DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3349#0020
12
THE TEMPLE OF MERENPTAH
vertical lines (B.M.). On PI. XXVIII some pieces
are probably foreign, such as the " island figure"
of alabaster, 3 ; the amulet, 9; and the steatite and
onyx discs, 11, 12. Others are hardly of Egyptian
manufacture, as the Taurt head, 4, and the calcite
beads, 13, and scarab blocks, 14. No. 5 is a
very unusual figure of Bast playing a lute. The
strainers 6 and 23 are apparently intended to hang
on to a spout, probably for straining wine (B.M.).
The cones of blue pottery, 15, 16, appear to copy
cone shells; they have no hole for hanging, and
are solid, for what purpose we cannot say. Their
colour and texture are remarkably like some of
the glazed pottery of the 1st dynasty. Many
sickle flints, 17-20, were found among the houses
filling the court, shewing that such sickles were still
in use during the later dynasties. The two tablets
of Hathor, 21, 22, are the only such found at
Memphis, and are probably connected with the
shrine of Aphrodite = Hathor, named by Herodotos
as being here. No. 21 shews Hathor standing before
the Hathor cow ; the ears above are for " Hathor
lady of Nehat," the sacred sycomore of Memphis.
No. 22 has the cow amid the marshes, named
" Hathor lady of Hotep-hem," a place in the
Heliopolite nome. Below is the dedication " made
by the nurse of the royal son, the lady of the
house, Ta-nenuny." Both of these tablets are in
Manchester; but all the objects and pottery with
foreign connection are in the British Museum, Greek
department, where all foreign pieces from this temple
will be placed in future. Besides the objects figured
there were five pieces of alabaster inlaying, one
piece of glazed tile of Sety II, and one piece of
tile with large hieroglyphs, vies, doubtless from a
cartouche. These scraps thrown out into the court-
yard suggest that there was both alabaster inlaying
and coloured tile work in the temple. Many moulds
for glazed amulets were found amid the potters'
waste in the courtyard ; 8 of Ptah, 4 of Isis, 15 of
Sekhmet, 8 of her aegis, 2 of Bes, 4 of busts, 14
of eyes, 8 of scarabs, about 50 for disc beads, 1 each
of the cowry, lotus cup,iotus seed, spiral, etc. The
scarabs found in the court are in PL XXXIV, and
are noticed further on.
CHAPTER VI
THE LATER ANTIQUITIES.
36. In PI. XXVIII, 23-30, are some of the small
objects found in various parts. The bronze lion (?),
24, is a handle from a vase. The bolt 25 probably
belonged to a door of a model shrine. The measures,
26, 27, are perhaps for medicines, being too small
for any ordinary goods. The disc and horns, 28, is
doubtless from a figure of Isis. The chisel, 30, was
found in the sand bed of the West Hall, lost there
by some mason of Ramessu II.
PI. XXIX. Beside the objects described above,
there is a Roman lamp and holder, of bronze. This
form of holder was to hang up the lamp, by loops
which carried the trunnions on the side of the lamp.
The hook at the top of the handle served to hang
it, or sling it from the finger. The arch below is
ornamented with foliage scroll (Brit. Mus.).
37. PI. XXX. The plan of the great gate shews
that it is close to the north-east corner of the camp,
as on PI. I. We searched along the whole eastern
side of the camp, expecting to find a gate near
the middle of it; but every part was proved to be
continuous until we reached this corner. Here the
foundation of the gateway remained, with sufficient
traces of the wall along the south side, and enough
on the north to shew the width. The gate was
single, the side recess for it being equal to the
width of the entrance. The recess is 164 wide and
9 to 10 inches deep ; the entrance is 144 wide, or
164 into the recesses, if the two walls were alike.
The depth of the foundation is five courses thick,
amounting to just ten feet of solid white limestone.
Beneath the upper course there runs a drain, 15 to
16 inches wide.
38. The building of Siamen is at the south-west
corner of the map, PI. I. It was of mud brick, with
stone lintels and jambs, and contained stone columns.
The finest work of the lintels is shewn on the next
plate ; but all the lintels will be published next year,
when it is hoped that the whole building will have
been excavated. Hitherto the only sculptures of this
king were on a few blocks of granite at Tanis, and
not a single piece existed in any museum ; to obtain
six lintels and many door jambs was therefore a
valuable result. These lintels are now in Cairo
(PI. XXXI), Copenhagen, British Museum, Man-
chester, Philadelphia and Pittsburg.
The building in the south-west of the Ptah
temenos was apparently a late and irregular work.
The bases of the colonnade are of varying sizes;
upon one stood a column of Ramessu II, but it may
not have been originally placed there. North of that
was a chamber built of re-used blocks of sculptured
stone. To the east lie three blocks of alabaster; the
THE TEMPLE OF MERENPTAH
vertical lines (B.M.). On PI. XXVIII some pieces
are probably foreign, such as the " island figure"
of alabaster, 3 ; the amulet, 9; and the steatite and
onyx discs, 11, 12. Others are hardly of Egyptian
manufacture, as the Taurt head, 4, and the calcite
beads, 13, and scarab blocks, 14. No. 5 is a
very unusual figure of Bast playing a lute. The
strainers 6 and 23 are apparently intended to hang
on to a spout, probably for straining wine (B.M.).
The cones of blue pottery, 15, 16, appear to copy
cone shells; they have no hole for hanging, and
are solid, for what purpose we cannot say. Their
colour and texture are remarkably like some of
the glazed pottery of the 1st dynasty. Many
sickle flints, 17-20, were found among the houses
filling the court, shewing that such sickles were still
in use during the later dynasties. The two tablets
of Hathor, 21, 22, are the only such found at
Memphis, and are probably connected with the
shrine of Aphrodite = Hathor, named by Herodotos
as being here. No. 21 shews Hathor standing before
the Hathor cow ; the ears above are for " Hathor
lady of Nehat," the sacred sycomore of Memphis.
No. 22 has the cow amid the marshes, named
" Hathor lady of Hotep-hem," a place in the
Heliopolite nome. Below is the dedication " made
by the nurse of the royal son, the lady of the
house, Ta-nenuny." Both of these tablets are in
Manchester; but all the objects and pottery with
foreign connection are in the British Museum, Greek
department, where all foreign pieces from this temple
will be placed in future. Besides the objects figured
there were five pieces of alabaster inlaying, one
piece of glazed tile of Sety II, and one piece of
tile with large hieroglyphs, vies, doubtless from a
cartouche. These scraps thrown out into the court-
yard suggest that there was both alabaster inlaying
and coloured tile work in the temple. Many moulds
for glazed amulets were found amid the potters'
waste in the courtyard ; 8 of Ptah, 4 of Isis, 15 of
Sekhmet, 8 of her aegis, 2 of Bes, 4 of busts, 14
of eyes, 8 of scarabs, about 50 for disc beads, 1 each
of the cowry, lotus cup,iotus seed, spiral, etc. The
scarabs found in the court are in PL XXXIV, and
are noticed further on.
CHAPTER VI
THE LATER ANTIQUITIES.
36. In PI. XXVIII, 23-30, are some of the small
objects found in various parts. The bronze lion (?),
24, is a handle from a vase. The bolt 25 probably
belonged to a door of a model shrine. The measures,
26, 27, are perhaps for medicines, being too small
for any ordinary goods. The disc and horns, 28, is
doubtless from a figure of Isis. The chisel, 30, was
found in the sand bed of the West Hall, lost there
by some mason of Ramessu II.
PI. XXIX. Beside the objects described above,
there is a Roman lamp and holder, of bronze. This
form of holder was to hang up the lamp, by loops
which carried the trunnions on the side of the lamp.
The hook at the top of the handle served to hang
it, or sling it from the finger. The arch below is
ornamented with foliage scroll (Brit. Mus.).
37. PI. XXX. The plan of the great gate shews
that it is close to the north-east corner of the camp,
as on PI. I. We searched along the whole eastern
side of the camp, expecting to find a gate near
the middle of it; but every part was proved to be
continuous until we reached this corner. Here the
foundation of the gateway remained, with sufficient
traces of the wall along the south side, and enough
on the north to shew the width. The gate was
single, the side recess for it being equal to the
width of the entrance. The recess is 164 wide and
9 to 10 inches deep ; the entrance is 144 wide, or
164 into the recesses, if the two walls were alike.
The depth of the foundation is five courses thick,
amounting to just ten feet of solid white limestone.
Beneath the upper course there runs a drain, 15 to
16 inches wide.
38. The building of Siamen is at the south-west
corner of the map, PI. I. It was of mud brick, with
stone lintels and jambs, and contained stone columns.
The finest work of the lintels is shewn on the next
plate ; but all the lintels will be published next year,
when it is hoped that the whole building will have
been excavated. Hitherto the only sculptures of this
king were on a few blocks of granite at Tanis, and
not a single piece existed in any museum ; to obtain
six lintels and many door jambs was therefore a
valuable result. These lintels are now in Cairo
(PI. XXXI), Copenhagen, British Museum, Man-
chester, Philadelphia and Pittsburg.
The building in the south-west of the Ptah
temenos was apparently a late and irregular work.
The bases of the colonnade are of varying sizes;
upon one stood a column of Ramessu II, but it may
not have been originally placed there. North of that
was a chamber built of re-used blocks of sculptured
stone. To the east lie three blocks of alabaster; the