DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3350#0012
THE PALACE OF MEMPHIS
gateway led to another in the south face of the
palace from which the "old broad way" led to the
great court. The view up the old broadway is
given on PI. X, and the front of the brick blocking
of the entrance is shewn at the base of PL XII.
After this entrance was blocked there was a later
entrance above it, of which a corner of the stone
wall and paving still remains, see on the left of PL X,
and on the plan, the shaded corner. The whole of
this account is written to accord with reference to
PL I which should be kept in view.
In the reconstruction of Apries a new approach
to the palace was laid out, through a mass of building
rather more to the east. A gateway in the wall,
seen at the foot of PL I, is exactly opposite the end
of the " new broadway." Between them, isolating
the palace, is a fosse about twenty feet deep, though
the bottom of it is far above the level of the fields.
This was doubtless crossed by a draw-bridge. Each
side of the fosse has been partly built up as a berm,
so that the space of 33 feet wide is narrowed to
9 feet between these berms. The two faces of the
berms are marked by lines on the plan : the southern
berm does not extend beyond the east part of the
fosse, the northern berm runs the whole length of
the palace wall.
4. On going up the new broadway there was a
hall opening on the west, with a bench along the
west and north sides. By its position this was
doubtless the guardroom. Next beyond that was
the kitchen, with the brick fire-places still standing
against the north wall. Then a wide doorway, D,
opened on the right, leading to the stone-lined halls.
South of the doorway was a stone door, C, E, of
which the sill and lintels still remain : the lintels are
shewn at the top of PL XIII. This door led through
one hall to another, on the south, which is the best
preserved of the halls. It is marked XIII in the
plan, and shewn in the photograph in the upper
part of PL XIII. The floor was built sloping down
to a drain, which had a leaden tank in the head of it.
This tank was 29-0 x 34-4 inches, and 7 to 10-5
inches deep ; it was removed to the Cairo Museum.
The covering of the drain was partly gone, as seen
in the view ; I had it thoroughly searched as far as
possible, but nothing was found. Doubtless it dis-
charged into the fosse on the other side of the wall.
The limestone flooring consisted of deep beams
of stone with thick slabs laid over them. The
lining slabs are of fine white Mokattam limestone,
about 8 inches thick, 3J feet high and up to 10 feet
in length. To the east of this are remains of another
hall, the outline on the plan across the hall marking
the stone paving yet in place.
Along the eastern side of the palace there must
have been a corridor giving access to the group of
three halls in the middle of the east side. But
denudation of the mound has removed that part.
These three halls were all stone-paved and lined, like
that shewn in the photograph. But nearly all the
stone has been removed, and it is only marked by
the white plaster from behind it which is left on
some parts of the walls. Two stone tanks or cists
are marked here in the broadway.
Beyond these halls the broadway has been
blocked across. It seems that this block cut off the
direct access to the mandara ; it could still be reached
through the Great Court and a hall, or perhaps by
some passage now destroyed round the north-east
corner. In the north-east halls the stone lining was
thinner, as in the section L on PL XIIlA ; one slab fell
partly forward, and is shewn at the foot of PL XIII,
leaning out, with the cast of the brick courses in
the plaster on the back of it. Half of the stone
doorway between these halls is still in place. A thin
dividing-wall of brick has been added in one hall,
built against the stone lining.
5. Returning now to the Great Court, the entrance
to it has been partly cut away at the south-east.
The rains had settled down in a hollow region here,
and so hardened the ground that the workmen did
not distinguish the wall from the fallen bricks around
it. As I was unwell, and not able to visit it myself
just then, the end of the wall was removed. The
court is nearly square. On the west it is 1383-9
inches (115 feet), in the middle 1383-5, at the east,
by sighting out the wall, 1392-1 (116 feet). On the
the north it is 1292-2 inches (107 feet). The walls on
all sides are older than the work of Apries, and
descend far below his floor-level, covered with plaster
facing.
In the midst of the court is a stone cist sunk in
the floor, shewn at the base of PL XII. It is
accurately placed, being only 8'6 inches west of the
centre of the court, and but one inch north of the
centre. Over all the block is 85-7 x 64-4 and 64-5
inches ; inside it is 68'25 to 68-4 x 47-0 to 47-2
inches. The seating for a cover is N. 78-5, S. 78-55,
E. 57-4, W. 57-3. The accuracy of it is therefore a
matter of hundredths of an inch. The depth is
less regular, being at N.E. 347, S.E. 317, S.W. 32-4,
N.W. 34-9 to the ledge. The ledge is 13 to 1-4
gateway led to another in the south face of the
palace from which the "old broad way" led to the
great court. The view up the old broadway is
given on PI. X, and the front of the brick blocking
of the entrance is shewn at the base of PL XII.
After this entrance was blocked there was a later
entrance above it, of which a corner of the stone
wall and paving still remains, see on the left of PL X,
and on the plan, the shaded corner. The whole of
this account is written to accord with reference to
PL I which should be kept in view.
In the reconstruction of Apries a new approach
to the palace was laid out, through a mass of building
rather more to the east. A gateway in the wall,
seen at the foot of PL I, is exactly opposite the end
of the " new broadway." Between them, isolating
the palace, is a fosse about twenty feet deep, though
the bottom of it is far above the level of the fields.
This was doubtless crossed by a draw-bridge. Each
side of the fosse has been partly built up as a berm,
so that the space of 33 feet wide is narrowed to
9 feet between these berms. The two faces of the
berms are marked by lines on the plan : the southern
berm does not extend beyond the east part of the
fosse, the northern berm runs the whole length of
the palace wall.
4. On going up the new broadway there was a
hall opening on the west, with a bench along the
west and north sides. By its position this was
doubtless the guardroom. Next beyond that was
the kitchen, with the brick fire-places still standing
against the north wall. Then a wide doorway, D,
opened on the right, leading to the stone-lined halls.
South of the doorway was a stone door, C, E, of
which the sill and lintels still remain : the lintels are
shewn at the top of PL XIII. This door led through
one hall to another, on the south, which is the best
preserved of the halls. It is marked XIII in the
plan, and shewn in the photograph in the upper
part of PL XIII. The floor was built sloping down
to a drain, which had a leaden tank in the head of it.
This tank was 29-0 x 34-4 inches, and 7 to 10-5
inches deep ; it was removed to the Cairo Museum.
The covering of the drain was partly gone, as seen
in the view ; I had it thoroughly searched as far as
possible, but nothing was found. Doubtless it dis-
charged into the fosse on the other side of the wall.
The limestone flooring consisted of deep beams
of stone with thick slabs laid over them. The
lining slabs are of fine white Mokattam limestone,
about 8 inches thick, 3J feet high and up to 10 feet
in length. To the east of this are remains of another
hall, the outline on the plan across the hall marking
the stone paving yet in place.
Along the eastern side of the palace there must
have been a corridor giving access to the group of
three halls in the middle of the east side. But
denudation of the mound has removed that part.
These three halls were all stone-paved and lined, like
that shewn in the photograph. But nearly all the
stone has been removed, and it is only marked by
the white plaster from behind it which is left on
some parts of the walls. Two stone tanks or cists
are marked here in the broadway.
Beyond these halls the broadway has been
blocked across. It seems that this block cut off the
direct access to the mandara ; it could still be reached
through the Great Court and a hall, or perhaps by
some passage now destroyed round the north-east
corner. In the north-east halls the stone lining was
thinner, as in the section L on PL XIIlA ; one slab fell
partly forward, and is shewn at the foot of PL XIII,
leaning out, with the cast of the brick courses in
the plaster on the back of it. Half of the stone
doorway between these halls is still in place. A thin
dividing-wall of brick has been added in one hall,
built against the stone lining.
5. Returning now to the Great Court, the entrance
to it has been partly cut away at the south-east.
The rains had settled down in a hollow region here,
and so hardened the ground that the workmen did
not distinguish the wall from the fallen bricks around
it. As I was unwell, and not able to visit it myself
just then, the end of the wall was removed. The
court is nearly square. On the west it is 1383-9
inches (115 feet), in the middle 1383-5, at the east,
by sighting out the wall, 1392-1 (116 feet). On the
the north it is 1292-2 inches (107 feet). The walls on
all sides are older than the work of Apries, and
descend far below his floor-level, covered with plaster
facing.
In the midst of the court is a stone cist sunk in
the floor, shewn at the base of PL XII. It is
accurately placed, being only 8'6 inches west of the
centre of the court, and but one inch north of the
centre. Over all the block is 85-7 x 64-4 and 64-5
inches ; inside it is 68'25 to 68-4 x 47-0 to 47-2
inches. The seating for a cover is N. 78-5, S. 78-55,
E. 57-4, W. 57-3. The accuracy of it is therefore a
matter of hundredths of an inch. The depth is
less regular, being at N.E. 347, S.E. 317, S.W. 32-4,
N.W. 34-9 to the ledge. The ledge is 13 to 1-4