DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4203#0024
BHHH^^HBH
I^HHI
THE UNDATED TOMBS OF VIIth—XItu DYNASTIES.
15
point to that being about the age of Aclu I.
or II. The mastaba is very peculiar in having
four chambers about equal, and four or five
names occurring in its sculptures: doubtless
they are all of one family, but such compound
tombs are rarely found. The sepulchre was
reached by a long sloping passage or tunnel, of
which the trench remains; but the chamber
was filled with burials of about the Persian
age.
Uiiaa. This panel (pi. x.) has the dress
treated as that of Senna. The style is like
that of Ptahmera A., but from the position
it is probably older than Shensetha P. and
Ptahmera. The plan (xxxi.) is like that of
Merra, and agrees to this age.
Ptahmera A. The sculpture is shown in
x., x.a, and the cornice in x.A, where the frag-
merits are placed in order, as found fallen along
the foot of the east front. The style is coarser
than anything seen so far; the relief work is
clumsy, and the signs attract by their bold
and mechanical cutting to make up for their
bad forms. The only fragment of scenes in the
whole cemetery is the piece with a goatherd,
donkeys, and ploughing, ]A. x. The plan of
the mastaba is in xxxii.
Shknsetha P. This mastaba is, from its
position, later than Ptahmera, as it advances
forward, and so eclipses the other. There is
only the cornice from this tomb, pi. xi.A, and
a fragment naming the daughter ......erdutsa,
Bebaurt, and Khetpera is copied at the top of
pi. xiv. Another tomb of the same name has,
however, been mixed with this in the plate,
the small double altar on the right belonging
to Shensetba T. The mastaba plan is on
pi. xxxii.
Beba C. This tomb seems to be later in
position than the previous. The work shows
a new departure in a greater elaboration,
particularly in the hair (see Beba III., pis. xi.
and xi.B) ; but the style of the signs is much
like that of Ptahmera. The plan (xxxii.) is
like that of the preceding tombs. The name of
the son Azaua is copied at the top of pi. xiv.
Shensetha and Beba-ur. This is probably
by the same artist as the preceding carving (see
pi. xi.). It is an interesting attempt to revive
art by care and detail, much like the Constantine
revival, but just as powerless as that to really
turn the tide.
14. Merra. This is the most important of
the mastabas after the Vlth Dynasty. The plan
(pi. xxxi.) shows a later stage than that of Adu
II. and III. The east front is much like those
earlier mastabas, the number of portals is the
same as in Adu I., four and nine. But the
structure shows the horizontal roofed tunnel,
which was brought in by Adu III.; and a
further application of this by doming over a
large well. The entrance leads to a small open
court, from which a stairway winds round to
the roof, apparently imitated from Merra. On
the west this court leads to two chambers, by a
Ioav arched door ; but these seem to be merely
construction chambers filled in with gravel, and
it is probable that others exist in the rest of
the mass. The real entrance to the sepulchre
begins with a well, which probably gives access
to the horizontal roofed tunnel passage, but the
bottom was not cleared to search for the door.
There is a narrow slit window which lights the
tunnel from the well. The tunnel ends by a
great cross wall in which a series of relieving
arches, one below another, span the upper part,
and at the bottom is a doonvay leading to the
second well, which is small and square. This
in the upper part is all one with the third well
or " domed well," which is separated from the
second well by a wall with arched doorway.
The " domed well" was covered by a dome of
brickwork ; this was partly broken when found,
and had to be removed in order to clear the
well safely. The doming was made by placing
a brick across the corner, then two over that
with a rise in the middle, four over that again,
and thus gradually bringing forward the
i
I^HHI
THE UNDATED TOMBS OF VIIth—XItu DYNASTIES.
15
point to that being about the age of Aclu I.
or II. The mastaba is very peculiar in having
four chambers about equal, and four or five
names occurring in its sculptures: doubtless
they are all of one family, but such compound
tombs are rarely found. The sepulchre was
reached by a long sloping passage or tunnel, of
which the trench remains; but the chamber
was filled with burials of about the Persian
age.
Uiiaa. This panel (pi. x.) has the dress
treated as that of Senna. The style is like
that of Ptahmera A., but from the position
it is probably older than Shensetha P. and
Ptahmera. The plan (xxxi.) is like that of
Merra, and agrees to this age.
Ptahmera A. The sculpture is shown in
x., x.a, and the cornice in x.A, where the frag-
merits are placed in order, as found fallen along
the foot of the east front. The style is coarser
than anything seen so far; the relief work is
clumsy, and the signs attract by their bold
and mechanical cutting to make up for their
bad forms. The only fragment of scenes in the
whole cemetery is the piece with a goatherd,
donkeys, and ploughing, ]A. x. The plan of
the mastaba is in xxxii.
Shknsetha P. This mastaba is, from its
position, later than Ptahmera, as it advances
forward, and so eclipses the other. There is
only the cornice from this tomb, pi. xi.A, and
a fragment naming the daughter ......erdutsa,
Bebaurt, and Khetpera is copied at the top of
pi. xiv. Another tomb of the same name has,
however, been mixed with this in the plate,
the small double altar on the right belonging
to Shensetba T. The mastaba plan is on
pi. xxxii.
Beba C. This tomb seems to be later in
position than the previous. The work shows
a new departure in a greater elaboration,
particularly in the hair (see Beba III., pis. xi.
and xi.B) ; but the style of the signs is much
like that of Ptahmera. The plan (xxxii.) is
like that of the preceding tombs. The name of
the son Azaua is copied at the top of pi. xiv.
Shensetha and Beba-ur. This is probably
by the same artist as the preceding carving (see
pi. xi.). It is an interesting attempt to revive
art by care and detail, much like the Constantine
revival, but just as powerless as that to really
turn the tide.
14. Merra. This is the most important of
the mastabas after the Vlth Dynasty. The plan
(pi. xxxi.) shows a later stage than that of Adu
II. and III. The east front is much like those
earlier mastabas, the number of portals is the
same as in Adu I., four and nine. But the
structure shows the horizontal roofed tunnel,
which was brought in by Adu III.; and a
further application of this by doming over a
large well. The entrance leads to a small open
court, from which a stairway winds round to
the roof, apparently imitated from Merra. On
the west this court leads to two chambers, by a
Ioav arched door ; but these seem to be merely
construction chambers filled in with gravel, and
it is probable that others exist in the rest of
the mass. The real entrance to the sepulchre
begins with a well, which probably gives access
to the horizontal roofed tunnel passage, but the
bottom was not cleared to search for the door.
There is a narrow slit window which lights the
tunnel from the well. The tunnel ends by a
great cross wall in which a series of relieving
arches, one below another, span the upper part,
and at the bottom is a doonvay leading to the
second well, which is small and square. This
in the upper part is all one with the third well
or " domed well," which is separated from the
second well by a wall with arched doorway.
The " domed well" was covered by a dome of
brickwork ; this was partly broken when found,
and had to be removed in order to clear the
well safely. The doming was made by placing
a brick across the corner, then two over that
with a rise in the middle, four over that again,
and thus gradually bringing forward the
i