, the hinge recesses
S'5 wide and 47 deep, the width of the gates being
thus 124 inches or 6 cubits. The wall is 8o-8 thick,
and the breadth of the flat pilaster at the side
of the gate is 68-5 inches. The axis of the gateway
is 2028-6 from the outer side of the east wall. The
whole of the large square is—
N. side n75S'7 inches -4' 34"
E. 11 "753"5 " -16:40"
S. .1 11757-6 .. -38'5°"?
W. .. 11772-9'! n -i6'8"
or 11757 if the inner face be followed.
The points found along it being the N.W. corner
outside; the N.E. corner outside; the S.E. corner
inside and outside; the outside at the turn south
by the small pyramid; the S.E. corner by that;
the S.W. corner by that could not be found, and
seems entirely destroyed; the N.W. corner by that
both inside and outside; the main S.W. corner is
lost, and a point found on the S. side was not
well fixed, so the S. side is here prolonged from
the N.W. of the small pyramid in a line from the
S.E. corner of the great square; this is not satis-
factory however in the result, as it gives a length
of the W. side very different to that of the others,
unless the inner face of the wall be followed; a
point was fixed also on the W. side.
The distance from the large pyramid to the outside
of the peribolos is—
N.N.E. 2139-8 E.N.E. 2122-0
E.S.E. ? S.S.E. 2159-5
S.S.W. 2155-5 W.S.W. 21427
W.N.W. 2170-7 N.N.W. 2153-5
The distance from the small pyramid to the
outside is—
E.N.E. 300-5, E.S.E. 289-2, S.S.E. 326-8, N.N.W. 273.
The thickness of the peribolos wall is, at gate-
way, fine stone upper wall, 8o-8; rough wall at
E.S.E. 100; at S.S.E., 106; further, 104; W. of
small pyramid, 88; S.S.W., 120. From the front
of the gateway a road runs N.E. at an azimuth
of +54° 41'; on reaching the edge of the plateau,
about a hundred yards from the gate, it turns
more to the east, and runs down a gentle slope
into a valley towards the river. The road has
been all of fine white limestone, but only a part
of one edge was found in situ.
47. It now remains to observe what were the
ideas of the architect in designing the two pyramids.
Firstly, the large pyramid base of 7459- o±2'2
inches, is 360 cubits of 2072 ±'Oo6, the ordinary
Egyptian cubit; while the base of the lesser pyramid
is 2o64-6±-S, or 100 cubits of 20-646^1-005. The
clear space around the pyramid was also 100 cubits;
it averages 2149-1^24-3 to the outer side of the
foundation of the wall, and deducting 8o-8, the
3t
This is certainly intended for ioo cubits of 20-646
±005 inches. The actual points recovered of this
pyramid are: — N.N.W., casing in situ weathered
somewhat, but still fairly defined, as well as the
pavement; N.N.E., casing gone, but a front edge
clearly defined on the pavement; E.N.E., a line on
the pavement, which is similar to one at 55 inches
inside of the N.N.E. edge, and which was therefore
supposed at the time to have been 55 inches inside
the E. side, but which is now seen, by the accordance
of the above measurements, to be really the line of
the E. side itself; outside of this line the paving is
destroyed; E.S.E., casing in situ on the pavement;
S.S.E., line on pavement; S.W. corner, edge of slop-
ing bed on pavement; verified by W.S.W., casing
in situ over pavement; W.N.W., casing in situ
over pavement. Thus it will be seen that in most
parts a course of casing, more or less destroyed
by weathering, still remains in the debris around
this pyramid. The casing does not seem to have
been sunk into sockets at the corners, but to have
been bedded on the pavement with a slightly sloping
bed. The angle of the casing on a good block at
the E.S.E. is 44° 34'; and on a worse example,
45° 3'; no other stone was in sufficiently good
condition to be worth measuring. The height was
therefore 2034 inches. This is probably the same
angle as the North Stone pyramid, which I observed
as 44° 36' on its core masonry. The entrance to
this pyramid is blocked up with rubbish. The
pavement around the pyramid seems to form a sort
of narrow plinth to it at the N.W. corner; it is there
25 inches wide on the N., and 29 on the W., with
a space of mere sand and rubbish between it and the
peribolos-wall.
46. The foundations of the peribolos wall around
these pyramids is well constructed of roughish blocks;
these probably supported a fine stone wall above.
The entrance happens to be remarkably well pre-
served, the east side of the gateway being still 18
inches high. This shows fine work and the best quality
of limestone; the outer and inner faces of the wall
have a slight batter. The form is shown below the
plan on PI. xxiv. On the outer side are two recesses
for the hinges of the doors, with socket holes 12
inches deep; the mark is clear on the side of gate-
way where the door post wore against it in turning,
and this suggests that the door remained in use
for some length of time before it was dismantled.
The doorway is 113 inches wide, the hinge recesses
S'5 wide and 47 deep, the width of the gates being
thus 124 inches or 6 cubits. The wall is 8o-8 thick,
and the breadth of the flat pilaster at the side
of the gate is 68-5 inches. The axis of the gateway
is 2028-6 from the outer side of the east wall. The
whole of the large square is—
N. side n75S'7 inches -4' 34"
E. 11 "753"5 " -16:40"
S. .1 11757-6 .. -38'5°"?
W. .. 11772-9'! n -i6'8"
or 11757 if the inner face be followed.
The points found along it being the N.W. corner
outside; the N.E. corner outside; the S.E. corner
inside and outside; the outside at the turn south
by the small pyramid; the S.E. corner by that;
the S.W. corner by that could not be found, and
seems entirely destroyed; the N.W. corner by that
both inside and outside; the main S.W. corner is
lost, and a point found on the S. side was not
well fixed, so the S. side is here prolonged from
the N.W. of the small pyramid in a line from the
S.E. corner of the great square; this is not satis-
factory however in the result, as it gives a length
of the W. side very different to that of the others,
unless the inner face of the wall be followed; a
point was fixed also on the W. side.
The distance from the large pyramid to the outside
of the peribolos is—
N.N.E. 2139-8 E.N.E. 2122-0
E.S.E. ? S.S.E. 2159-5
S.S.W. 2155-5 W.S.W. 21427
W.N.W. 2170-7 N.N.W. 2153-5
The distance from the small pyramid to the
outside is—
E.N.E. 300-5, E.S.E. 289-2, S.S.E. 326-8, N.N.W. 273.
The thickness of the peribolos wall is, at gate-
way, fine stone upper wall, 8o-8; rough wall at
E.S.E. 100; at S.S.E., 106; further, 104; W. of
small pyramid, 88; S.S.W., 120. From the front
of the gateway a road runs N.E. at an azimuth
of +54° 41'; on reaching the edge of the plateau,
about a hundred yards from the gate, it turns
more to the east, and runs down a gentle slope
into a valley towards the river. The road has
been all of fine white limestone, but only a part
of one edge was found in situ.
47. It now remains to observe what were the
ideas of the architect in designing the two pyramids.
Firstly, the large pyramid base of 7459- o±2'2
inches, is 360 cubits of 2072 ±'Oo6, the ordinary
Egyptian cubit; while the base of the lesser pyramid
is 2o64-6±-S, or 100 cubits of 20-646^1-005. The
clear space around the pyramid was also 100 cubits;
it averages 2149-1^24-3 to the outer side of the
foundation of the wall, and deducting 8o-8, the