DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3388#0038
28
FAR WESTERN TOMBS
300 inches. There were no signs of a chamber at the
end of this, and no evidence of one having been
attempted. The passage, which was 37 inches wide
and 76 inches high, was pent-roofed, and closed at its
mouth by a portcullis slightly askew.
Nothing of interest was found in this tomb with
the exception of four small offering saucers (pi. xxv,
32-34). These were lying on the rock floor, just
south of the portcullis. This tomb had been entered
from the top of the passage in two places.
Type F. Low Shaft and Entry by Staircase.
Tomb 83. The way into this was by a series
of rough steps cut in the rock, situated on the east
side of a rectangular shaft, 28 inches N. to S. and 89
inches E. to W. (pi. xvii).
The depth of these steps was 81 inches, the top of
the rock here being 132 inches below the surface of
the ground.
On the southern side of the shaft there was a
passage 27 inches wide and 76 inches high, which led
due south, terminating in a very roughly cut pit,
about 15J feet deep. The bottom of this was 72
inches long E. to W. and 60 inches wide N. to S-, and
contained nothing.
The southern end of the passage had suffered
greatly from a big rock-fall, the roof and sides having
collapsed. Its original length therefore could not
be measured, or the tomb planned, with the exception
of the entrance shaft and stairway.
50. In some of the better finished stone-lined tombs
the widths and lengths were taken of three stones in
their side walls, together with the breadths of three
of the roofing blocks. The number of the latter
covering each measured chamber will be found in
Roman numerals immediately after the number of
the tomb which is bracketed. The dimensions of
some of the portcullises are also stated.
Side-wall stones. (51) io'6 x 40-2 inches, 1 y6 x 43,
32-9x32-5. (58) 29-9x21-6, 31-4x13-7, 63-3 x 14-3.
(63) 14-4x25-8,14-4x30-1, 15-4x21-2. (64)48x10-9,
24-5x13-9, 32-7x13-5. (65) 44-9x15-2, 297x14-5,
55-5x14-9. (66) 21-1x42-6, 21-1x25-4, 21x37-9.
(67) 11-3x43-3, 11-8x32-9, 11-7x49-8. (69) 27-2x15-7,
54-9x157, 39-2x17-7. (75) 25-5x15-2, 127x17-2,
26-6x 17-2. (76) 43-9x 23-6, 24-7x 205, 29-9x 23-2.
Roofing blocks. (51) vii, 30,20-3, i8'2 inches. (5.8)
vi, 16-7, 25-2, 25-9. (6$) vi, 24-3, 27-8, 24-2. (64) vii,
20-3, 20-3, 30-1. (65), vii, 21-3, 26-4, 28-2. (66) vii,
24, 18, 15-2. (67) vi, 14-5, 38, 13-9. (69) vii, 15-9,
28-3, 20-3. (75) vi, 20, 32, 19-3. (76) vii, 25-4, 22-7, 24.
Portcullis slabs. (51) 68x51x20 inches. (59)
82x51x16. (60) 67x54x16. (61) 66x51x15
(62) 66 x 56 x 17. (63) 81 x 63 x 19. (64) 77 x 54 x
i4'5- (65)78x59x16-5. (66)86x62x15. (67)
76x54x18. (68)66x46x14. (70)69x54x13.
(71)78x53x14. (72)78x54x15. (76)81x54x18.
(79)78x54x15. (81)81-5x53x16. The heaviest,
63, contains 56 cubic feet, and weighs about 3^ tons.
CHAPTER IX
THE NORTHERN TOMBS.
By ERNEST MAC KAY.
51. The greater part of the cemetery of Meydum
lies to the north of the pyramid, and some further
search was made in that part, which is detailed in
this chapter.
The eastern faces of the group of small mastabas
east of mastaba No. vi, were cleared early in the
season in the hope of finding inscribed false doors or
steles, such as occur in the later mastabas at Dendereh.
Though no steles were found, yet just in front of one
of the northern brick recesses in one mastaba we
came upon an inscribed libation table, 25-2 inches
long by 97 inches wide (pi. xxxi). The thickness
of this in the middle is 5'6 inches, and at the ends
2'8 inches. On two of the top edges are the following
inscriptions :—
SUTEN REKH MER NUT MAAT SEZEFU.
HEK HET AA HEQ SEBA HET KHUFU SEZEFU.
A Royal Relative, Superintendent of the New
Towns, Sezefu. Ruler of the Palace, Ruler of the
gate of the house of Khufu, Sezefu.
The title Superintendent of the New Towns is
little known. It occurs twice in the tomb of Urarna,
and once in the tomb of Meru {Rock Tombs at Sheikh
Said, pis. iv, vi, xix). Also it appears once in the
tomb of Nek-ankh at Tehneh {Annates du Sendee,
vol. iii, p. 127) (now at Cambridge).
52. Many of the mastabas had several small tomb
pits cut close to, and in a line with, their eastern faces.
Most of these had been plundered. A burial was
found intact in one pit, which measured 40 x 25^- x
24 inches deep. The body was placed in a wooden
box 31-1 inches long, 18-5 inches wide, 17-6 inches
deep, inside measurement. The thickness of the wood
was '8 inch.
The usual position was adopted, head to north,
trunk on left side facing east, and limbs very con-
tracted (pi. xxiii, 3). The sex has not yet been
FAR WESTERN TOMBS
300 inches. There were no signs of a chamber at the
end of this, and no evidence of one having been
attempted. The passage, which was 37 inches wide
and 76 inches high, was pent-roofed, and closed at its
mouth by a portcullis slightly askew.
Nothing of interest was found in this tomb with
the exception of four small offering saucers (pi. xxv,
32-34). These were lying on the rock floor, just
south of the portcullis. This tomb had been entered
from the top of the passage in two places.
Type F. Low Shaft and Entry by Staircase.
Tomb 83. The way into this was by a series
of rough steps cut in the rock, situated on the east
side of a rectangular shaft, 28 inches N. to S. and 89
inches E. to W. (pi. xvii).
The depth of these steps was 81 inches, the top of
the rock here being 132 inches below the surface of
the ground.
On the southern side of the shaft there was a
passage 27 inches wide and 76 inches high, which led
due south, terminating in a very roughly cut pit,
about 15J feet deep. The bottom of this was 72
inches long E. to W. and 60 inches wide N. to S-, and
contained nothing.
The southern end of the passage had suffered
greatly from a big rock-fall, the roof and sides having
collapsed. Its original length therefore could not
be measured, or the tomb planned, with the exception
of the entrance shaft and stairway.
50. In some of the better finished stone-lined tombs
the widths and lengths were taken of three stones in
their side walls, together with the breadths of three
of the roofing blocks. The number of the latter
covering each measured chamber will be found in
Roman numerals immediately after the number of
the tomb which is bracketed. The dimensions of
some of the portcullises are also stated.
Side-wall stones. (51) io'6 x 40-2 inches, 1 y6 x 43,
32-9x32-5. (58) 29-9x21-6, 31-4x13-7, 63-3 x 14-3.
(63) 14-4x25-8,14-4x30-1, 15-4x21-2. (64)48x10-9,
24-5x13-9, 32-7x13-5. (65) 44-9x15-2, 297x14-5,
55-5x14-9. (66) 21-1x42-6, 21-1x25-4, 21x37-9.
(67) 11-3x43-3, 11-8x32-9, 11-7x49-8. (69) 27-2x15-7,
54-9x157, 39-2x17-7. (75) 25-5x15-2, 127x17-2,
26-6x 17-2. (76) 43-9x 23-6, 24-7x 205, 29-9x 23-2.
Roofing blocks. (51) vii, 30,20-3, i8'2 inches. (5.8)
vi, 16-7, 25-2, 25-9. (6$) vi, 24-3, 27-8, 24-2. (64) vii,
20-3, 20-3, 30-1. (65), vii, 21-3, 26-4, 28-2. (66) vii,
24, 18, 15-2. (67) vi, 14-5, 38, 13-9. (69) vii, 15-9,
28-3, 20-3. (75) vi, 20, 32, 19-3. (76) vii, 25-4, 22-7, 24.
Portcullis slabs. (51) 68x51x20 inches. (59)
82x51x16. (60) 67x54x16. (61) 66x51x15
(62) 66 x 56 x 17. (63) 81 x 63 x 19. (64) 77 x 54 x
i4'5- (65)78x59x16-5. (66)86x62x15. (67)
76x54x18. (68)66x46x14. (70)69x54x13.
(71)78x53x14. (72)78x54x15. (76)81x54x18.
(79)78x54x15. (81)81-5x53x16. The heaviest,
63, contains 56 cubic feet, and weighs about 3^ tons.
CHAPTER IX
THE NORTHERN TOMBS.
By ERNEST MAC KAY.
51. The greater part of the cemetery of Meydum
lies to the north of the pyramid, and some further
search was made in that part, which is detailed in
this chapter.
The eastern faces of the group of small mastabas
east of mastaba No. vi, were cleared early in the
season in the hope of finding inscribed false doors or
steles, such as occur in the later mastabas at Dendereh.
Though no steles were found, yet just in front of one
of the northern brick recesses in one mastaba we
came upon an inscribed libation table, 25-2 inches
long by 97 inches wide (pi. xxxi). The thickness
of this in the middle is 5'6 inches, and at the ends
2'8 inches. On two of the top edges are the following
inscriptions :—
SUTEN REKH MER NUT MAAT SEZEFU.
HEK HET AA HEQ SEBA HET KHUFU SEZEFU.
A Royal Relative, Superintendent of the New
Towns, Sezefu. Ruler of the Palace, Ruler of the
gate of the house of Khufu, Sezefu.
The title Superintendent of the New Towns is
little known. It occurs twice in the tomb of Urarna,
and once in the tomb of Meru {Rock Tombs at Sheikh
Said, pis. iv, vi, xix). Also it appears once in the
tomb of Nek-ankh at Tehneh {Annates du Sendee,
vol. iii, p. 127) (now at Cambridge).
52. Many of the mastabas had several small tomb
pits cut close to, and in a line with, their eastern faces.
Most of these had been plundered. A burial was
found intact in one pit, which measured 40 x 25^- x
24 inches deep. The body was placed in a wooden
box 31-1 inches long, 18-5 inches wide, 17-6 inches
deep, inside measurement. The thickness of the wood
was '8 inch.
The usual position was adopted, head to north,
trunk on left side facing east, and limbs very con-
tracted (pi. xxiii, 3). The sex has not yet been