DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0026
TOMB AND CEMETERY OF SENUSERT III.
17
In one, however, some loose carnelian beads
and a scarab Avere found; and in another there
were a few male bones, and some pieces of
cartonnage. To the east of this group is a
large tomb, built on the exaggerated plan of
S 2. The roof was barrel shaped, and some
of it was still standing until excavated, when
it fell in. Upon the whitewashed Avails of the
burial chamber a number of drawings of boats
had been scratched in later times, some of
which are of interest. Photographs of them
are given in the plates. At the time of writing
this tomb awaits complete clearance, and a
fuller description of it will be appended.
27. One of the most interesting features of
the whole cemetery is a large building in the
form of a double mastaba, which lies just south
of the hash entrance in the corner formed by
the great front Avail and the left pier of the
causeAvay. Here stands a large rectangular
brick enclosure, 69 ft. from side to side in one
direction, and about 56 ft. in the other. On
three sides' the Avails are some 5 ft. broad and
on the south the fourth Avail is nearly 10 ft.
They are still 10 or 12 ft. high in parts, Avhich
is probably little short of their original size.
Like all mastabas the Avails have a strong
batter, that is to say, they lean toAvards the
centre and if continued to a finish Avould form
a pyramid. The outer surface is regular and
Avell preserved ; but the inner, being merely to
retain the filling, is quite rough. Across the
south end of the space enclosed there is a brick
construction in the form of a Avail 6 ft. broad,
and a series of layers of brick rising like steps,
and forming a casing over the debris Avhich lies
below.
Parallel Avith this mastaba, Avith the same
line of frontage, is a second enclosure. Its
Avails are 4| ft. broad, and its area is about
64 ft. square. A passage 10 ft. Avide separates
the tAvo buildings from each other. In front
of them runs a great fender Avail of the
" Avavy " type, having a batter, and rising some
12 ft. high. BetAveen this fender Avail and the
front wall of the mastabas a corridor is formed
4 ft. wide (or 8 ft. measuring from each recess
or " Avave " in the fender wall) running from
the corner of the second enclosure to the outside
of the causeway Avail. At the north-west side
of the building, i.e. in the corner, there are a
feAv chambers Avith strong brick Avails ; and in
one of these the skeleton of a man was found
lying full length.
Excavations Avere made at the centre of the
tAvo enclosures, where it Avas evident that the
plunderers had commenced their attack. The
filling of both buildings consisted mainly of
limestone chippings, but having dug through
this at several points nothing but a clean sand
bottom was found, in Avhich a deep hole showed
Avhere the plunderers had made their vain
attempt to find a burial. Further excavations
having produced no better results, the Avork on
the site was suspended, and a thoughtful ex-
amination of the place undertaken. The con-
clusions draAvn from it changed the Avhole course
of the Avork, and led directly to the finding of
the great tomb in the hash. It Avas observed
that the limestone drippings Avere not entirely
mason's waste from the dressing of the limestone
blocks in the other mastabas. Much of the
stone Avas of a kind too soft for building
purposes, and coining evidently from rock
cuttings. Among these chippings there Avas
sufficient debris to indicate that the rubbish
from the Avhole cemetery had been thrown here.
Pieces of rope, granite pounders, pottery frag-
ments, clay sealings, stones used for sharpening
copper tools, parts of old baskets, fragments of
cubit measures, quartzite sandstone chippings,
a mortar for mixing cement, blocks of wood,
and so forth, may be mentioned among the
heterogeneous objects brought to light. More-
over the strata of the rubbish showed that much
of it had been brought up from the direction of
the hosli and tipped over toAvards the south.
From all this and many minor indications it Avas
c
17
In one, however, some loose carnelian beads
and a scarab Avere found; and in another there
were a few male bones, and some pieces of
cartonnage. To the east of this group is a
large tomb, built on the exaggerated plan of
S 2. The roof was barrel shaped, and some
of it was still standing until excavated, when
it fell in. Upon the whitewashed Avails of the
burial chamber a number of drawings of boats
had been scratched in later times, some of
which are of interest. Photographs of them
are given in the plates. At the time of writing
this tomb awaits complete clearance, and a
fuller description of it will be appended.
27. One of the most interesting features of
the whole cemetery is a large building in the
form of a double mastaba, which lies just south
of the hash entrance in the corner formed by
the great front Avail and the left pier of the
causeAvay. Here stands a large rectangular
brick enclosure, 69 ft. from side to side in one
direction, and about 56 ft. in the other. On
three sides' the Avails are some 5 ft. broad and
on the south the fourth Avail is nearly 10 ft.
They are still 10 or 12 ft. high in parts, Avhich
is probably little short of their original size.
Like all mastabas the Avails have a strong
batter, that is to say, they lean toAvards the
centre and if continued to a finish Avould form
a pyramid. The outer surface is regular and
Avell preserved ; but the inner, being merely to
retain the filling, is quite rough. Across the
south end of the space enclosed there is a brick
construction in the form of a Avail 6 ft. broad,
and a series of layers of brick rising like steps,
and forming a casing over the debris Avhich lies
below.
Parallel Avith this mastaba, Avith the same
line of frontage, is a second enclosure. Its
Avails are 4| ft. broad, and its area is about
64 ft. square. A passage 10 ft. Avide separates
the tAvo buildings from each other. In front
of them runs a great fender Avail of the
" Avavy " type, having a batter, and rising some
12 ft. high. BetAveen this fender Avail and the
front wall of the mastabas a corridor is formed
4 ft. wide (or 8 ft. measuring from each recess
or " Avave " in the fender wall) running from
the corner of the second enclosure to the outside
of the causeway Avail. At the north-west side
of the building, i.e. in the corner, there are a
feAv chambers Avith strong brick Avails ; and in
one of these the skeleton of a man was found
lying full length.
Excavations Avere made at the centre of the
tAvo enclosures, where it Avas evident that the
plunderers had commenced their attack. The
filling of both buildings consisted mainly of
limestone chippings, but having dug through
this at several points nothing but a clean sand
bottom was found, in Avhich a deep hole showed
Avhere the plunderers had made their vain
attempt to find a burial. Further excavations
having produced no better results, the Avork on
the site was suspended, and a thoughtful ex-
amination of the place undertaken. The con-
clusions draAvn from it changed the Avhole course
of the Avork, and led directly to the finding of
the great tomb in the hash. It Avas observed
that the limestone drippings Avere not entirely
mason's waste from the dressing of the limestone
blocks in the other mastabas. Much of the
stone Avas of a kind too soft for building
purposes, and coining evidently from rock
cuttings. Among these chippings there Avas
sufficient debris to indicate that the rubbish
from the Avhole cemetery had been thrown here.
Pieces of rope, granite pounders, pottery frag-
ments, clay sealings, stones used for sharpening
copper tools, parts of old baskets, fragments of
cubit measures, quartzite sandstone chippings,
a mortar for mixing cement, blocks of wood,
and so forth, may be mentioned among the
heterogeneous objects brought to light. More-
over the strata of the rubbish showed that much
of it had been brought up from the direction of
the hosli and tipped over toAvards the south.
From all this and many minor indications it Avas
c