DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3388#0016
GENERAL RESULTS AT MEYDUM
12. The FAR WESTERN TOMBS are all deep vertical
shafts with chambers at the bottom (pi. xiv, 4). Most
of the chambers are stone-lined, but some are cut
in the rock with a pent roof. The strange matter
here was that the portcullis blocks of two or three
tons' weight were still standing on piles of stones
above the doorways, and had only in two cases been
lowered to cover the door. The tombs had evidently
not been used by their original makers of the iiird
dynasty ; only later in the xxiind dynasty had rough
coffin burials been put in the chambers, and the
doorways plastered up. One of the used tombs (50)
had a shaft 21 feet deep ; the portcullis was lowered
over the doorway; the slab was 82 inches high, 42
wide, and 14 to 16 thick. In the bottom of the
shaft in front of the portcullis I found the granite
vase pi. xix, 7, lying on its edge with the base against
the middle of the portcullis slab (Carlsberg). From
side to side of the portcullis in front of the vase was
a row of limestone model jars, xix, 6, 8 ; xxiv, 11-15,
lying on their sides. Inside the chamber there was
nothing but the remains of the skeleton. In the
other used tomb, 55, the alabaster jars had all been
broken and the pieces scattered over the chamber,
pi. xix, 1-5 ; xxiv, 1-9. These are at Carlsberg,
except the cup, xix, 4 (Manchester). In this tomb
were the flint flakes which I have rejoined so as
to shew the method of fracture, pi. xxi, 17-22. Be-
yond these there was nothing obtained from this
cemetery.
13. To the north of the pyramid lie the great
sculptured mastabas of Nefermaat and Rahotep, and,
a large number of minor mastabas and tombs down
to the simplest hole in the ground. The only inscrip-
tion obtained from here is that of an altar of a ruler
of the palace and of the frontier of Khufu, named
Sezefu, pi. xxxi (Cambridge).
The tombs in general (pi. xxii) are similar to
those opened there in 1891, and recorded in Medum,
pp. 20, 21. Beyond three headrests (see pi. xxi, 15,
16 ; pi. xxxix, bottom) there were no objects found
here except the boxes for burial, shewn in pi. xxiii.
The burials were all contracted, and nearly all on the
left side, the head to the north and the face to the
east. This exact reversal of the position which is
characteristic of the prehistoric age shews that a great
change had taken place with the incoming dynasties.
This change took place as early as the 1st dynasty, as
the servants of king Qa lay contracted with the head
to the north in five cases, and only once to the south.
Among late burials were some of the Persian age,
which were examined by Dr. RUffer. The curious
bandage from the knee to the ankle on one mummy
is shewn in pi. xix, 9.
To the south of the pyramid, at about a mile away
behind the village of Meydum, there is a field of tombs
of the iiird-ivth dynasty, but all have been so entirely
plundered in recent times that there is nothing left to
be recorded. At about four miles to the south there
is another early cemetery. One tomb had a large
tomb-chapel of brick, with life-size figures painted on
the walls, of which a few fragments were found on
the floor; but it has been denuded to within a foot of
the soil. There were two deep shafts in the chambers
(see plan pi. xxxi). In one chamber were some scraps
of the funeral furniture, pi. xxi, 7-14, shewing that
there were the painted wooden models of servants and
cattle, and a boat with copper oars (11, 12, 13) which
are unusual. In another tomb near this were the
ivory bracelets pieced together, seen in pi. xxi, 1-5.
CHAPTER II
THE APPROACH TO THE PYRAMID.
By GERALD VVAINWRIGHT.
14. My time this year in Egypt was entirely occu-
pied in work at Meydum. The principal divisions
of it were (a) clearing the east face of the pyramid
of Sneferu, and tunnelling in the rock beneath it; as
this work may yet be carried further, it is not reported
here : (b) tracing out a great approach or causeway,
which was apparently filled up long before the build-
ing of the pyramid was finished : (c) finding the burial
chamber of the anonymous mastaba, No. 17 : (d) find-
ing the burial chamber of the mastaba of Nefermaat:
(e) clearing many graves near the approach, all of
which had been robbed anciently: and (f) at Sir
Gaston Maspero's request, taking down for preserva-
tion, and packing, the great sculptured chambers of
Nefermaat, Atet, Rahotep, and Nefert, which had
suffered severely in past years.
The Approach. In excavating to the east of the
pyramid we came across a strange piece of work,
consisting of a well-made causeway or approach,
leading up from the cultivation to the level surface of
the desert on the eastern side of the pyramid. The
approach was very carefully constructed, being in
some places cut into the rock to a depth of 6 or 8 feet.
Where the rock gives out, it is banked up by a mound
of rubbish, enclosed by a mud-plaster facing wall,
so as to make an even slope up. The plan of it in
12. The FAR WESTERN TOMBS are all deep vertical
shafts with chambers at the bottom (pi. xiv, 4). Most
of the chambers are stone-lined, but some are cut
in the rock with a pent roof. The strange matter
here was that the portcullis blocks of two or three
tons' weight were still standing on piles of stones
above the doorways, and had only in two cases been
lowered to cover the door. The tombs had evidently
not been used by their original makers of the iiird
dynasty ; only later in the xxiind dynasty had rough
coffin burials been put in the chambers, and the
doorways plastered up. One of the used tombs (50)
had a shaft 21 feet deep ; the portcullis was lowered
over the doorway; the slab was 82 inches high, 42
wide, and 14 to 16 thick. In the bottom of the
shaft in front of the portcullis I found the granite
vase pi. xix, 7, lying on its edge with the base against
the middle of the portcullis slab (Carlsberg). From
side to side of the portcullis in front of the vase was
a row of limestone model jars, xix, 6, 8 ; xxiv, 11-15,
lying on their sides. Inside the chamber there was
nothing but the remains of the skeleton. In the
other used tomb, 55, the alabaster jars had all been
broken and the pieces scattered over the chamber,
pi. xix, 1-5 ; xxiv, 1-9. These are at Carlsberg,
except the cup, xix, 4 (Manchester). In this tomb
were the flint flakes which I have rejoined so as
to shew the method of fracture, pi. xxi, 17-22. Be-
yond these there was nothing obtained from this
cemetery.
13. To the north of the pyramid lie the great
sculptured mastabas of Nefermaat and Rahotep, and,
a large number of minor mastabas and tombs down
to the simplest hole in the ground. The only inscrip-
tion obtained from here is that of an altar of a ruler
of the palace and of the frontier of Khufu, named
Sezefu, pi. xxxi (Cambridge).
The tombs in general (pi. xxii) are similar to
those opened there in 1891, and recorded in Medum,
pp. 20, 21. Beyond three headrests (see pi. xxi, 15,
16 ; pi. xxxix, bottom) there were no objects found
here except the boxes for burial, shewn in pi. xxiii.
The burials were all contracted, and nearly all on the
left side, the head to the north and the face to the
east. This exact reversal of the position which is
characteristic of the prehistoric age shews that a great
change had taken place with the incoming dynasties.
This change took place as early as the 1st dynasty, as
the servants of king Qa lay contracted with the head
to the north in five cases, and only once to the south.
Among late burials were some of the Persian age,
which were examined by Dr. RUffer. The curious
bandage from the knee to the ankle on one mummy
is shewn in pi. xix, 9.
To the south of the pyramid, at about a mile away
behind the village of Meydum, there is a field of tombs
of the iiird-ivth dynasty, but all have been so entirely
plundered in recent times that there is nothing left to
be recorded. At about four miles to the south there
is another early cemetery. One tomb had a large
tomb-chapel of brick, with life-size figures painted on
the walls, of which a few fragments were found on
the floor; but it has been denuded to within a foot of
the soil. There were two deep shafts in the chambers
(see plan pi. xxxi). In one chamber were some scraps
of the funeral furniture, pi. xxi, 7-14, shewing that
there were the painted wooden models of servants and
cattle, and a boat with copper oars (11, 12, 13) which
are unusual. In another tomb near this were the
ivory bracelets pieced together, seen in pi. xxi, 1-5.
CHAPTER II
THE APPROACH TO THE PYRAMID.
By GERALD VVAINWRIGHT.
14. My time this year in Egypt was entirely occu-
pied in work at Meydum. The principal divisions
of it were (a) clearing the east face of the pyramid
of Sneferu, and tunnelling in the rock beneath it; as
this work may yet be carried further, it is not reported
here : (b) tracing out a great approach or causeway,
which was apparently filled up long before the build-
ing of the pyramid was finished : (c) finding the burial
chamber of the anonymous mastaba, No. 17 : (d) find-
ing the burial chamber of the mastaba of Nefermaat:
(e) clearing many graves near the approach, all of
which had been robbed anciently: and (f) at Sir
Gaston Maspero's request, taking down for preserva-
tion, and packing, the great sculptured chambers of
Nefermaat, Atet, Rahotep, and Nefert, which had
suffered severely in past years.
The Approach. In excavating to the east of the
pyramid we came across a strange piece of work,
consisting of a well-made causeway or approach,
leading up from the cultivation to the level surface of
the desert on the eastern side of the pyramid. The
approach was very carefully constructed, being in
some places cut into the rock to a depth of 6 or 8 feet.
Where the rock gives out, it is banked up by a mound
of rubbish, enclosed by a mud-plaster facing wall,
so as to make an even slope up. The plan of it in