DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4391#0023
PTOLEMAIC AND ROMAN PERIOD.
19
2S, 46, and 78 inches, there being four courses of
rough-cut foundation remaining. The great brick
wall in which this gate is, forms part of the main
fortification of Roman times, having semi-circular
bastions along it on the other three sides, and con-
taining nearly all the town of Koptos.
32. The foundation deposits were found under the
two northern corners of the Ptolemaic building. After
I had obtained a clue to the plan of the place, I then
dug deep wells down at the corners, to follow the wall
and reach into the foundation sand. The men
grumbled at making such deep holes, but were
astounded when I went down, and after a few minutes'
scraping in the sand took out the gilt blocks of stone
(XXIII, 5). The story went round the town that I
could tell exactly where the treasure was buried, set
a man to dig down deep in the earth close to it, and
then go and take out all the gold with my own hands.
It certainly had more substance in it than most
oriental tales.
The plans of these two deposits are given, PL. XVI
at bottom. It does not appear that there was any
system in placing them : the distance from the corner
of the stone (shewn in the plan) is not the same, nor
the positions of the pieces. The figures upon the
objects shew the depth of them in inches under the
lowest stone ; they vary from nine to three inches down.
The numbers outside of the objects shew the nature
of them, referring to the numbers in PL. XXIII. On
that plate are shewn the various materials and forms:
the gold is represented by gilt blocks of sandstone,
the silver was a plating over a piece of wood, which is
now rotted away, the bronze and lead are solid
blocks ; the glass is mainly decomposed, while the
pieces of ore and stone are as when buried. The
alabaster pieces from the two corners fitted together.
The vases were all of the forms here shewn, mostly of
the smaller size. The cartouches were all written
with ink, and only traces remain on the lead and
yellow glass. The form does not agree to any of the
variants known of any Ptolemaic name.
At the bottom of this plate are two blocks of
limestone, painted blue, found under foundation at the
east end of the temple. Also a square tile of white
inlaid with blue glaze, probably of early Naukratite
work, which was found in the town.
33. Turning now to the other remains which do not
involve the architecture, we see first a scene on the
curtain wall, or screen, between the eastern pair of
columns, north of the Isis steps. This whole scene of
fifteen blocks was transported to England and is now
at Oxford. Is was needful to remove it, as the
natives began to pull it down for the sake of the
blocks bearing faces, for sale to dealers. The scene
represents Ptolemy I deified, standing before a shrine
receiving offering of incense from a priest ; behind the
priest are six standards, the Ibis, one defaced, the
Hawk, the piece of flesh (?), the jackal, and the Min
sign with two plumes ; and beyond these stands " the
great Isis princess of all the gods." This scene was at
a lower level than the top of the steps, so it appears
that after the building under Philadelphos, the floor
of the temple was raised and the steps heightened
probably under Ptolemy XIII Dionysos. This ac-
counts for the Isis steps intruding beyond the line of
the front wall.
34. The most important inscription of the Greek age
is of the reign of Philadelphos (PL. XX). It is
carved minutely and very regularly upon a large thin
slab of basalt ; from the fracture of one edge it seems
probable that this was a sheet of background behind
a statue, such as we see behind the figures of Ty and
Ranefer in the Ghizeh Museum. The slab was kept at
that museum, as a small piece of it had been previously
acquired there. What I found was lying re-used as a
floor stone in a brick building in the S.W. corner of
the plan PL. I. The inscription is translated by
Mr. Griffith as follows :—
" (1) . . . his boundaries thereto between the two seas
(Mediterranean and Red Sea). (2) . . . his beauties
shine in every face, even as the sun illumines the day.
He is as . . . (3) . . . with plumes like his father
Min of Koptos, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt,
loved of the two lands (User-ka-ra, mery-Amen), son
of the sun, lord of the diadems [Ptelumys . . . (4) . . .
the hereditary noble, the sole companion] the noble
at the head of the people, great in his office, high in
his dignity, advanced in position in the palace, on
whose utterance the king relies, to whom are told the
proceedings of . . . (5) . . . the greatest dignitary
from the two lands, the officer standing on the (king's)
right hand, ready of speech, loving the council-chamber
of difficult questions, discussing the teachings of the
good god, praised by the king . . . (6) . . . turning
his face to his adviser, his back upon the evil . . . (7)
. . . beloved of the lord of this land, preparing the
the way that he desires, protecting the city of Koptos,
defending its nome, a place of retreat behind the
estates (?), strong in smiting, remembering him who
remembers him, chief of the living, by whose advice
are regulated the affairs of the palace . . . (8) . . .
right and left of the child of intelligence to produce
D 2
19
2S, 46, and 78 inches, there being four courses of
rough-cut foundation remaining. The great brick
wall in which this gate is, forms part of the main
fortification of Roman times, having semi-circular
bastions along it on the other three sides, and con-
taining nearly all the town of Koptos.
32. The foundation deposits were found under the
two northern corners of the Ptolemaic building. After
I had obtained a clue to the plan of the place, I then
dug deep wells down at the corners, to follow the wall
and reach into the foundation sand. The men
grumbled at making such deep holes, but were
astounded when I went down, and after a few minutes'
scraping in the sand took out the gilt blocks of stone
(XXIII, 5). The story went round the town that I
could tell exactly where the treasure was buried, set
a man to dig down deep in the earth close to it, and
then go and take out all the gold with my own hands.
It certainly had more substance in it than most
oriental tales.
The plans of these two deposits are given, PL. XVI
at bottom. It does not appear that there was any
system in placing them : the distance from the corner
of the stone (shewn in the plan) is not the same, nor
the positions of the pieces. The figures upon the
objects shew the depth of them in inches under the
lowest stone ; they vary from nine to three inches down.
The numbers outside of the objects shew the nature
of them, referring to the numbers in PL. XXIII. On
that plate are shewn the various materials and forms:
the gold is represented by gilt blocks of sandstone,
the silver was a plating over a piece of wood, which is
now rotted away, the bronze and lead are solid
blocks ; the glass is mainly decomposed, while the
pieces of ore and stone are as when buried. The
alabaster pieces from the two corners fitted together.
The vases were all of the forms here shewn, mostly of
the smaller size. The cartouches were all written
with ink, and only traces remain on the lead and
yellow glass. The form does not agree to any of the
variants known of any Ptolemaic name.
At the bottom of this plate are two blocks of
limestone, painted blue, found under foundation at the
east end of the temple. Also a square tile of white
inlaid with blue glaze, probably of early Naukratite
work, which was found in the town.
33. Turning now to the other remains which do not
involve the architecture, we see first a scene on the
curtain wall, or screen, between the eastern pair of
columns, north of the Isis steps. This whole scene of
fifteen blocks was transported to England and is now
at Oxford. Is was needful to remove it, as the
natives began to pull it down for the sake of the
blocks bearing faces, for sale to dealers. The scene
represents Ptolemy I deified, standing before a shrine
receiving offering of incense from a priest ; behind the
priest are six standards, the Ibis, one defaced, the
Hawk, the piece of flesh (?), the jackal, and the Min
sign with two plumes ; and beyond these stands " the
great Isis princess of all the gods." This scene was at
a lower level than the top of the steps, so it appears
that after the building under Philadelphos, the floor
of the temple was raised and the steps heightened
probably under Ptolemy XIII Dionysos. This ac-
counts for the Isis steps intruding beyond the line of
the front wall.
34. The most important inscription of the Greek age
is of the reign of Philadelphos (PL. XX). It is
carved minutely and very regularly upon a large thin
slab of basalt ; from the fracture of one edge it seems
probable that this was a sheet of background behind
a statue, such as we see behind the figures of Ty and
Ranefer in the Ghizeh Museum. The slab was kept at
that museum, as a small piece of it had been previously
acquired there. What I found was lying re-used as a
floor stone in a brick building in the S.W. corner of
the plan PL. I. The inscription is translated by
Mr. Griffith as follows :—
" (1) . . . his boundaries thereto between the two seas
(Mediterranean and Red Sea). (2) . . . his beauties
shine in every face, even as the sun illumines the day.
He is as . . . (3) . . . with plumes like his father
Min of Koptos, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt,
loved of the two lands (User-ka-ra, mery-Amen), son
of the sun, lord of the diadems [Ptelumys . . . (4) . . .
the hereditary noble, the sole companion] the noble
at the head of the people, great in his office, high in
his dignity, advanced in position in the palace, on
whose utterance the king relies, to whom are told the
proceedings of . . . (5) . . . the greatest dignitary
from the two lands, the officer standing on the (king's)
right hand, ready of speech, loving the council-chamber
of difficult questions, discussing the teachings of the
good god, praised by the king . . . (6) . . . turning
his face to his adviser, his back upon the evil . . . (7)
. . . beloved of the lord of this land, preparing the
the way that he desires, protecting the city of Koptos,
defending its nome, a place of retreat behind the
estates (?), strong in smiting, remembering him who
remembers him, chief of the living, by whose advice
are regulated the affairs of the palace . . . (8) . . .
right and left of the child of intelligence to produce
D 2