DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1034#0013
HAWARA, BIAHMU, AND ARS1N0E.
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impossible that one of the back row of courts may-
have led into another chamber or chambers (as at
Abydos) at the back of the main building dedicated
to Sebek, or to Amenemhat III. who was buried in
the pyramid. In any case we must get out of our
minds the modern sense of a labyrinth, which cer-
tainly had nothing to do with any Egyptian buildings ;
remembering the warning of Pliny about the labyrinth
of Crete, which he says was copied from this, when
he remarks that we must not compare it with the
meanders of a mosaic pavement, or a maze made
in a field, but suppose a building with many doors
and galleries, which confuse the visitor. The very
absence of a central shrine, and of the usual grouping,
would all the more readily bewilder a stranger accus-
tomed to the structure of other and far smaller
temples. Each court here is, in fact, a temple in itself,
quite comparable in size with the average Egyptian
temples.
CHAPTER II.
THE CEMETERY OF HAWARA.
io. We shall here first consider the different
regions of the cemetery, and then take in chronological
order the various remains found in it; the whole
subject of the mummies and their decoration is
treated separately in the succeeding chapter, as it is
too large to be dealt with in the midst of other
matters.
The earliest tombs were probably mastabas of the
Xllth dynasty built on the ground north and east of
the pyramid ; but of these no trace has been dis-
covered, excepting a few fragments of limestone with
portions of figures painted in red on a flat surface, as
in the tombs at Beni Hasan. A scene in low relief
of a priest of Neit, named Pafui, seated, with his
eldest son Ra-en-mat, also priest of Neit, leading a
calf before him (PI. vi. 3), was found built into a
Ptolemaic brick wall ; it is probably of the early
time, but might be later, as the name Ra-en-mat (in
honour of Amenemhat III.) continued in use till
Roman times. (Now in Brit. Mus.) The next
period of tombs are some poor interments with terra-
cotta ushabtis (PI. xiii., 26, 27, 28) of rude style, like
those of the XXth dynasty which I found at Nebe-
sheh (see Tanis II) ; these were found deep down in
the ground north of the pyramid. Some of the well
tombs are probably of about the same date, as in that
marked " Tomb well J " on PL xxv. I found a bit of
an alabaster canopic jar (PI. vi. 12), and part of a
small alabaster dish, of the style of those of about the
XXth dynasty at Nebesheh. These tomb wells are
found most thickly in the region N.E. of the pyramid,
as marked on the plan, but also scattered over the
whole area of the cemetery: and although many of
them contain late burials of Ptolemaic times, yet the
evidences of re-use show that they were first cut at
an earlier period. Very often they are lined with
brickwork, owing to the shaft having become too
crumbling in later times ; and one was evidently used
as a common burying place, as it contained about a
hundred mummies in the chambers beneath, and bits
of fine carved funeral furniture left behind in the
corners from the older interment. I opened some
dozens of these shafts, with considerable labour, and
some risk, but only one repaid the work, and that was
XXXth dynasty, and not early. Some fragments of
tombs, probably of the XXVIth dynasty, are found in
the Ptolemaic lining of tomb shafts, as the pieces on
PI. vi. 10 and 11 ; beside the loose fragment 4.
11. The Ptolemaic graves are mostly to the north
of the tomb shafts ; they are marked " Pit tombs with
box coffins " on PI. xxv. Some burials of this age
also occur in the ground north of the pyramid, at the
south end of the ground marked " tomb chambers."
This region was the usual place for burials in the
early Roman period, when gilt cartonnage busts were
used. Papyri of the 1st and Ilnd cent. A.D. are also
usual in the soil here, and for some way north, but not
in the north end of the tomb ground. The portrait
mummies were mainly found in the southern half
of the " tomb chamber" ground, though scattered
examples occur down to the region of the pyramid.
The northern part of the " tomb chamber " ground is
still later, having scarcely any portraits or papyri, but
containing graves of the IVth-VIth centuries. Many
exceptions occur, burials of the latest time being
found among the portraits, and portraits scattered in
various parts ; while some of the latest burials, with
embroideries, occur at the N.E. of the pyramid.
12. To the XXXth dynasty belong some of the
finest remains here. The tomb of T'et-bast-auf-ankh
at the N.E. corner of the tomb area, in the region of box
coffins, is a noble piece of work ; on two sides of the
shaft extend the remains of a large stone pavement,
on which the tomb-chapel probably stood. The
shaft itself is lined with fine limestone, and is wide
enough to let a coffin down in either direction; a
small serdab apparently adjoins it beneath the pave-
ment on the south side ; and at a few feet down the
'J
tfi
impossible that one of the back row of courts may-
have led into another chamber or chambers (as at
Abydos) at the back of the main building dedicated
to Sebek, or to Amenemhat III. who was buried in
the pyramid. In any case we must get out of our
minds the modern sense of a labyrinth, which cer-
tainly had nothing to do with any Egyptian buildings ;
remembering the warning of Pliny about the labyrinth
of Crete, which he says was copied from this, when
he remarks that we must not compare it with the
meanders of a mosaic pavement, or a maze made
in a field, but suppose a building with many doors
and galleries, which confuse the visitor. The very
absence of a central shrine, and of the usual grouping,
would all the more readily bewilder a stranger accus-
tomed to the structure of other and far smaller
temples. Each court here is, in fact, a temple in itself,
quite comparable in size with the average Egyptian
temples.
CHAPTER II.
THE CEMETERY OF HAWARA.
io. We shall here first consider the different
regions of the cemetery, and then take in chronological
order the various remains found in it; the whole
subject of the mummies and their decoration is
treated separately in the succeeding chapter, as it is
too large to be dealt with in the midst of other
matters.
The earliest tombs were probably mastabas of the
Xllth dynasty built on the ground north and east of
the pyramid ; but of these no trace has been dis-
covered, excepting a few fragments of limestone with
portions of figures painted in red on a flat surface, as
in the tombs at Beni Hasan. A scene in low relief
of a priest of Neit, named Pafui, seated, with his
eldest son Ra-en-mat, also priest of Neit, leading a
calf before him (PI. vi. 3), was found built into a
Ptolemaic brick wall ; it is probably of the early
time, but might be later, as the name Ra-en-mat (in
honour of Amenemhat III.) continued in use till
Roman times. (Now in Brit. Mus.) The next
period of tombs are some poor interments with terra-
cotta ushabtis (PI. xiii., 26, 27, 28) of rude style, like
those of the XXth dynasty which I found at Nebe-
sheh (see Tanis II) ; these were found deep down in
the ground north of the pyramid. Some of the well
tombs are probably of about the same date, as in that
marked " Tomb well J " on PL xxv. I found a bit of
an alabaster canopic jar (PI. vi. 12), and part of a
small alabaster dish, of the style of those of about the
XXth dynasty at Nebesheh. These tomb wells are
found most thickly in the region N.E. of the pyramid,
as marked on the plan, but also scattered over the
whole area of the cemetery: and although many of
them contain late burials of Ptolemaic times, yet the
evidences of re-use show that they were first cut at
an earlier period. Very often they are lined with
brickwork, owing to the shaft having become too
crumbling in later times ; and one was evidently used
as a common burying place, as it contained about a
hundred mummies in the chambers beneath, and bits
of fine carved funeral furniture left behind in the
corners from the older interment. I opened some
dozens of these shafts, with considerable labour, and
some risk, but only one repaid the work, and that was
XXXth dynasty, and not early. Some fragments of
tombs, probably of the XXVIth dynasty, are found in
the Ptolemaic lining of tomb shafts, as the pieces on
PI. vi. 10 and 11 ; beside the loose fragment 4.
11. The Ptolemaic graves are mostly to the north
of the tomb shafts ; they are marked " Pit tombs with
box coffins " on PI. xxv. Some burials of this age
also occur in the ground north of the pyramid, at the
south end of the ground marked " tomb chambers."
This region was the usual place for burials in the
early Roman period, when gilt cartonnage busts were
used. Papyri of the 1st and Ilnd cent. A.D. are also
usual in the soil here, and for some way north, but not
in the north end of the tomb ground. The portrait
mummies were mainly found in the southern half
of the " tomb chamber" ground, though scattered
examples occur down to the region of the pyramid.
The northern part of the " tomb chamber " ground is
still later, having scarcely any portraits or papyri, but
containing graves of the IVth-VIth centuries. Many
exceptions occur, burials of the latest time being
found among the portraits, and portraits scattered in
various parts ; while some of the latest burials, with
embroideries, occur at the N.E. of the pyramid.
12. To the XXXth dynasty belong some of the
finest remains here. The tomb of T'et-bast-auf-ankh
at the N.E. corner of the tomb area, in the region of box
coffins, is a noble piece of work ; on two sides of the
shaft extend the remains of a large stone pavement,
on which the tomb-chapel probably stood. The
shaft itself is lined with fine limestone, and is wide
enough to let a coffin down in either direction; a
small serdab apparently adjoins it beneath the pave-
ment on the south side ; and at a few feet down the
'J