DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0012
THE SHUNEH, MIDDLE FOET AND DEIR.
outer sides with a plaster of mud, some f in.
thick, on which was a thin layer of white plaster
or stucco. This Avas left plain in the case of
the Shuneh ; but around the walls of the Middle
Fort was painted a strip of dark red, 4 ins.
broad at a height of 22 ins. above the ground.
The interior of the small court of the S.E. gate
was similarly painted, with a band 3^ ins.
broad. The great wall of the Shuneh at
present reaches a height of some 36 ft. and
originally may even have reached 40 ft. Its
average breadth at the bottom is 210 in.,
with a slight batter which would make the
breadth at the top about 180 in. The small
surrounding wall reaches a height of 18-—20 ft.
at its highest point on the north, and the
original height was probably not much more ;
its width varies from 6 to 8 ft. Nothing was
discovered which could show by what method
access was obtained to the top of the walls, but
this may have been by wooden ladders ; although
it seems improbable that there were ever any
hollows in the walls in which to place them, as
has been suggested. The wall of the older fort to
the north was at one time at least 15 ft. high ;
its breadth at present is 4 ft. Of the original
height of the chambers in either of the forts
nothing can be said, since only about 4 ft. of
brickwork remains above the foundations. The
walls of both forts are founded in trenches
only about 6 in. below the original desert
surface.
Unfortunately, owing to the presence of the
modern cemetery of the Copts, we could not
excavate the north wall of the Middle Fort;
but if it at all resembled that of the Shuneh
there was probably another elaborate entrance
in the N.B. corner.
The outside of the Coptic Deir is unfortu-
nately too much weathered to show whether
the decoration on the walls resembled that on
the Shuneh or Middle Fort. And at present
the only entrance is that to the north, though
there may possibly have been gates on the
other three sides ; since great gaps are now
visible, though filled with rubbish.
7. The chambers discovered in the Shuneh
and Middle Fort do not agree in detail. Those
in the Shuneh have pilasters along the west
wall and entrance on the east, with pilasters
and one false door in the middle. The north
wall was plain and the south wall was too
broken to show any face. There was a coat-
ing of stucco both inside and out, of the same
material as that on the great walls.
The small chambers in the Middle Fort have
two plain Avails; but the Avail to the east is
beautifully decorated Avith a series of recesses,
the entrance being in the S.E. corner. The
eastern part of the southern Avail, Avhich Avas
also visible from the gate, was decorated with
single pilasters, Avhile the western part was
left plain. These chambers Avere also decorated
inside and out with Avhite stucco.
Various objects Avere found Avhich enable us
to ascertain the date of the building of the
Shuneh. A sealing of Khasekhemui, fifth (?) king
of the Ilnd Dynasty, Avas found in the eastern
portion of room F, at a height of 6 in. from
the floor, where it had probably been thrown
at a later period. The base of a Ilnd Dynasty
vase, similar to No. 28 (pi. xxxii), was found
at Gr, with another piece of a sealing of
Khasekhemui. There are no traces of any
earlier objects, and Ave may thus consider that
this house Avas built during the reign of king
Khasekhemui. Sealings, Avhich from their
style appear to belong to the Illrd—IVth
Dynasties, were found near the entrance, at A.
The lower part of a large Vlth Dynasty jar
Avas found at F. From these it seems probable
that the chambers Avere in use down to the
Vlth Dynasty. The chamber G- was filled Avith
feathers and charred remains of the sacred
ibis ; and chambers J and B had been bricked
up and re-used as store-chambers in later times,
since 6 in. of sand had accumulated on the
floors.
outer sides with a plaster of mud, some f in.
thick, on which was a thin layer of white plaster
or stucco. This Avas left plain in the case of
the Shuneh ; but around the walls of the Middle
Fort was painted a strip of dark red, 4 ins.
broad at a height of 22 ins. above the ground.
The interior of the small court of the S.E. gate
was similarly painted, with a band 3^ ins.
broad. The great wall of the Shuneh at
present reaches a height of some 36 ft. and
originally may even have reached 40 ft. Its
average breadth at the bottom is 210 in.,
with a slight batter which would make the
breadth at the top about 180 in. The small
surrounding wall reaches a height of 18-—20 ft.
at its highest point on the north, and the
original height was probably not much more ;
its width varies from 6 to 8 ft. Nothing was
discovered which could show by what method
access was obtained to the top of the walls, but
this may have been by wooden ladders ; although
it seems improbable that there were ever any
hollows in the walls in which to place them, as
has been suggested. The wall of the older fort to
the north was at one time at least 15 ft. high ;
its breadth at present is 4 ft. Of the original
height of the chambers in either of the forts
nothing can be said, since only about 4 ft. of
brickwork remains above the foundations. The
walls of both forts are founded in trenches
only about 6 in. below the original desert
surface.
Unfortunately, owing to the presence of the
modern cemetery of the Copts, we could not
excavate the north wall of the Middle Fort;
but if it at all resembled that of the Shuneh
there was probably another elaborate entrance
in the N.B. corner.
The outside of the Coptic Deir is unfortu-
nately too much weathered to show whether
the decoration on the walls resembled that on
the Shuneh or Middle Fort. And at present
the only entrance is that to the north, though
there may possibly have been gates on the
other three sides ; since great gaps are now
visible, though filled with rubbish.
7. The chambers discovered in the Shuneh
and Middle Fort do not agree in detail. Those
in the Shuneh have pilasters along the west
wall and entrance on the east, with pilasters
and one false door in the middle. The north
wall was plain and the south wall was too
broken to show any face. There was a coat-
ing of stucco both inside and out, of the same
material as that on the great walls.
The small chambers in the Middle Fort have
two plain Avails; but the Avail to the east is
beautifully decorated Avith a series of recesses,
the entrance being in the S.E. corner. The
eastern part of the southern Avail, Avhich Avas
also visible from the gate, was decorated with
single pilasters, Avhile the western part was
left plain. These chambers Avere also decorated
inside and out with Avhite stucco.
Various objects Avere found Avhich enable us
to ascertain the date of the building of the
Shuneh. A sealing of Khasekhemui, fifth (?) king
of the Ilnd Dynasty, Avas found in the eastern
portion of room F, at a height of 6 in. from
the floor, where it had probably been thrown
at a later period. The base of a Ilnd Dynasty
vase, similar to No. 28 (pi. xxxii), was found
at Gr, with another piece of a sealing of
Khasekhemui. There are no traces of any
earlier objects, and Ave may thus consider that
this house Avas built during the reign of king
Khasekhemui. Sealings, Avhich from their
style appear to belong to the Illrd—IVth
Dynasties, were found near the entrance, at A.
The lower part of a large Vlth Dynasty jar
Avas found at F. From these it seems probable
that the chambers Avere in use down to the
Vlth Dynasty. The chamber G- was filled Avith
feathers and charred remains of the sacred
ibis ; and chambers J and B had been bricked
up and re-used as store-chambers in later times,
since 6 in. of sand had accumulated on the
floors.