DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4391#0005
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22
22
7-22
INTRODUCTION.
1. Among the few places which promised to throw
some light on the beginnings of Egyptian civiliza-
tion, Koptos, about thirty miles north of Thebes, was
the most available for exploration ; having, therefore,
obtained permission of the Egyptian authorities, I
arrived there on 3rd December, 1893, accompanied
by Mr. Ouibell. We worked there till I left on 26th
February, leaving Mr. Ouibell to finish the packing
and removal of objects. The twelve weeks thus
spent in excavation sufficed to entirely clear over the
temple site, besides doing much miscellaneous work
about the town.
Kuft, the modern town, is situated mainly on the
north-west of the ancient site; but all round the
ruins are small hamlets and settlements. The position
is now in the midst of the belt of cultivated land on
the eastern side of the Nile, about two miles from the
river and the same from the desert. But from the
configuration of the base soil, it seems not improbable
that the river ran close to the western side of the
town in the earliest times. That the Nile was at
some distance in Ptolemaic times is shewn by the tale
of Setna, where the priests of Koptos come down to
the boats ; and Setna goes to the haven from Koptos;
and the existence of a canal in Roman times—
probably, as now, a little west of the town—is shewn
by the bridge inscription. Hence the general features
of the country there do not seem to have altered in
the last two thousand years.
2. We settled at Koptos in the midst of the ruins.
The massive crude-brick wall of the square Roman
temenos included the temple and part of the town ; it
was much destroyed, being dug away below for earth
by the sebakJun, but part of the north side was in fair
preservation. In a corner-space formed by one of the
great bastions, projecting from the wall, we built our
huts, and so secured ourselves from the sun and from
the strong winds, under the shelter of the great wall.
The sebakhin were continually digging about, for the
earth of the lower part of the wall and beneath it
suited their fancy for the fields. And we lived in
peaceful security until one morning a thundering
vibration was felt, and we found that half the thick-
ness of our wall had been so undermined on the other
side that it slipped away into a loose heap of hundreds
of tons of broken bricks. As it left a very narrow
and perilous pinnacle on our side just over our huts,
we had to move a little out of the way; indeed, it
seemed a wonder that a few tons had not fallen over
and flattened us entirely.
The Kuftis proved to be the most troublesome
people that I have ever worked with. The pertinacity
with which the rascals of the place would dog our
steps about our house, and at the work, was amazing.
And the regularity with which a fresh spy was set on
every morning, to try and watch our doings, was most
irritating. The question each day between Mr.
Quibell and myself was, " Have you seen the spy?"
and whichever sighted him first at once described
him. The purpose of this spying was to know where
anything important was found, in order that the
dealers might go and work the part by night. Some
slabs of sculpture were taken one night; and another
time when we had made a discovery, we thought well
to go down about ten o'clock, with a tent, to sleep
over the place. We found that a party of men were
just coming up, and they continued to lurk around
for some time in the dark, their dogs barking at us so
long as they were about. It became therefore needful
to detect the spy every day as soon as we could, and
to drive him off. He could generally be noted by
being rather better dressed than the workmen, suitably
for lounging and not for hard work. One man tried
to foist himself into the middle of the temple, professing
to want earth from there. He would not go by words,
so we came to a struggle ; my workmen helped to
touzle him, and he went away furious. A few days
B
'9
'9
22
22
7-22
INTRODUCTION.
1. Among the few places which promised to throw
some light on the beginnings of Egyptian civiliza-
tion, Koptos, about thirty miles north of Thebes, was
the most available for exploration ; having, therefore,
obtained permission of the Egyptian authorities, I
arrived there on 3rd December, 1893, accompanied
by Mr. Ouibell. We worked there till I left on 26th
February, leaving Mr. Ouibell to finish the packing
and removal of objects. The twelve weeks thus
spent in excavation sufficed to entirely clear over the
temple site, besides doing much miscellaneous work
about the town.
Kuft, the modern town, is situated mainly on the
north-west of the ancient site; but all round the
ruins are small hamlets and settlements. The position
is now in the midst of the belt of cultivated land on
the eastern side of the Nile, about two miles from the
river and the same from the desert. But from the
configuration of the base soil, it seems not improbable
that the river ran close to the western side of the
town in the earliest times. That the Nile was at
some distance in Ptolemaic times is shewn by the tale
of Setna, where the priests of Koptos come down to
the boats ; and Setna goes to the haven from Koptos;
and the existence of a canal in Roman times—
probably, as now, a little west of the town—is shewn
by the bridge inscription. Hence the general features
of the country there do not seem to have altered in
the last two thousand years.
2. We settled at Koptos in the midst of the ruins.
The massive crude-brick wall of the square Roman
temenos included the temple and part of the town ; it
was much destroyed, being dug away below for earth
by the sebakJun, but part of the north side was in fair
preservation. In a corner-space formed by one of the
great bastions, projecting from the wall, we built our
huts, and so secured ourselves from the sun and from
the strong winds, under the shelter of the great wall.
The sebakhin were continually digging about, for the
earth of the lower part of the wall and beneath it
suited their fancy for the fields. And we lived in
peaceful security until one morning a thundering
vibration was felt, and we found that half the thick-
ness of our wall had been so undermined on the other
side that it slipped away into a loose heap of hundreds
of tons of broken bricks. As it left a very narrow
and perilous pinnacle on our side just over our huts,
we had to move a little out of the way; indeed, it
seemed a wonder that a few tons had not fallen over
and flattened us entirely.
The Kuftis proved to be the most troublesome
people that I have ever worked with. The pertinacity
with which the rascals of the place would dog our
steps about our house, and at the work, was amazing.
And the regularity with which a fresh spy was set on
every morning, to try and watch our doings, was most
irritating. The question each day between Mr.
Quibell and myself was, " Have you seen the spy?"
and whichever sighted him first at once described
him. The purpose of this spying was to know where
anything important was found, in order that the
dealers might go and work the part by night. Some
slabs of sculpture were taken one night; and another
time when we had made a discovery, we thought well
to go down about ten o'clock, with a tent, to sleep
over the place. We found that a party of men were
just coming up, and they continued to lurk around
for some time in the dark, their dogs barking at us so
long as they were about. It became therefore needful
to detect the spy every day as soon as we could, and
to drive him off. He could generally be noted by
being rather better dressed than the workmen, suitably
for lounging and not for hard work. One man tried
to foist himself into the middle of the temple, professing
to want earth from there. He would not go by words,
so we came to a struggle ; my workmen helped to
touzle him, and he went away furious. A few days
B