DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0028
TOMB AND CEMETERY OP SENUSERT TIT.
19
upon the edge of the cultivation was built, is to
be identified with Senusert [or Usertesen] III,
whose throne name was (o e ^ J; and we
must therefore regard this cemetery as having
been built by him also. It has been already
mentioned that in tomb S 10, a fragment of
an alabaster canopic jar was found. The
inscription upon this is peculiar in that the
legs of the hieroglyphical birds are cut off.
The custom of thus mutilatinc; the characters
obtained throughout the reigns of Senu-
sert III and his successor Amenemhat III, and
is to be noticed upon the objects found in
the tomb of the former at Dahshur [de Morgan,
Dahchour, 1894] It is not unprecedented
that a king should have two tombs, and there
is nothing unreasonable in the conclusion which
the present evidence compels us to arrive
at, namely, that this rock tomb at Abydos is
the burial place of Senusert III. A fuller dis-
cussion, however, will be undertaken when the
complete clearance of the tomb has brought to
light all the available material upon which to
base the argument.
29. The clearance of the great hoah was a
straightforward piece of work, as the depth of
the digging was regulated by the hard virgin
sand which lay from 1 to 3 ft. below the surface,
and into which it was unnecessary to cut. A
row of diggers was ranged alono- the south
end and worked forward for a few yards, and
the cleared area having been examined, they
advanced, throwing their rubbish behind them.
At this end of the enclosure six small oval pits
were found, all of which had originally con-
tained foundation deposits. They were arranged
in no particular order, but it is noteworthy that
none Avas found at the north end, near the
great tomb. Two were quite empty, two con-
tained a few fragments of rough pottery, one
was filled with an orderless collection of
beautifully made vases of red polished ware,
the shapes of which are noted in the plates,
and the last—that nearest the tomb—contained
a bull's skull and leg-bone, three ordinary
bricks, a common flint, two balls of clay, and
a few small pottery dishes. Traces of blood
from the sacrifice were noticed in the congealed
sand.
When half of the hosh had been cleared, a
second row of diggers was set to advance from
the north end; and as the gangs began to
approach one another, that is to say, in the
middle of the northern half of the enclosure,
the virgin sand was lost sight of, and the
cuttings began to assume the form of a series
of deep pits. Soon the Arabs found themselves
all working in one enormous pit, and the system
of labour had to be altered. The most trusted
of the trained diggers were set to work over
the area at the bottom, and two long chains of
local boys were stationed on either side to hand
up the baskets of sand, which at the top was
heaped upon the " dead" ground around. At
a depth of some 40 ft. the limestone rock
became visible, and at the extreme east and
west end of the pit the mouths of two shafts
were cleared, running straight down. Parallel
walls of brick connected the two, and the work
now appeared as a long narrow enclosure, 85 ft.
long and about 15 ft. wide, running from east
to west, built upon the face of the rock, with
the tomb-mouths at each end. Again the
diggers were rearranged, and eight or ten men
were set to clear the sand from the shafts, each
gang having a chain of boys to hand up the
baskets.
When this work was completed, the plan of
the tomb was found to be as follows:—The
eastern shaft, 11 ft. by 14 ft., led down for
about 15 ft., and had a rough chamber cut out
upon the east side, some 9 ft. to 7 ft. high,
with a 4 ft. ledge running round it. Opposite
this chamber and somewhat below it a large
tunnel sloped steeply towards the west. The
roof was slightly arched, and the floor and Avails
were fairly dressed. A groove, 2 in. deep and
19
upon the edge of the cultivation was built, is to
be identified with Senusert [or Usertesen] III,
whose throne name was (o e ^ J; and we
must therefore regard this cemetery as having
been built by him also. It has been already
mentioned that in tomb S 10, a fragment of
an alabaster canopic jar was found. The
inscription upon this is peculiar in that the
legs of the hieroglyphical birds are cut off.
The custom of thus mutilatinc; the characters
obtained throughout the reigns of Senu-
sert III and his successor Amenemhat III, and
is to be noticed upon the objects found in
the tomb of the former at Dahshur [de Morgan,
Dahchour, 1894] It is not unprecedented
that a king should have two tombs, and there
is nothing unreasonable in the conclusion which
the present evidence compels us to arrive
at, namely, that this rock tomb at Abydos is
the burial place of Senusert III. A fuller dis-
cussion, however, will be undertaken when the
complete clearance of the tomb has brought to
light all the available material upon which to
base the argument.
29. The clearance of the great hoah was a
straightforward piece of work, as the depth of
the digging was regulated by the hard virgin
sand which lay from 1 to 3 ft. below the surface,
and into which it was unnecessary to cut. A
row of diggers was ranged alono- the south
end and worked forward for a few yards, and
the cleared area having been examined, they
advanced, throwing their rubbish behind them.
At this end of the enclosure six small oval pits
were found, all of which had originally con-
tained foundation deposits. They were arranged
in no particular order, but it is noteworthy that
none Avas found at the north end, near the
great tomb. Two were quite empty, two con-
tained a few fragments of rough pottery, one
was filled with an orderless collection of
beautifully made vases of red polished ware,
the shapes of which are noted in the plates,
and the last—that nearest the tomb—contained
a bull's skull and leg-bone, three ordinary
bricks, a common flint, two balls of clay, and
a few small pottery dishes. Traces of blood
from the sacrifice were noticed in the congealed
sand.
When half of the hosh had been cleared, a
second row of diggers was set to advance from
the north end; and as the gangs began to
approach one another, that is to say, in the
middle of the northern half of the enclosure,
the virgin sand was lost sight of, and the
cuttings began to assume the form of a series
of deep pits. Soon the Arabs found themselves
all working in one enormous pit, and the system
of labour had to be altered. The most trusted
of the trained diggers were set to work over
the area at the bottom, and two long chains of
local boys were stationed on either side to hand
up the baskets of sand, which at the top was
heaped upon the " dead" ground around. At
a depth of some 40 ft. the limestone rock
became visible, and at the extreme east and
west end of the pit the mouths of two shafts
were cleared, running straight down. Parallel
walls of brick connected the two, and the work
now appeared as a long narrow enclosure, 85 ft.
long and about 15 ft. wide, running from east
to west, built upon the face of the rock, with
the tomb-mouths at each end. Again the
diggers were rearranged, and eight or ten men
were set to clear the sand from the shafts, each
gang having a chain of boys to hand up the
baskets.
When this work was completed, the plan of
the tomb was found to be as follows:—The
eastern shaft, 11 ft. by 14 ft., led down for
about 15 ft., and had a rough chamber cut out
upon the east side, some 9 ft. to 7 ft. high,
with a 4 ft. ledge running round it. Opposite
this chamber and somewhat below it a large
tunnel sloped steeply towards the west. The
roof was slightly arched, and the floor and Avails
were fairly dressed. A groove, 2 in. deep and