DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3388#0017
THE APPROACH
relation to the pyramid is given in pi. ii. The section
is on pi. iii, and the slope of it is four times too great,
as is usual in low sections ; the vertical scale being four
times the horizontal.
The rock cutting is 201 inches wide, and inside it
is rubble covered with mud-plaster running up either
side, reducing the available width to 123 inches. On
each mud wall is drawn a red line at a perfectly even
slope, and between the walls the space is paved with
crude brick. As we found one large limestone block
in situ on the brick pavement, and its upper surface
corresponded with the red line in its neighbourhood,
this line no doubt shewed the height to which the
stone paving was to be laid. Moreover at the top
end the native rock was left rising high above the bed
of the approach, up to just the level of the red line
on the sides. If the approach were ever finished, the
stone paving had all been removed before the rubbish
was thrown in, for the rubbish lies directly on the
brick foundation. The space between the sides of
the rock cutting and the plaster walls was originally
empty, for the throw of rubbish lies right across the
walls, which it has broken down, and the fallen pieces
either lie directly on the ground, or are propped
against the part still standing, with an empty space
underneath them (pi. iii).
15. The approach has all been filled up and con-
cealed by the debris of the building of the pyramid.
The western end, which is nearest the pyramid, is
entirely filled with the concreted red sand of the
surface clearance; a little further down away from
the pyramid the red sand is mixed with broken marl
from the deeper digging, the marl increasing as the
red sand decreases, and finally disappears ; soon after
on the top of the marl is thrown clean limestone chip
from the masons' work of building, and as this
material increases in quantity, the marl in its turn
gives out and finally disappears, so that the further
two-thirds of the approach are filled up only with
stone chip (pi. iii).
This filling is not the rubbish formed by the
destruction of the pyramid, but is clean white chip,
which has never lain about to become sunburnt.
Therefore it is the refuse formed by the stone-dressing
for the building of the pyramid. Moreover it is
exactly the same as the chip filling of mastaba
No. 17, and that composing the rest of the smooth
ground, which has been levelled round about. It is
not possible to suppose that any one but the builders
would feel the necessity of leaving the neighbourhood
neatly smoothed. Certainly later generations using
the pyramid as a quarry would not be concerned
with such niceties.
That the approach was cut before the pyramid
was built is also shewn by the relative position of the
different constituents of the filling. The first rubbish
that was thrown into the approach was that which
was first ejected —by digging the foundations at the
pyramid—the concreted red sand and flint nodules
which compose the upper stratum of the desert; next
came the marl, which lies directly under it, and into
which the foundations of the inner parts of the
pyramid are sunk ; especially deep are those of the
face which has the lower groove on it (pi. i, and
Mediim pi. ii) ; and lastly came the rubbish which
would be formed after the foundations had been dug
and when building had begun—the masons' waste.
It is of interest to note that of the five quarry marks
representing ur, shewn on pi. v, four were found
in situ against the foundations of this grooved face
of the pyramid, and the other was found in the filling
of the approach.
We were unable to find this mark elsewhere on
the pyramid. Thus we at once have a strong pre-
sumption as to the exact provenance of this marl in
the filling of the approach. Scattered through the
mass, more especially in the top layers, are occasional
early vases such as pi. xxvi, 65.
16. The approach did not lead to some large
private tomb, for we carefully searched all the ground
in front of its head. Hence it would appear to lead
to the pyramid ; especially as its direction, which is
roughly parallel to the previously known causeway,
points directly to the grooves on the pyramid face,
which may mark the position of the ka chamber, if
there be one. Yet the approach is filled and hidden
by the refuse from founding and building the outer
coats.
Another proof of the early date at which this
approach went out of use is to be found in a long
wall at the edge of the cultivation connected with the
later causeway, which runs right across its eastern
end.
To recapitulate, the facts obtainable are these :—
(1) A carefully made approach, which leads to no
private tomb, but points directly to the
probable site of the ka chamber ; on the
south half of the eastern face of the mas-
taba, which finally grew into the pyramid.
(2) This approach had fallen into disuse, and had
had the stone paving, if any, removed ; after
which
relation to the pyramid is given in pi. ii. The section
is on pi. iii, and the slope of it is four times too great,
as is usual in low sections ; the vertical scale being four
times the horizontal.
The rock cutting is 201 inches wide, and inside it
is rubble covered with mud-plaster running up either
side, reducing the available width to 123 inches. On
each mud wall is drawn a red line at a perfectly even
slope, and between the walls the space is paved with
crude brick. As we found one large limestone block
in situ on the brick pavement, and its upper surface
corresponded with the red line in its neighbourhood,
this line no doubt shewed the height to which the
stone paving was to be laid. Moreover at the top
end the native rock was left rising high above the bed
of the approach, up to just the level of the red line
on the sides. If the approach were ever finished, the
stone paving had all been removed before the rubbish
was thrown in, for the rubbish lies directly on the
brick foundation. The space between the sides of
the rock cutting and the plaster walls was originally
empty, for the throw of rubbish lies right across the
walls, which it has broken down, and the fallen pieces
either lie directly on the ground, or are propped
against the part still standing, with an empty space
underneath them (pi. iii).
15. The approach has all been filled up and con-
cealed by the debris of the building of the pyramid.
The western end, which is nearest the pyramid, is
entirely filled with the concreted red sand of the
surface clearance; a little further down away from
the pyramid the red sand is mixed with broken marl
from the deeper digging, the marl increasing as the
red sand decreases, and finally disappears ; soon after
on the top of the marl is thrown clean limestone chip
from the masons' work of building, and as this
material increases in quantity, the marl in its turn
gives out and finally disappears, so that the further
two-thirds of the approach are filled up only with
stone chip (pi. iii).
This filling is not the rubbish formed by the
destruction of the pyramid, but is clean white chip,
which has never lain about to become sunburnt.
Therefore it is the refuse formed by the stone-dressing
for the building of the pyramid. Moreover it is
exactly the same as the chip filling of mastaba
No. 17, and that composing the rest of the smooth
ground, which has been levelled round about. It is
not possible to suppose that any one but the builders
would feel the necessity of leaving the neighbourhood
neatly smoothed. Certainly later generations using
the pyramid as a quarry would not be concerned
with such niceties.
That the approach was cut before the pyramid
was built is also shewn by the relative position of the
different constituents of the filling. The first rubbish
that was thrown into the approach was that which
was first ejected —by digging the foundations at the
pyramid—the concreted red sand and flint nodules
which compose the upper stratum of the desert; next
came the marl, which lies directly under it, and into
which the foundations of the inner parts of the
pyramid are sunk ; especially deep are those of the
face which has the lower groove on it (pi. i, and
Mediim pi. ii) ; and lastly came the rubbish which
would be formed after the foundations had been dug
and when building had begun—the masons' waste.
It is of interest to note that of the five quarry marks
representing ur, shewn on pi. v, four were found
in situ against the foundations of this grooved face
of the pyramid, and the other was found in the filling
of the approach.
We were unable to find this mark elsewhere on
the pyramid. Thus we at once have a strong pre-
sumption as to the exact provenance of this marl in
the filling of the approach. Scattered through the
mass, more especially in the top layers, are occasional
early vases such as pi. xxvi, 65.
16. The approach did not lead to some large
private tomb, for we carefully searched all the ground
in front of its head. Hence it would appear to lead
to the pyramid ; especially as its direction, which is
roughly parallel to the previously known causeway,
points directly to the grooves on the pyramid face,
which may mark the position of the ka chamber, if
there be one. Yet the approach is filled and hidden
by the refuse from founding and building the outer
coats.
Another proof of the early date at which this
approach went out of use is to be found in a long
wall at the edge of the cultivation connected with the
later causeway, which runs right across its eastern
end.
To recapitulate, the facts obtainable are these :—
(1) A carefully made approach, which leads to no
private tomb, but points directly to the
probable site of the ka chamber ; on the
south half of the eastern face of the mas-
taba, which finally grew into the pyramid.
(2) This approach had fallen into disuse, and had
had the stone paving, if any, removed ; after
which