DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1036#0029
THE TOMB OF MAKET.
21
to that of the previous publication of weights in
"Naukratis," '"A Season in Egypt," &c.
No.
4958
4900
4959
490c
4960
4902
4903
4961
4904
4962
4963
4905
4964
4906
4907
4908
4965
4966
4909
4967
4968
4910
4911
Material
Syenite, gy.
Syenite, gy.
Basalt, br.
Alabaster
Alabaster
Lead
Syenite, gy.
Syenite, gy.
Haematite
Basalt, br.
Syenite, gy.
Haematite
Haematite, bk.
Basalt, br.
Haematite, bk.
Lead
Haematite, bk.
Calcite
Syenite, gy.
Form Present Ch. Ancient X
Kat standard (12)
11 5623 .. .. 40
117'174 1412-0 .. .. 10
38-43 1416-6 .. .. 10
86 5682 .. .. 40
79-110 284-6 .. .. 2
64 142-9 2? 1
2-10 3592-8 .. .. 25
54 5748 .. .. 4°
2-4 720-1 ., .. 5
48-49 1472-3 .. .. 10
2-4 5890 .. .. 40
49-52 149-3 •■ •• I
Assyrian Shekel (7)
49 363-9
62
52-82
63
49
48
2-38
2487-1
62-7
2523-2
127-3
63"9
2556-1
3° 253o
Attic Drachma (5)
Syenite, gy. 54 2625-8
Sandstone 84 2635 • 6
Bronze, PI. xxn, 17 133-1
Alabaster 16 3305-8
Lead 52-108 415-6
2626
1-5 132
4912 Lead
4969 Limestone
4970 Syenite, gy.
4971 Sandstone
4972 Syenite, gy.
4973 Basalt, br.
4974
4975
Syenite, gy.
Haematite
Aeginetan Stater (4)
108 179-0 16
56 12180-
11 8190
84 2081-7
Phoenician Shekel (2)
2 5294
62 1380-2
Eighty grains (2)
117 1568-8
49
157-0
408
192
12181
8230
1381
I57-3
3
20
i
20
1
40
40
2
5°
6
Unit
140-6
I4I-2
I4I-7
142-0
142-3
142-9
I43'7
I43-7
I44-°
147-2
147-2
I49-3
I2I-3
124-4
125-4
126-5
127-3
127-8
127-8
65-6
65-9
66-o
66-1
68-o
I
60
40
10
25
6
192-0
203-0
205-7
208-2
2II-8
230-2
78-4
78 6
The foreign character of the weights here is then
well maintained by the larger number we have now
got. Only I of all the weights are on the Egyptian
standard ; and of those nearly half are of the foreign
materials, alabaster, lead, and haematite. Thus only
a fifth of all the weights are regular Egyptian: and
there is not a single example of the typical domed
form. The Phoenician weight No. 4973 might at first
seem to be a low variety of the uten ; but it is marked
O llllll, 6 units, proving it to belong to the Phoenician
system. This is similar to two weights from Gebelen,
which are of the same rectangular form, one of 1473 ■ 3
marked mill, the other of 14700 marked nnnnnn ;
giving units of 245 • 5 and 245 • grains, or the same
Phoenician standard.
CHAPTER V.
THE TOMB OF MAKET.
43. This tomb is in the town of Kahun. Many of
the houses of the Xllth dynasty there have rock cut
cellars, which were closed by massive trap-doors of
wood, recessed into a seat and hinging in the stone.
One of these cellars became known to people of the
XlXth dynasty, and they cleared it, and probably
enlarged it, to form a family tomb (see plan in corner
of Pl. XIV). The first and last chamber is cut in the
rock alone ; the middle chamber is roofed and lined
with blocks of fine white limestone. One of these
roof blocks broke across, and fell on the coffins, some-
what crushing them; this entailed a very difficult
matter, of shifting the block weighing many hundred-
weights off from the coffins, without any firm foothold
to stand on so high up (as it lay on two coffins one on
the other), and a risk of its falling over on one by the
whole mass of half rotted coffins giving way with the
weight in shifting it.
The tomb chambers contained in all twelve coffins,
beside two boxes for babies. These coffins were
mostly stacked two deep, and nearly filled the two
inner chambers. When we first opened this tomb I
was on the spot watching it; and the entrance to the
middle chamber was so blocked by two coffins one on
the other that it was impossible for any one to pass.
I only allowed the principal lad of the party to come
below ; and then—half stripped—I set to work on the
clearance. Nothing was moved in the whole place,
except by my own hands ; everything as moved was
noted as to its position, and handed into the outer
chamber to the lad, who was a trusty fellow, the same
who worked Horuta's tomb. Thus there was no
confusion, and I worked on steadily nearly all da}',
opening the coffins and recording all the things as
they lay. The burials had evidently been successive,
and things had been shifted to make way for the later
comers. Each of the box coffins contained several
bodies, some holding five or six, piled one on the other.
The coffins were in tolerably firm condition ; but the
bodies and wrappings were all reduced to black
powder which crushed up with a touch. The work
was hardly cleaner than a chimney-sweep's. I was
streaming with perspiration, and coated with black
sooty dust of the mummies and cloth. Most of the
small objects were found in oval baskets of the Nubian
type, with woven patterns on the sides, and a ridge
lid. These baskets were all too much rotted to
21
to that of the previous publication of weights in
"Naukratis," '"A Season in Egypt," &c.
No.
4958
4900
4959
490c
4960
4902
4903
4961
4904
4962
4963
4905
4964
4906
4907
4908
4965
4966
4909
4967
4968
4910
4911
Material
Syenite, gy.
Syenite, gy.
Basalt, br.
Alabaster
Alabaster
Lead
Syenite, gy.
Syenite, gy.
Haematite
Basalt, br.
Syenite, gy.
Haematite
Haematite, bk.
Basalt, br.
Haematite, bk.
Lead
Haematite, bk.
Calcite
Syenite, gy.
Form Present Ch. Ancient X
Kat standard (12)
11 5623 .. .. 40
117'174 1412-0 .. .. 10
38-43 1416-6 .. .. 10
86 5682 .. .. 40
79-110 284-6 .. .. 2
64 142-9 2? 1
2-10 3592-8 .. .. 25
54 5748 .. .. 4°
2-4 720-1 ., .. 5
48-49 1472-3 .. .. 10
2-4 5890 .. .. 40
49-52 149-3 •■ •• I
Assyrian Shekel (7)
49 363-9
62
52-82
63
49
48
2-38
2487-1
62-7
2523-2
127-3
63"9
2556-1
3° 253o
Attic Drachma (5)
Syenite, gy. 54 2625-8
Sandstone 84 2635 • 6
Bronze, PI. xxn, 17 133-1
Alabaster 16 3305-8
Lead 52-108 415-6
2626
1-5 132
4912 Lead
4969 Limestone
4970 Syenite, gy.
4971 Sandstone
4972 Syenite, gy.
4973 Basalt, br.
4974
4975
Syenite, gy.
Haematite
Aeginetan Stater (4)
108 179-0 16
56 12180-
11 8190
84 2081-7
Phoenician Shekel (2)
2 5294
62 1380-2
Eighty grains (2)
117 1568-8
49
157-0
408
192
12181
8230
1381
I57-3
3
20
i
20
1
40
40
2
5°
6
Unit
140-6
I4I-2
I4I-7
142-0
142-3
142-9
I43'7
I43-7
I44-°
147-2
147-2
I49-3
I2I-3
124-4
125-4
126-5
127-3
127-8
127-8
65-6
65-9
66-o
66-1
68-o
I
60
40
10
25
6
192-0
203-0
205-7
208-2
2II-8
230-2
78-4
78 6
The foreign character of the weights here is then
well maintained by the larger number we have now
got. Only I of all the weights are on the Egyptian
standard ; and of those nearly half are of the foreign
materials, alabaster, lead, and haematite. Thus only
a fifth of all the weights are regular Egyptian: and
there is not a single example of the typical domed
form. The Phoenician weight No. 4973 might at first
seem to be a low variety of the uten ; but it is marked
O llllll, 6 units, proving it to belong to the Phoenician
system. This is similar to two weights from Gebelen,
which are of the same rectangular form, one of 1473 ■ 3
marked mill, the other of 14700 marked nnnnnn ;
giving units of 245 • 5 and 245 • grains, or the same
Phoenician standard.
CHAPTER V.
THE TOMB OF MAKET.
43. This tomb is in the town of Kahun. Many of
the houses of the Xllth dynasty there have rock cut
cellars, which were closed by massive trap-doors of
wood, recessed into a seat and hinging in the stone.
One of these cellars became known to people of the
XlXth dynasty, and they cleared it, and probably
enlarged it, to form a family tomb (see plan in corner
of Pl. XIV). The first and last chamber is cut in the
rock alone ; the middle chamber is roofed and lined
with blocks of fine white limestone. One of these
roof blocks broke across, and fell on the coffins, some-
what crushing them; this entailed a very difficult
matter, of shifting the block weighing many hundred-
weights off from the coffins, without any firm foothold
to stand on so high up (as it lay on two coffins one on
the other), and a risk of its falling over on one by the
whole mass of half rotted coffins giving way with the
weight in shifting it.
The tomb chambers contained in all twelve coffins,
beside two boxes for babies. These coffins were
mostly stacked two deep, and nearly filled the two
inner chambers. When we first opened this tomb I
was on the spot watching it; and the entrance to the
middle chamber was so blocked by two coffins one on
the other that it was impossible for any one to pass.
I only allowed the principal lad of the party to come
below ; and then—half stripped—I set to work on the
clearance. Nothing was moved in the whole place,
except by my own hands ; everything as moved was
noted as to its position, and handed into the outer
chamber to the lad, who was a trusty fellow, the same
who worked Horuta's tomb. Thus there was no
confusion, and I worked on steadily nearly all da}',
opening the coffins and recording all the things as
they lay. The burials had evidently been successive,
and things had been shifted to make way for the later
comers. Each of the box coffins contained several
bodies, some holding five or six, piled one on the other.
The coffins were in tolerably firm condition ; but the
bodies and wrappings were all reduced to black
powder which crushed up with a touch. The work
was hardly cleaner than a chimney-sweep's. I was
streaming with perspiration, and coated with black
sooty dust of the mummies and cloth. Most of the
small objects were found in oval baskets of the Nubian
type, with woven patterns on the sides, and a ridge
lid. These baskets were all too much rotted to