DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3349#0013
FOREIGN SETTLEMENTS AND PLAN OF WEST HALL
5
clearing was done in the camp, but fruitlessly. Thus
we have tested many parts of the site in the first
season, besides thoroughly clearing part of the West
Hall and Merenptah temple. We see how great an
amount there is to be done, even without displacing
any of the cultivation, or removing any of the palms
which cover so much of the government land. If
any efficient control of the site were allowed, much
more might be done by stopping the planting of
more palms which is constantly going on. Probably
little of the ground will be unoccupied in the future,
and we only regret that so much of it has been
appropriated in the last few generations. To recover
what we yet can trace is the first duty of archaeology
in Egypt.
CHAPTER II
THE WEST HALL OF PTAH.
II. At various times in the last fifty years ex-
cavations have been made by the Egyptian govern-
ment on the region where buildings remain above
the cultivation, at the western entrance to the temenos.
The two great statues of Ptah were found here, as well
as other remains. But the extent of the official work
did not reach the floor of the Ramesside building in
many parts, nor extend below that structure in any
part; and the only plan did not take account of the
curious skew of the pylon front, nor of the many
peculiar adjustments resulting from that, which are
shewn on the plan, PL II.
In our work about forty or fifty feet was cleared
in front of the pylon, as far as the palms allowed ;
thus the bases of the colossi were cleared, and the
remains of the statues. The body of the south half of
the pylon was cleared over, down to unmoved stone-
work. The hall was cleared over all the southern
half, and part of the northern. The northern half
of the pylon and hall were not much worked, as it
was more destroyed, and previous excavation had
gone lower there, so there was not as much to dis-
cover, until we may go below the Ramesside level.
In this plan continuous outlines show existing parts,
and broken outlines indicate probable restorations.
The columns in the hall shew an unusual arrange-
ment. We know of an axial avenue of large columns
amid a field of lesser ones at Karnak. But here there
is a colonnade of lesser columns around three sides
and a field of sixteen large columns in the middle.
Doubtless, as at Karnak, the larger columns were
taller, and carried a raised roof with a clerestory
around it.
12. The reason for the skew front will be seen
in the map, PI. I, where the west side of the temenos
is not at right angles to the south side, or to the axis
east to west. Hence any hall that was square must
be farther from the skew front at the north than at
the south ; and this difference is mainly put into the
pylon, though a little appears as a skew in the hall
itself.
The arrangement of the front is a curious study of
accommodation. The temenos wall butts against a
stone wall of the same width, at the south end ; this
stone wall is then part of the temenos wall. The side
passage is sharply inclined to this, but its doorway is
square with the front. The passage is really rather
too much skewed, slightly more than the side of the
hall. The letting down of the thickness of the wall
by steps should be noticed ; this is done so as to
get the pylon thinner at the south end, as it had to
be thicker at the north end. The axial passage is
parallel to the hall ; but its door was skew, parallel
to the pylon face. The dwarf walls in front of the
entrance are parallel to the sight line into the hall.
Now when the colossi had to be adapted to this
rivalry of angles a stranger scheme appeared. On
either hand of the southern side entrance stood a
granite colossus. Their pedestals are between the
direction of the sight line through the entrance, and
that of the front of the pylon. At the main entrance
the pedestal is frankly square with the hall and the
main sight line, and ignores the pylon front. But
the greatest pedestal in the middle of the face was
so wide that both sides could not be viewed at once,
and so each side was parallel to its adjacent pedestal,
thus concealing boldly the confusion of angles. The
northern half of the pylon face has almost disap-
peared, and only one of the colossal pedestals remains.
That one is curiously irregular in the wrong direction.
The small block on the north of it is a smaller
supplementary seated figure of Ramessu II.
13. The actual remains of the colossi are described
in the account of PL XXIII. Here we may say that
the two at the south side entrance were red granite
standing figures, about 22 feet high. The greatest
base bore an alabaster figure, probably seated, about
38 feet high. The figure next to the main entrance
was of limestone, and by a piece of the breast it was
35 feet high. The scale of these pieces agrees with
the sizes of the pedestals, and they were each found
lying opposite to their respective pedestals.
5
clearing was done in the camp, but fruitlessly. Thus
we have tested many parts of the site in the first
season, besides thoroughly clearing part of the West
Hall and Merenptah temple. We see how great an
amount there is to be done, even without displacing
any of the cultivation, or removing any of the palms
which cover so much of the government land. If
any efficient control of the site were allowed, much
more might be done by stopping the planting of
more palms which is constantly going on. Probably
little of the ground will be unoccupied in the future,
and we only regret that so much of it has been
appropriated in the last few generations. To recover
what we yet can trace is the first duty of archaeology
in Egypt.
CHAPTER II
THE WEST HALL OF PTAH.
II. At various times in the last fifty years ex-
cavations have been made by the Egyptian govern-
ment on the region where buildings remain above
the cultivation, at the western entrance to the temenos.
The two great statues of Ptah were found here, as well
as other remains. But the extent of the official work
did not reach the floor of the Ramesside building in
many parts, nor extend below that structure in any
part; and the only plan did not take account of the
curious skew of the pylon front, nor of the many
peculiar adjustments resulting from that, which are
shewn on the plan, PL II.
In our work about forty or fifty feet was cleared
in front of the pylon, as far as the palms allowed ;
thus the bases of the colossi were cleared, and the
remains of the statues. The body of the south half of
the pylon was cleared over, down to unmoved stone-
work. The hall was cleared over all the southern
half, and part of the northern. The northern half
of the pylon and hall were not much worked, as it
was more destroyed, and previous excavation had
gone lower there, so there was not as much to dis-
cover, until we may go below the Ramesside level.
In this plan continuous outlines show existing parts,
and broken outlines indicate probable restorations.
The columns in the hall shew an unusual arrange-
ment. We know of an axial avenue of large columns
amid a field of lesser ones at Karnak. But here there
is a colonnade of lesser columns around three sides
and a field of sixteen large columns in the middle.
Doubtless, as at Karnak, the larger columns were
taller, and carried a raised roof with a clerestory
around it.
12. The reason for the skew front will be seen
in the map, PI. I, where the west side of the temenos
is not at right angles to the south side, or to the axis
east to west. Hence any hall that was square must
be farther from the skew front at the north than at
the south ; and this difference is mainly put into the
pylon, though a little appears as a skew in the hall
itself.
The arrangement of the front is a curious study of
accommodation. The temenos wall butts against a
stone wall of the same width, at the south end ; this
stone wall is then part of the temenos wall. The side
passage is sharply inclined to this, but its doorway is
square with the front. The passage is really rather
too much skewed, slightly more than the side of the
hall. The letting down of the thickness of the wall
by steps should be noticed ; this is done so as to
get the pylon thinner at the south end, as it had to
be thicker at the north end. The axial passage is
parallel to the hall ; but its door was skew, parallel
to the pylon face. The dwarf walls in front of the
entrance are parallel to the sight line into the hall.
Now when the colossi had to be adapted to this
rivalry of angles a stranger scheme appeared. On
either hand of the southern side entrance stood a
granite colossus. Their pedestals are between the
direction of the sight line through the entrance, and
that of the front of the pylon. At the main entrance
the pedestal is frankly square with the hall and the
main sight line, and ignores the pylon front. But
the greatest pedestal in the middle of the face was
so wide that both sides could not be viewed at once,
and so each side was parallel to its adjacent pedestal,
thus concealing boldly the confusion of angles. The
northern half of the pylon face has almost disap-
peared, and only one of the colossal pedestals remains.
That one is curiously irregular in the wrong direction.
The small block on the north of it is a smaller
supplementary seated figure of Ramessu II.
13. The actual remains of the colossi are described
in the account of PL XXIII. Here we may say that
the two at the south side entrance were red granite
standing figures, about 22 feet high. The greatest
base bore an alabaster figure, probably seated, about
38 feet high. The figure next to the main entrance
was of limestone, and by a piece of the breast it was
35 feet high. The scale of these pieces agrees with
the sizes of the pedestals, and they were each found
lying opposite to their respective pedestals.