DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3349#0014
THE WEST HALL OF PTAH
14. The side passage on the south is remarkable
for the excentric position of the columns, two being
to one side and two to the other side. What place
other columns bore cannot be traced. In the main
hall, the single outlines are the bases of columns ;
an inner circle shews the lower drum of a.column
to be in place (see PL XXV, base) ; a broken outline
shews the position inferred from others. In the
northern side passage only two square blocks of
foundations of columns are left.
The wide block of stonework at the north end
of the pylon is evidently the stone buttment for
the continuation of the temenos wall, now totally
removed, the line of it passing over a pond and
open fields. To the east of the hall are scattered
blocks which I have not succeeded yet in combining
into any plan. The group of blocks plotted on the
plan close together on the south-east is a foundation,
mainly made of granite casing of a pyramid. It
seems to shew that some heavy mass stood there.
The general aspect of the site, and the details of the
structure, will be seen in the account of Pis. XXI
to XXIII.
CHAPTER III
THE MONUMENTS. XVIIIth DYNASTY AND
EARLIER.
15. The earliest monuments found were blocks
of stone that had been re-used by later kings of the
XlXth dynasty. Ramessu II had brought much
wrought stone from the pyramids and tombs of
Abusir and Saqqara. The basement of the walls of
the West Hall was built of pyramid casing-stones
of red granite, having an angle of 53° 20' (see base
of PL XXI). Other such stones were inverted to
form foundations for columns ; and limestone casing-
stones, of angles from 56° 40' to 57° 30', and one of
62° 40', were used in the core masonry of the pylon.
Tombs were also robbed, and pieces of tomb sculp-
ture were used in foundations, such as the block on
PL III; this is of the Vth dynasty, by the name
Ra-shepses ; he was divine-scribe of the record office,
an unusual title. The figure has originally carried
a bird in the hand, but that has been cut away to
make room for the title. This block is now in the
Brussels Museum.
While clearing the West Hall, we came on a large
block of granite, of about seven tons, which appeared
to have been re-used. On looking beneath it, I found
the inscription of Ranuser, PL III, shewing it to
have been a door jamb. A similar block near it I
also searched, and found the fellow inscription of the
other jamb. Then looking at a re-used lintel, which
had long been visible to all, I saw a faint inscription
of Ranuser, shewing that it had been dedicated in the
Sun-temple at Abusir. The breadths of the blocks
agreed, and the whole doorway was before us. It
was removed, at the cost of the British School, to the
Cairo Museum. As I was not able to get a photo-
graph before I left, owing to difficulty of lighting,
a plan of the under side of the lintel and a copy of
the inscription are added in the middle of PI. III. The
lintel is 24 inches high, 48 deep back, and 107 inches
long ; the jambs are 28 by 48 inches in plan, and
imperfect at the ends, but 108 and 114 long.
16. Amid the ruin of the north half of the West
Hall lies a large block of limestone, from the lintel of
a doorway. The inscription of King Teta is shewn
on PL III, with his ka name Sehotep-laui at the side.
The breadth of the whole lintel has been 104 inches,
and it is 497 deep back, and 38 inches high. The
doorway was about 41 wide. This is probably a door-
lintel from Teta's pyramid-temple at Saqqara.
17. In the foundations, on the western side of the
front court of the temple of Merenptah, were found
parts of lotus capitals, the most complete of which is
shewn on PL III, with a fragment at the side of it
bearing finely worked buds. Another piece occurs
accidentally in PL XXV. These capitals had been
split in two to use in building. The form is far
better than that of the Xllth dynasty, and is but
very little inferior to the beautiful capital of the Vth
dynasty from Abusir, now in the Cairo Museum.
This is probably therefore of the Vth or Vlth dynasty ;
it is now at Manchester.
18. Amid the ruins of the West Hall were three
blocks with very delicate hieroglyphs, perfectly cut
in red granite, PL IV. These were parts of a granite
table of offerings for a Ha-prince, Uah-ka ; it was
dedicated to Osiris of Ankh-taui and Ptah. The
same name and titles (Jia, and chief of prophets)
occur on a Stockholm stele (15) with the name of
Amenemhat III. But the engraving of this block is
so very fine that it seems to belong to the beginning
of the Xllth dynasty.
In front of the west pylon lay a block of granite
much defaced (PL V). It bears part of a long and
finely engraved inscription, which was partly copied
with difficulty owing to the battered condition. In
the 8th column a long passage has been intentionally
14. The side passage on the south is remarkable
for the excentric position of the columns, two being
to one side and two to the other side. What place
other columns bore cannot be traced. In the main
hall, the single outlines are the bases of columns ;
an inner circle shews the lower drum of a.column
to be in place (see PL XXV, base) ; a broken outline
shews the position inferred from others. In the
northern side passage only two square blocks of
foundations of columns are left.
The wide block of stonework at the north end
of the pylon is evidently the stone buttment for
the continuation of the temenos wall, now totally
removed, the line of it passing over a pond and
open fields. To the east of the hall are scattered
blocks which I have not succeeded yet in combining
into any plan. The group of blocks plotted on the
plan close together on the south-east is a foundation,
mainly made of granite casing of a pyramid. It
seems to shew that some heavy mass stood there.
The general aspect of the site, and the details of the
structure, will be seen in the account of Pis. XXI
to XXIII.
CHAPTER III
THE MONUMENTS. XVIIIth DYNASTY AND
EARLIER.
15. The earliest monuments found were blocks
of stone that had been re-used by later kings of the
XlXth dynasty. Ramessu II had brought much
wrought stone from the pyramids and tombs of
Abusir and Saqqara. The basement of the walls of
the West Hall was built of pyramid casing-stones
of red granite, having an angle of 53° 20' (see base
of PL XXI). Other such stones were inverted to
form foundations for columns ; and limestone casing-
stones, of angles from 56° 40' to 57° 30', and one of
62° 40', were used in the core masonry of the pylon.
Tombs were also robbed, and pieces of tomb sculp-
ture were used in foundations, such as the block on
PL III; this is of the Vth dynasty, by the name
Ra-shepses ; he was divine-scribe of the record office,
an unusual title. The figure has originally carried
a bird in the hand, but that has been cut away to
make room for the title. This block is now in the
Brussels Museum.
While clearing the West Hall, we came on a large
block of granite, of about seven tons, which appeared
to have been re-used. On looking beneath it, I found
the inscription of Ranuser, PL III, shewing it to
have been a door jamb. A similar block near it I
also searched, and found the fellow inscription of the
other jamb. Then looking at a re-used lintel, which
had long been visible to all, I saw a faint inscription
of Ranuser, shewing that it had been dedicated in the
Sun-temple at Abusir. The breadths of the blocks
agreed, and the whole doorway was before us. It
was removed, at the cost of the British School, to the
Cairo Museum. As I was not able to get a photo-
graph before I left, owing to difficulty of lighting,
a plan of the under side of the lintel and a copy of
the inscription are added in the middle of PI. III. The
lintel is 24 inches high, 48 deep back, and 107 inches
long ; the jambs are 28 by 48 inches in plan, and
imperfect at the ends, but 108 and 114 long.
16. Amid the ruin of the north half of the West
Hall lies a large block of limestone, from the lintel of
a doorway. The inscription of King Teta is shewn
on PL III, with his ka name Sehotep-laui at the side.
The breadth of the whole lintel has been 104 inches,
and it is 497 deep back, and 38 inches high. The
doorway was about 41 wide. This is probably a door-
lintel from Teta's pyramid-temple at Saqqara.
17. In the foundations, on the western side of the
front court of the temple of Merenptah, were found
parts of lotus capitals, the most complete of which is
shewn on PL III, with a fragment at the side of it
bearing finely worked buds. Another piece occurs
accidentally in PL XXV. These capitals had been
split in two to use in building. The form is far
better than that of the Xllth dynasty, and is but
very little inferior to the beautiful capital of the Vth
dynasty from Abusir, now in the Cairo Museum.
This is probably therefore of the Vth or Vlth dynasty ;
it is now at Manchester.
18. Amid the ruins of the West Hall were three
blocks with very delicate hieroglyphs, perfectly cut
in red granite, PL IV. These were parts of a granite
table of offerings for a Ha-prince, Uah-ka ; it was
dedicated to Osiris of Ankh-taui and Ptah. The
same name and titles (Jia, and chief of prophets)
occur on a Stockholm stele (15) with the name of
Amenemhat III. But the engraving of this block is
so very fine that it seems to belong to the beginning
of the Xllth dynasty.
In front of the west pylon lay a block of granite
much defaced (PL V). It bears part of a long and
finely engraved inscription, which was partly copied
with difficulty owing to the battered condition. In
the 8th column a long passage has been intentionally