DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4221#0025
16
ROYAL TOMBS OF THE 1st J1YNASTY.
planned on the lower part of pi. lxvii. There
were two grooves or troughs across it, and two
planks running at right angles to the others.
There seems no reason to assume that the
chamber -was all one, without subdivision;
probably these grooves are the places for fittings
or panels.
The roofing is distinct in this tomb. Large
holes for the beams remain in the walls, with
red burning round each, and in one a mud cast
of the rough hewn end of the beam. These
beam holes are marked on the plan (pi. lx.), and
are not opposite to one another. This implies
that there was an axial beam, and that the side
beams only Avent half across the chamber. A
hole in the floor still retained part of an up-
right post; this was not in the true axis, but
as much to one side as the post at the side of
the doorway. Probably therefore the axial
beam ran rather to one side of the chamber, as
dotted on the plan. The greater depth of the
beam holes on the east side would imply that
about an equal length of beam Avas used on
either side. As this is the only tomb with the
awkward feature of an axial doorway, it is
interesting to note how the beam was placed out
of the axis to accommodate it. There is no
evidence that the axial beam was a ridge beam,
on the contrary the holes seem to show that the
side beams were horizontal. Above the side
beams is a plastered wall with a moderate
batter, probably to retain the coat of sand
over the roof, as in the tomb of Zet. The thin
white lines left in the brickwork of the plan
show the place of finished faces in the brick-
work.
The interior of the chamber is 208-8 and 20!)
inches across between the floor beams, 410 and
412 in length between beams. This was doubt-
less the size of the wooden chamber, as the posts
are set back 2*0 to 2*4 from the beam face, and
that is about the usual thickness of planks in
these tombs. The height from the top of the
floor planks to the base of the beam holes, where
is a row of headers on edge, 1<>U inches; the
foot of the plastered upper wall is 1 1 -H, and the
top of that wall 1 (i2 inches. So the chamber
was intended to be 10 x 20 cubits, and 5 cubits
high.
19. For convenience of reference the princi-
pal measurements of the tombs (in inches) are
here placed together.
Tomb of Zet; see sect. 9 :—
Length inside extreme . N. 470-0 S. 481*5
Breadth „ „ . E. 369*5 \V. 309-0
Length ,, over beams
Breadth ,,
Along N. side, from W.
Along E. side, from N.
Along S. side, from E.
mid. 360
•2
241-7 W.
240-5
Chambers.
Walls.
70-5
15'5
50'5
15-5
43-0
16-5
26-0
17-0
28-5
17-5
31 0
15-5
31-5
1(1-0
27-5
17-0
31-0
68*
16-5
56*5
16-5
59-5
17-
57*
16-
62-5
39-5
17-
53-0
17-5
65-5
16-9
73-2
18-0
2L0
14-7
04-7
15-9
33-4
11-2
20-0
Height 89-6 to 95-3.
Deducting 2xG'8 from the dimensions over
beams in order to find actual dimensions in
wooden chamber, we have 352*0 X 228-l or
226-9 for the chamber; or 17 cubits of 20*74
and 11 cubits of 20"73 to 20*63.
..sees^*
iW 354;
I and n • °
,03; ^
see
sect. V-
E.
N.
ijse •
E.
base ■
0 dimensions are 1
fffj§ 63 wide beta
nbchamber cubit 20*44
flbekha; see sec
le . . E. 6
, . N. 2
at 60 up 2!
le E, 1304 31-5
k S, 523-0 107
ROYAL TOMBS OF THE 1st J1YNASTY.
planned on the lower part of pi. lxvii. There
were two grooves or troughs across it, and two
planks running at right angles to the others.
There seems no reason to assume that the
chamber -was all one, without subdivision;
probably these grooves are the places for fittings
or panels.
The roofing is distinct in this tomb. Large
holes for the beams remain in the walls, with
red burning round each, and in one a mud cast
of the rough hewn end of the beam. These
beam holes are marked on the plan (pi. lx.), and
are not opposite to one another. This implies
that there was an axial beam, and that the side
beams only Avent half across the chamber. A
hole in the floor still retained part of an up-
right post; this was not in the true axis, but
as much to one side as the post at the side of
the doorway. Probably therefore the axial
beam ran rather to one side of the chamber, as
dotted on the plan. The greater depth of the
beam holes on the east side would imply that
about an equal length of beam Avas used on
either side. As this is the only tomb with the
awkward feature of an axial doorway, it is
interesting to note how the beam was placed out
of the axis to accommodate it. There is no
evidence that the axial beam was a ridge beam,
on the contrary the holes seem to show that the
side beams were horizontal. Above the side
beams is a plastered wall with a moderate
batter, probably to retain the coat of sand
over the roof, as in the tomb of Zet. The thin
white lines left in the brickwork of the plan
show the place of finished faces in the brick-
work.
The interior of the chamber is 208-8 and 20!)
inches across between the floor beams, 410 and
412 in length between beams. This was doubt-
less the size of the wooden chamber, as the posts
are set back 2*0 to 2*4 from the beam face, and
that is about the usual thickness of planks in
these tombs. The height from the top of the
floor planks to the base of the beam holes, where
is a row of headers on edge, 1<>U inches; the
foot of the plastered upper wall is 1 1 -H, and the
top of that wall 1 (i2 inches. So the chamber
was intended to be 10 x 20 cubits, and 5 cubits
high.
19. For convenience of reference the princi-
pal measurements of the tombs (in inches) are
here placed together.
Tomb of Zet; see sect. 9 :—
Length inside extreme . N. 470-0 S. 481*5
Breadth „ „ . E. 369*5 \V. 309-0
Length ,, over beams
Breadth ,,
Along N. side, from W.
Along E. side, from N.
Along S. side, from E.
mid. 360
•2
241-7 W.
240-5
Chambers.
Walls.
70-5
15'5
50'5
15-5
43-0
16-5
26-0
17-0
28-5
17-5
31 0
15-5
31-5
1(1-0
27-5
17-0
31-0
68*
16-5
56*5
16-5
59-5
17-
57*
16-
62-5
39-5
17-
53-0
17-5
65-5
16-9
73-2
18-0
2L0
14-7
04-7
15-9
33-4
11-2
20-0
Height 89-6 to 95-3.
Deducting 2xG'8 from the dimensions over
beams in order to find actual dimensions in
wooden chamber, we have 352*0 X 228-l or
226-9 for the chamber; or 17 cubits of 20*74
and 11 cubits of 20"73 to 20*63.
..sees^*
iW 354;
I and n • °
,03; ^
see
sect. V-
E.
N.
ijse •
E.
base ■
0 dimensions are 1
fffj§ 63 wide beta
nbchamber cubit 20*44
flbekha; see sec
le . . E. 6
, . N. 2
at 60 up 2!
le E, 1304 31-5
k S, 523-0 107