DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1036#0030
22
THE TOMB OF MAKET.
remove : but they sufficed to keep the beads together
while I picked them out.
From the positions of the coffins we can trace with
tolerable clearness in what order they had been placed
here. As they contained in all about 40 or 50 bodies,
and as this tomb probably belonged to one family, it
must have been added to for a considerable time,
perhaps a century. Hence the earlier burials may
contain things of a different period to the later. The
coffins therefore are here numbered and described in
the order of their age, beginning with the oldest.
44. The first must almost necessarily be that at the
back of the innermost chamber, and the lowest of the
two there. This coffin 1 contained the scarabs XXVI,
1 to S, and the pottery figure on a couch, XXVII, 12 ;
the group of sample beads, 3, is part of a larger
number. The general style of these is of the end of
the XVIIIth dynasty, and the scarabs 2 and 4 are of
the XVIIIth. No. 5 is evidently an old one of the
Xllth rediscovered. The black and green beads at
the ends of the string are however later, belonging to
Ramessu II or after, so that the other things must
have been old when buried. This is very probable as
the XVIIIth dynasty pendants are rather an odd lot,
and not like an original and complete necklace. The
back of scarab 2 is formed as the vulture crouched
down, and not as a scarabaeus. This coffin on the
whole may be of the reign of Ramessu II.
The next is probably that placed in front of it;
for though some objects lay on that coffin so that
the upper one, 3, could not have been pushed over it,
it is likely that they had been replaced there after
putting 3 in position, as they were roughly set about.
Coffin 2 contained nothing besides the bodies. On
the lid of it was standing a basket which had contained
a small alabaster jar, (XXVII, 3), which had fallen
out and broken ; also the very curious model of a
stopped horn, (XXVI, 50) made of green paste j a
flat dish (XXVII, 8), also of green paste ; a quadruple
kohl pot of wood too rotted to keep ; and a large
round bead of yellow glass.
Coffin 3 was placed on the top of No. 1. It con-
tained nothing besides the bodies. In the N.W.
and S.W. corners of this room, and along the S. side,
there was Egyptian pottery lying about, of the general
character of XXVII, 40, 42, 49, &c. The chair
(XXVII, 45,) was lying turned up on its side in the
S.W. corner with both of the front legs wholly
removed, and not to be found in the tomb ; it had
evidently been " killed " before burying it. As it was
not strong enough to move in one mass, I took it to
pieces (about 40 parts) for transport. Every piece I
afterwards soaked in melted wax to preserve it; this
of course darkened it, but prevented further decay.
Coming now to the main chamber, the order of the
coffins must have been either No. 4 or No. 5 first;
then the other ; then the figure coffin put in at the
back; then 4 and 5 set to the sides and room made
for 6, the coffin of Maket, which must have been last
introduced as there is no room to turn a coffin from
the door to the side. Then later 8 and 9 ; and pro-
bably 10 last of all as it lies on the most important
coffin,—-Maket's. No. 11 was then put in the passage
as there was no room further in ; and lastly 12 was
set upon it.
Coffin 4 was roughly painted with Isis and Nebhat
at the head and foot of it. It contained a brown
serpentine vase, (XXVII, 2); and in a basket the
kohl pot of brown steatite (XXVI, 48,) with a figure
at the side.
Coffin 5 contained five or six bodies, with them was
a long walking stick ; a throw stick, (XXVII, 43); a
folding head rest, (46), which probably had a band of
linen to retain the two ends and to serve as a support
for the head : a basket containing two pottery vases
and an alabaster vase of the early form, (XIII, 1),
but coarse and clumsy; and the black limestone kohl
pot on legs (XXVII, 10). On the second body were
two hollow gold earrings, (XXVI. 11) ; unfortunately
I did not see their exact position, whether on the ears
or the hair, as they fell out of the crumbling wrappings
as soon as the body was shifted.
Coffin 6 was a figure coffin, roughly cut to the out-
line, and with a face carved on it, but not coloured.
It contained nothing but one body. Behind it lay
a small box with slips of ivory on it, rather rotted.
And in front of it were two boxes, with double
sloping lids, like a roof ridge ; these contained babies>
but were much rotted, and could not be preserved.
Coffin 7 was the most important of all. It contained
the body of Maket; with a gold scarab of hollow
work (XXVI, 9); a silver scarab set in a gold ring, (7);
and a silver ring, (8); all inscribed with name of
" the lady of the house, Maket" ; also a scarab set in
a ring, (10) ; and a pair of moulded paste earrings
with rope edge, (6) ; a bronze mirror, (46), and kohl
stick, (49) ; a large reed containing two small musical
reed pipes (XXVII, 22, 23, 24) ; a head rest inlaid
with ivory studs; a Phoenician vase (XXVII, 19) ;
and the foreign vase, (27), in a basket. There were
several other bodies in this coffin also.
The heaps of objects in the S.W. corner must be
THE TOMB OF MAKET.
remove : but they sufficed to keep the beads together
while I picked them out.
From the positions of the coffins we can trace with
tolerable clearness in what order they had been placed
here. As they contained in all about 40 or 50 bodies,
and as this tomb probably belonged to one family, it
must have been added to for a considerable time,
perhaps a century. Hence the earlier burials may
contain things of a different period to the later. The
coffins therefore are here numbered and described in
the order of their age, beginning with the oldest.
44. The first must almost necessarily be that at the
back of the innermost chamber, and the lowest of the
two there. This coffin 1 contained the scarabs XXVI,
1 to S, and the pottery figure on a couch, XXVII, 12 ;
the group of sample beads, 3, is part of a larger
number. The general style of these is of the end of
the XVIIIth dynasty, and the scarabs 2 and 4 are of
the XVIIIth. No. 5 is evidently an old one of the
Xllth rediscovered. The black and green beads at
the ends of the string are however later, belonging to
Ramessu II or after, so that the other things must
have been old when buried. This is very probable as
the XVIIIth dynasty pendants are rather an odd lot,
and not like an original and complete necklace. The
back of scarab 2 is formed as the vulture crouched
down, and not as a scarabaeus. This coffin on the
whole may be of the reign of Ramessu II.
The next is probably that placed in front of it;
for though some objects lay on that coffin so that
the upper one, 3, could not have been pushed over it,
it is likely that they had been replaced there after
putting 3 in position, as they were roughly set about.
Coffin 2 contained nothing besides the bodies. On
the lid of it was standing a basket which had contained
a small alabaster jar, (XXVII, 3), which had fallen
out and broken ; also the very curious model of a
stopped horn, (XXVI, 50) made of green paste j a
flat dish (XXVII, 8), also of green paste ; a quadruple
kohl pot of wood too rotted to keep ; and a large
round bead of yellow glass.
Coffin 3 was placed on the top of No. 1. It con-
tained nothing besides the bodies. In the N.W.
and S.W. corners of this room, and along the S. side,
there was Egyptian pottery lying about, of the general
character of XXVII, 40, 42, 49, &c. The chair
(XXVII, 45,) was lying turned up on its side in the
S.W. corner with both of the front legs wholly
removed, and not to be found in the tomb ; it had
evidently been " killed " before burying it. As it was
not strong enough to move in one mass, I took it to
pieces (about 40 parts) for transport. Every piece I
afterwards soaked in melted wax to preserve it; this
of course darkened it, but prevented further decay.
Coming now to the main chamber, the order of the
coffins must have been either No. 4 or No. 5 first;
then the other ; then the figure coffin put in at the
back; then 4 and 5 set to the sides and room made
for 6, the coffin of Maket, which must have been last
introduced as there is no room to turn a coffin from
the door to the side. Then later 8 and 9 ; and pro-
bably 10 last of all as it lies on the most important
coffin,—-Maket's. No. 11 was then put in the passage
as there was no room further in ; and lastly 12 was
set upon it.
Coffin 4 was roughly painted with Isis and Nebhat
at the head and foot of it. It contained a brown
serpentine vase, (XXVII, 2); and in a basket the
kohl pot of brown steatite (XXVI, 48,) with a figure
at the side.
Coffin 5 contained five or six bodies, with them was
a long walking stick ; a throw stick, (XXVII, 43); a
folding head rest, (46), which probably had a band of
linen to retain the two ends and to serve as a support
for the head : a basket containing two pottery vases
and an alabaster vase of the early form, (XIII, 1),
but coarse and clumsy; and the black limestone kohl
pot on legs (XXVII, 10). On the second body were
two hollow gold earrings, (XXVI. 11) ; unfortunately
I did not see their exact position, whether on the ears
or the hair, as they fell out of the crumbling wrappings
as soon as the body was shifted.
Coffin 6 was a figure coffin, roughly cut to the out-
line, and with a face carved on it, but not coloured.
It contained nothing but one body. Behind it lay
a small box with slips of ivory on it, rather rotted.
And in front of it were two boxes, with double
sloping lids, like a roof ridge ; these contained babies>
but were much rotted, and could not be preserved.
Coffin 7 was the most important of all. It contained
the body of Maket; with a gold scarab of hollow
work (XXVI, 9); a silver scarab set in a gold ring, (7);
and a silver ring, (8); all inscribed with name of
" the lady of the house, Maket" ; also a scarab set in
a ring, (10) ; and a pair of moulded paste earrings
with rope edge, (6) ; a bronze mirror, (46), and kohl
stick, (49) ; a large reed containing two small musical
reed pipes (XXVII, 22, 23, 24) ; a head rest inlaid
with ivory studs; a Phoenician vase (XXVII, 19) ;
and the foreign vase, (27), in a basket. There were
several other bodies in this coffin also.
The heaps of objects in the S.W. corner must be