DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3391#0011
THE LARGE PITS: NOS. 302, 303, AND 305
CHAPTER I
THE LARGE PITS : NOS. 302, 303, AND 305
3. THE large pits are mentioned in The Labyrinth,
Gerzeh, and Mazghuneh, sect. 2, and this year I
decided to work them out for two reasons ; first, in
order to find out if they had any relation to the
numerous collection of small pits, (see Hi, H2, in
the general map, pi. xlvi,) which also occur in lesser
numbers all over the desert opposite El-Gerzeh, and
which were left unexplained in the volume on that
place ; secondly, on the chance that they might be
of early date, or contain chambers which might prove
of interest, although all the pits had obviously been
robbed anciently, and perhaps again in later times.
4. The first pit opened was no. 303, which was
filled with blown sand, the pit measuring about
JJ feet square ; we began digging from the south
and east sides. At a depth of 7 feet, we came upon
white untouched sand, and tracked this down
towards the centre of the pit. Soon, however, it
became apparent the sand would slip, as it was
not bound together by gypsum, and nothing short
of a sloping track of 2 on 3 would make it keep
in place ; I therefore shifted the work to the north
and west sides, to see if the ground were more
suitable, since it was obvious that the tomb had not
been robbed from the side on which we began.
When we had cleared away about 6 feet of drift
sand, we came to a stratum of sand and pebbles
bound firmly together with gypsum, which was, in
fact, harder than the marl in which the graves in
cemetery A were cut. At this point I increased the
number of workmen to twenty picks and seventy
boys, that being the maximum that could work there
comfortably. After digging down for 18 feet, we
came to a brick stairway, which the builders of the
tomb had made in order to carry away the baskets
of sand without loss by slipping ; the bricks resting
on a firm mass of sand and gypsum. A view of the
stairway is shown on pi. ii, no. 4. At the bottom
of the stairs, we came upon the fine sand again,
which rendered the work very difficult. The method
of working was by means of two chains of men
passing the baskets up to the boys at the top of the
pit, who carry them to a distance. Such a chain is
shown on pi. ii, no. 3, which is a view of the pit
taken from the west side. After clearing steadily
away eastward, we found a wall running partly
along the east side of the pit-bottom, and we tracked
it round the south side. At first we did not expose
the whole of the wall, as its obvious purpose was to
keep the loose white sand from sliding, and the
pressure of the sand seemed to be considerable. On
the south side, the wall was reinforced by two small
walls at right angles to it, so as to increase its
resisting power, and here the sand appeared to be
loosest.
Having cleared the east and south sides, we
began to expose the whole wall, and found that the
south-west corner had collapsed in ancient times,
only the three bottom courses shewing where its
position had been. At the bottom of the wall, we
came on untouched sand, and found that the wall
only ran about three-quarters the length of the east
side, the inference being that it was abandoned before
completion.
The history of the pit seems to have been as
follows :
A site was chosen, no doubt after various trials
had been made as to the hardness of the ground ;
here the builders dug down until they came to the
vein of loose sand. Having done so much work
already on the site, they were loth to leave it, so
they tried to make a brick wall to hold up the loose
sand, until they could build a stone chamber inside.
When, however, the south-west corner of the wall
collapsed, it meant that about forty tons of earth had
to be cleared away before the work could proceed.
Perhaps it was not the first collapse, hence its
abandonment. We had an excellent demonstration
of one of these walls being pushed out by the sand.
When the workmen had stopped for the midday
meal, the whole of the east wall collapsed, and about
sixty tons of earth came down with it. We cleared
this away again, but when I was making measure-
ments on the south wall, being underneath it at the
time with half a dozen workmen, I noticed the wall
bulge slightly forward and crack. The sand flowed
out like a liquid from a hole about one-third way up
the wall. We were just able to get out of the way
before it collapsed, a few of the men getting partially
buried. After this we abandoned the excavations
here.
At the foot of the staircase we found a con-
siderable quantity of pottery of the xiith dynasty,
the forms being: 7/2, 50, 41 &, 59*3. 2eji, and a
large Pinna shell.
It is difficult to say whether the tomb was built
in the xiith dynasty, or whether it was reopened by
plunderers as far as the foot of the staircase at that
period. In any case, we have no objects prior to
CHAPTER I
THE LARGE PITS : NOS. 302, 303, AND 305
3. THE large pits are mentioned in The Labyrinth,
Gerzeh, and Mazghuneh, sect. 2, and this year I
decided to work them out for two reasons ; first, in
order to find out if they had any relation to the
numerous collection of small pits, (see Hi, H2, in
the general map, pi. xlvi,) which also occur in lesser
numbers all over the desert opposite El-Gerzeh, and
which were left unexplained in the volume on that
place ; secondly, on the chance that they might be
of early date, or contain chambers which might prove
of interest, although all the pits had obviously been
robbed anciently, and perhaps again in later times.
4. The first pit opened was no. 303, which was
filled with blown sand, the pit measuring about
JJ feet square ; we began digging from the south
and east sides. At a depth of 7 feet, we came upon
white untouched sand, and tracked this down
towards the centre of the pit. Soon, however, it
became apparent the sand would slip, as it was
not bound together by gypsum, and nothing short
of a sloping track of 2 on 3 would make it keep
in place ; I therefore shifted the work to the north
and west sides, to see if the ground were more
suitable, since it was obvious that the tomb had not
been robbed from the side on which we began.
When we had cleared away about 6 feet of drift
sand, we came to a stratum of sand and pebbles
bound firmly together with gypsum, which was, in
fact, harder than the marl in which the graves in
cemetery A were cut. At this point I increased the
number of workmen to twenty picks and seventy
boys, that being the maximum that could work there
comfortably. After digging down for 18 feet, we
came to a brick stairway, which the builders of the
tomb had made in order to carry away the baskets
of sand without loss by slipping ; the bricks resting
on a firm mass of sand and gypsum. A view of the
stairway is shown on pi. ii, no. 4. At the bottom
of the stairs, we came upon the fine sand again,
which rendered the work very difficult. The method
of working was by means of two chains of men
passing the baskets up to the boys at the top of the
pit, who carry them to a distance. Such a chain is
shown on pi. ii, no. 3, which is a view of the pit
taken from the west side. After clearing steadily
away eastward, we found a wall running partly
along the east side of the pit-bottom, and we tracked
it round the south side. At first we did not expose
the whole of the wall, as its obvious purpose was to
keep the loose white sand from sliding, and the
pressure of the sand seemed to be considerable. On
the south side, the wall was reinforced by two small
walls at right angles to it, so as to increase its
resisting power, and here the sand appeared to be
loosest.
Having cleared the east and south sides, we
began to expose the whole wall, and found that the
south-west corner had collapsed in ancient times,
only the three bottom courses shewing where its
position had been. At the bottom of the wall, we
came on untouched sand, and found that the wall
only ran about three-quarters the length of the east
side, the inference being that it was abandoned before
completion.
The history of the pit seems to have been as
follows :
A site was chosen, no doubt after various trials
had been made as to the hardness of the ground ;
here the builders dug down until they came to the
vein of loose sand. Having done so much work
already on the site, they were loth to leave it, so
they tried to make a brick wall to hold up the loose
sand, until they could build a stone chamber inside.
When, however, the south-west corner of the wall
collapsed, it meant that about forty tons of earth had
to be cleared away before the work could proceed.
Perhaps it was not the first collapse, hence its
abandonment. We had an excellent demonstration
of one of these walls being pushed out by the sand.
When the workmen had stopped for the midday
meal, the whole of the east wall collapsed, and about
sixty tons of earth came down with it. We cleared
this away again, but when I was making measure-
ments on the south wall, being underneath it at the
time with half a dozen workmen, I noticed the wall
bulge slightly forward and crack. The sand flowed
out like a liquid from a hole about one-third way up
the wall. We were just able to get out of the way
before it collapsed, a few of the men getting partially
buried. After this we abandoned the excavations
here.
At the foot of the staircase we found a con-
siderable quantity of pottery of the xiith dynasty,
the forms being: 7/2, 50, 41 &, 59*3. 2eji, and a
large Pinna shell.
It is difficult to say whether the tomb was built
in the xiith dynasty, or whether it was reopened by
plunderers as far as the foot of the staircase at that
period. In any case, we have no objects prior to