DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0034
roof
THE TOMB OF SENUSBRT TIT.
35. This passage is lined on both sides
with large blocks of quartzite sandstone or
granite. One block measured 7 ft. 7 in. X
4 ft. X 3 ft. 6 in. Many of the blocks had
been re-used from other buildings and were put
in without any idea of regularity, but with a
view to hindering any Avho might wish to get
behind them. These once in place and well
mortared were practically immovable. Behind
the first row masonry could be seen, and an
immense amount of labour had been spent on
trying to move out a block, but though each
one showed signs of having been attempted,
there had been no success.
On the left-hand side of the passage the
blocks were much smaller, and a few small
ones had been shifted enough to prove that no
opening ran into the rock on that side.
36. The great attempt had been made at
the end, and here the plunderers were successful.
The blocks were removed, and behind them a
wall of fine white limestone was disclosed. When
this was broken through, the plunderers found
themselves standing high up near a ceiling,
and looking clown into a deep well-like room,
18 ft. 1\ in. high.
The room was lined with the same white
limestone as was used in the pole-roof chamber.
The stones of this lining were fairly large;
5 ft. 11 in. long by 3 ft. 5 in. high, and 1 ft.
7| in. thick were the measurements of one of
average size. The blocks had been mortared
into position, and then the final dressing done
so that the chisel passing over the stone and the
very thin layer of mortar at one blow gave the
effect of fine continuous stone, and hardly
showed the joints.
From this an open passage, G, led into a
room, IT, which was the exact duplicate of room
F. The passage connecting these two Avas cut
and roughly polished, like the chambers on
either side of the pole-roof chamber.
Here was an end of things for the third
time. Again the narrow chisels had been
systematically put to work at the corners of the
blocks. Every few feet on the Avails of room
F a hole Avas cut, only to find the grey native
rock behind. Then the next room, H, AAras
Avorked OA^er in like manner. At last behind
a block right up at the roof, granite Avas
seen behind the facing.
37. When this had been found the Avhole of
the lining Avas stripped from that part of the
room, and the granite Avas seen to be a huge
plug blocking the mouth of a passage. The
chisel and stone pick had iioav Avork on a
large scale, for it Avas decided to cut away
the rock from under the great block of granite,
and so drop it into the room beneath. At last
the great stone, Avliich must Aveigh nearly forty
tons, AAras undermined and came crashing down
into the room. A flashlight photograph of this
stone is shown on pi. xliii. The passage AAras not
open yet, for another plug Avas seen behind
Avhere this one had been. As the plunderers
found it impossible to undermine this stone and
so bring it down, a tunnel Avas run under it.
The stone had its long axis clown the slope I, and
proved to be a block of about thirty-six tons.
Still the passage Avas by no means open, for
behind this there Avas more granite, and again,
as the tunnel proceeded, more and more, till
at last the final block Avas passed 64 feet from
the outer end of the second block. After
the second, the blocks AArere a little shorter
and were in pairs, one over the other, no
doubt from the utter impossibility of moving
a block of full size, doAvn a passage not more
than three or four inches larger than itself. As
it is I cannot tell hoAv the half blocks Avere ever
put in place, for not more than three men could
Avork at once, except to hold back Avith ropes,
and these three Avould all have to stand at the
upper side.
As far as I could ascertain this tunnel
yielded the plunderers nothing; when they
had passed the last plug nothing Avas found
but the solid rock ; and it must have taken a
THE TOMB OF SENUSBRT TIT.
35. This passage is lined on both sides
with large blocks of quartzite sandstone or
granite. One block measured 7 ft. 7 in. X
4 ft. X 3 ft. 6 in. Many of the blocks had
been re-used from other buildings and were put
in without any idea of regularity, but with a
view to hindering any Avho might wish to get
behind them. These once in place and well
mortared were practically immovable. Behind
the first row masonry could be seen, and an
immense amount of labour had been spent on
trying to move out a block, but though each
one showed signs of having been attempted,
there had been no success.
On the left-hand side of the passage the
blocks were much smaller, and a few small
ones had been shifted enough to prove that no
opening ran into the rock on that side.
36. The great attempt had been made at
the end, and here the plunderers were successful.
The blocks were removed, and behind them a
wall of fine white limestone was disclosed. When
this was broken through, the plunderers found
themselves standing high up near a ceiling,
and looking clown into a deep well-like room,
18 ft. 1\ in. high.
The room was lined with the same white
limestone as was used in the pole-roof chamber.
The stones of this lining were fairly large;
5 ft. 11 in. long by 3 ft. 5 in. high, and 1 ft.
7| in. thick were the measurements of one of
average size. The blocks had been mortared
into position, and then the final dressing done
so that the chisel passing over the stone and the
very thin layer of mortar at one blow gave the
effect of fine continuous stone, and hardly
showed the joints.
From this an open passage, G, led into a
room, IT, which was the exact duplicate of room
F. The passage connecting these two Avas cut
and roughly polished, like the chambers on
either side of the pole-roof chamber.
Here was an end of things for the third
time. Again the narrow chisels had been
systematically put to work at the corners of the
blocks. Every few feet on the Avails of room
F a hole Avas cut, only to find the grey native
rock behind. Then the next room, H, AAras
Avorked OA^er in like manner. At last behind
a block right up at the roof, granite Avas
seen behind the facing.
37. When this had been found the Avhole of
the lining Avas stripped from that part of the
room, and the granite Avas seen to be a huge
plug blocking the mouth of a passage. The
chisel and stone pick had iioav Avork on a
large scale, for it Avas decided to cut away
the rock from under the great block of granite,
and so drop it into the room beneath. At last
the great stone, Avliich must Aveigh nearly forty
tons, AAras undermined and came crashing down
into the room. A flashlight photograph of this
stone is shown on pi. xliii. The passage AAras not
open yet, for another plug Avas seen behind
Avhere this one had been. As the plunderers
found it impossible to undermine this stone and
so bring it down, a tunnel Avas run under it.
The stone had its long axis clown the slope I, and
proved to be a block of about thirty-six tons.
Still the passage Avas by no means open, for
behind this there Avas more granite, and again,
as the tunnel proceeded, more and more, till
at last the final block Avas passed 64 feet from
the outer end of the second block. After
the second, the blocks AArere a little shorter
and were in pairs, one over the other, no
doubt from the utter impossibility of moving
a block of full size, doAvn a passage not more
than three or four inches larger than itself. As
it is I cannot tell hoAv the half blocks Avere ever
put in place, for not more than three men could
Avork at once, except to hold back Avith ropes,
and these three Avould all have to stand at the
upper side.
As far as I could ascertain this tunnel
yielded the plunderers nothing; when they
had passed the last plug nothing Avas found
but the solid rock ; and it must have taken a