DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4104#0046
THE SHRINE OF TETA-SHERA.
37
I
houses in the town, built for the workmen
employed on the different monuments erected
at this time.
67. The pyramid so frequently mentioned
and now shown to have been erected as a monu-
ment to Queen Teta-shera, stands in a direct
line with her shrine. The French excavators
sunk pits into it for some time, but could find
out nothing. Mr. Mace then tried to get in by
tunnelling and propping, and also failed. Under
the outer stone casing the pyramid seemed to be
a great mass of loose stones. Mr. Mace tried
every possible means to reach the centre. A
tunnel was started and props put in, but the
material was so loose and ran in so fast that it
seemed as if the whole pyramid could be taken
out of that hole. After working the whole
season at great risk the attempt was given up,
and the pyramid retained its mystery.
During the time of these different finds the
attempt to discover the hundreds of tons of
rubbish from the Aahmes tomb was in no way
abandoned, and hardly a day passed without
some probing being done, in hope of ascertain-
ing its whereabouts. One day it occurred to me,
could that pyramid be a " dummy " ? A careful
re-examination was made of the different strata
cut through by the tomb, in order to thoroughly
fix each rock well in my mind, and then the
pyramid was examined.
Every kind of rock cut through in the tomb
was found in the pyramid, and well in propor-
tion to the length of the passage in the different
strata.
The piety of Aahmes is now explained. He
built the tell-tale rubbish into a stone-faced
pyramid, and then built the shrine. In the
shrine the grand stele put up for all men to see
gives the information that the buildings were for
the glory of Teta-shera. Also in order to dis-
courage any hunting for her tomb, which if
carried far enough might even lead to the dis-
covery of his own, the stele states that she is
buried at Thebes.
The pyramid defied you to say there were not
regular chambers somewhere in its centre.
You could not tunnel it, nor dig down through
it; in fact the only Avay would have been to
remove the whole mass entirely, layer by layer,
and as this would have involved an enormous
expense, it certainly appeared when Mr. Mace
gave up his attempt that we were not likely to
have any very definite knowledge about it.
Then as the material was from beneath the sur-
face, and so from unknown strata, the chippings
could not be identified as coming from any
quarter where such rocks were known to exist.
Doubtless Aahmes had the satisfaction of feeling
that as long as his carefully hidden tomb
remained secure, the pyramid would faithfully
hold its secret.
68. The town of Aahmes was constructed
for the men employed on the different monu-
ments erected in connection with the tomb. It
was built on one design, with certain walls
running right through the whole length. These
walls were very well built; and very thick, as
will be seen from the plan, pi. liii. The season
came to an end before more than a quarter of it
had been dug over.
The town had been inhabited for some time
and then abandoned, and after a careful search
I could find signs of re-occupation in one room
only. Here another floor had been tramped
hard about 20 in. above the former one.
Signs of re-using the rooms, or of long use of
them, were carefully sought for, to determine if
the things found in the different rooms could
serve as being accurately dated. If no long use
was proved, anything found must be fixed to
about ten years, 1580—1570 B.o. With this in
view every room was carefully examined and
the contents worked through ; and I feel quite
certain that this exact date may be given to
everything found in the rooms.
The pottery was mostly of the red polished
ware, so characteristic of the dynasty. Many
flat dishes were found with the ornament incised,
37
I
houses in the town, built for the workmen
employed on the different monuments erected
at this time.
67. The pyramid so frequently mentioned
and now shown to have been erected as a monu-
ment to Queen Teta-shera, stands in a direct
line with her shrine. The French excavators
sunk pits into it for some time, but could find
out nothing. Mr. Mace then tried to get in by
tunnelling and propping, and also failed. Under
the outer stone casing the pyramid seemed to be
a great mass of loose stones. Mr. Mace tried
every possible means to reach the centre. A
tunnel was started and props put in, but the
material was so loose and ran in so fast that it
seemed as if the whole pyramid could be taken
out of that hole. After working the whole
season at great risk the attempt was given up,
and the pyramid retained its mystery.
During the time of these different finds the
attempt to discover the hundreds of tons of
rubbish from the Aahmes tomb was in no way
abandoned, and hardly a day passed without
some probing being done, in hope of ascertain-
ing its whereabouts. One day it occurred to me,
could that pyramid be a " dummy " ? A careful
re-examination was made of the different strata
cut through by the tomb, in order to thoroughly
fix each rock well in my mind, and then the
pyramid was examined.
Every kind of rock cut through in the tomb
was found in the pyramid, and well in propor-
tion to the length of the passage in the different
strata.
The piety of Aahmes is now explained. He
built the tell-tale rubbish into a stone-faced
pyramid, and then built the shrine. In the
shrine the grand stele put up for all men to see
gives the information that the buildings were for
the glory of Teta-shera. Also in order to dis-
courage any hunting for her tomb, which if
carried far enough might even lead to the dis-
covery of his own, the stele states that she is
buried at Thebes.
The pyramid defied you to say there were not
regular chambers somewhere in its centre.
You could not tunnel it, nor dig down through
it; in fact the only Avay would have been to
remove the whole mass entirely, layer by layer,
and as this would have involved an enormous
expense, it certainly appeared when Mr. Mace
gave up his attempt that we were not likely to
have any very definite knowledge about it.
Then as the material was from beneath the sur-
face, and so from unknown strata, the chippings
could not be identified as coming from any
quarter where such rocks were known to exist.
Doubtless Aahmes had the satisfaction of feeling
that as long as his carefully hidden tomb
remained secure, the pyramid would faithfully
hold its secret.
68. The town of Aahmes was constructed
for the men employed on the different monu-
ments erected in connection with the tomb. It
was built on one design, with certain walls
running right through the whole length. These
walls were very well built; and very thick, as
will be seen from the plan, pi. liii. The season
came to an end before more than a quarter of it
had been dug over.
The town had been inhabited for some time
and then abandoned, and after a careful search
I could find signs of re-occupation in one room
only. Here another floor had been tramped
hard about 20 in. above the former one.
Signs of re-using the rooms, or of long use of
them, were carefully sought for, to determine if
the things found in the different rooms could
serve as being accurately dated. If no long use
was proved, anything found must be fixed to
about ten years, 1580—1570 B.o. With this in
view every room was carefully examined and
the contents worked through ; and I feel quite
certain that this exact date may be given to
everything found in the rooms.
The pottery was mostly of the red polished
ware, so characteristic of the dynasty. Many
flat dishes were found with the ornament incised,