DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0014
THE SHUNEH", MIDDLE FORT AND DEIR.
walls, a large enclosure-wall and a small
surrounding one. As in the Shuneh the
greater wall is ornamented with panelling,
though evidently without any trace of false
doors on the eastern wall. Only one entrance
remains ; it is situated in the east corner, and
seems to be similar in pattern to the corres-
ponding gateway in the Shuneh, except that
here, owing to the comparative thinness of the
wall, the court has been built out in a block of
building. The walls are of unbaked brick
covered with a mud plastering, the surface of
which is whitened. The pilasters in width and
depth seem to correspond with those of the
Shuneh.
The great wall has a thickness of 180 in. and
the smaller one of 72 in. No openings, however,
were found in the Shuneh like those on each
side of this gateway. Unfortunately no objects
were found which could help to date this fort
except some Old Kingdom pottery, though to
what portion of the Old Kingdom this pottery
is dated Mr. Quibell does not state. He also
mentions that some archaic graves were found
under the wall. The resemblance between the
fort at Hierakonpolis and the Shuneh and
Middle Fort at Abydos is certainly striking,
both in architecture and situation. They are
situated to the west of the large temple sites
of Hierakonpolis and iibyclos respectively,
where temples have existed from at least the
1st Dynasty.
12. Maspero has pointed out that the
hieroglyph J is probably derived from large
buildings, such as the Shuneh, and that the
small rectangle in the corner perhaps corres-
ponds to an elaborate gateway such as the
northern entrance of the Shuneh fort. (Cf.
P.S.B.A., 1889-90, p. 247 ; B.T. ii, xii, 3.)
The Middle Fort was used in later times as a
cemetery and a few burials were found in the
Shuneh. These will be mentioned in the
description of the plates (chap. ii).
walls, a large enclosure-wall and a small
surrounding one. As in the Shuneh the
greater wall is ornamented with panelling,
though evidently without any trace of false
doors on the eastern wall. Only one entrance
remains ; it is situated in the east corner, and
seems to be similar in pattern to the corres-
ponding gateway in the Shuneh, except that
here, owing to the comparative thinness of the
wall, the court has been built out in a block of
building. The walls are of unbaked brick
covered with a mud plastering, the surface of
which is whitened. The pilasters in width and
depth seem to correspond with those of the
Shuneh.
The great wall has a thickness of 180 in. and
the smaller one of 72 in. No openings, however,
were found in the Shuneh like those on each
side of this gateway. Unfortunately no objects
were found which could help to date this fort
except some Old Kingdom pottery, though to
what portion of the Old Kingdom this pottery
is dated Mr. Quibell does not state. He also
mentions that some archaic graves were found
under the wall. The resemblance between the
fort at Hierakonpolis and the Shuneh and
Middle Fort at Abydos is certainly striking,
both in architecture and situation. They are
situated to the west of the large temple sites
of Hierakonpolis and iibyclos respectively,
where temples have existed from at least the
1st Dynasty.
12. Maspero has pointed out that the
hieroglyph J is probably derived from large
buildings, such as the Shuneh, and that the
small rectangle in the corner perhaps corres-
ponds to an elaborate gateway such as the
northern entrance of the Shuneh fort. (Cf.
P.S.B.A., 1889-90, p. 247 ; B.T. ii, xii, 3.)
The Middle Fort was used in later times as a
cemetery and a few burials were found in the
Shuneh. These will be mentioned in the
description of the plates (chap. ii).