DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3391#0030
MISCELLANEOUS AND LATE OBJECTS
21
roofed chamber in tomb no. 191, cemetery A. See
sects. 66, 67.
56. Pis. xxviii-xxxiii. Drawings of the xiith-
dynasty pottery of Riqqeh. The pottery is arranged
in provisional corpus form, gaps in the numbers
having been left for the types already published in
past volumes of the British School, and other volumes
in which drawings are published. It is hoped soon
to combine these types with all the others that are
available, to make a complete corpus of the xiith
dynasty. The drawings are to a scale of one-sixth.
Pis. xxxiv-xxxviii. Drawings of the xviiith- and
xixth-dynasty pottery of Riqqeh, arranged, as in
the case of the xiith-dynasty pottery, in provisional
corpus form, to a scale of one-sixth.
PI. xxxix. Odd pottery of various dynasties.
These were all found without other objects by which
we could compare or date them exactly. The
numbers in the bottom left-hand corner mark the
supposed dynasty, judging by the form of the pot
itself. Nearly all the Ptolemaic and Roman pottery
came from the surface deposits of cemetery B, and
were in no sort of groups which we could definitely
connect together as being of one date. No. 140 was
found with a mummified sheep about six inches below
the surface. All are to a scale of one-sixth.
CHAPTER IX
THE PLUNDERING OF THE TOMBS
57. The examination of the robbed, and partially
robbed, tombs of Riqqeh affords several interesting
points as to the control and management of the
cemeteries, particularly of the xiith-dynasty cemetery
A. Although much plundering took place at all
periods of Egyptian history, the majority of the
graves and tombs of Riqqeh were plundered either
contemporarily or at most within a generation of the
last burial in the tomb. The first plundering of the
rich tombs was undoubtedly done by the guardians
of the cemetery, who would probably combine that
duty with the office of sexton. They, having attended
the funerals, would naturally know which graves were
worth the risk of robbing. A party of six men used
to the business could easily work out the largest
grave in the cemetery in a night, with the exception,
of course, of nos. 305 and 306, which indeed were not
plundered until many generations later.
The reasons for assuming this are: first, the
bodies had been still pliable when the tombs were
opened ; this has been repeatedly shewn by the fact
that the bodies had been lifted out of the coffins and
flung aside, falling in an attitude which leaves no
doubt that they had been pliable when they were
disturbed. In other cases the coffin had been broken
open near the head, and the body shoved down
towards the feet to see if there were anything which
had been put beneath the head, or which had fallen
from a necklace. In two burials (nos. 23 and 55), the
knees of the body were pressed against the lid of
the coffin. If this had been done in later times, the
ligaments would have been stiff, and the limbs would
have broken at the joints. It is, of course, rather
difficult to say for how long a body will retain its
pliability in Egypt, but this year I accidentally ex-
humed a Muslim body which I was told had been
buried recently, and in this case the body was quite
stiff and hard. Unfortunately, our men were so
anxious to cover it up that I could not examine it as
thoroughly as I had wished.
Secondly: in the xiith-dynasty cemetery A, in
many cases (nos. 9, 21, 146, 155, 180, etc.), when we
worked out the shafts, we found that one room had
been completely plundered, whereas the other was
untouched, the entrance to the chamber being bricked
up ; but when these closed rooms were opened there
was never anything of intrinsic value, the contents
only a few pots and dishes, and perhaps a few beads
on the body. This shews that the ancient robbers
knew perfectly well what was in the tomb. Another
example is found in the tomb of Sa-uazet, in which
both chambers had been robbed, the coffin, however,
being untouched. As usual in such a case, on open-
ing the coffin, it contained nothing of value except
to the archaeologist.
Thirdly; in the xviiith-dynasty cemetery D, we
often found, on opening an apparently untouched
pottery-coffin burial, that the body inside the coffin
was completely broken up, and everything taken
except the pottery and the coarser scarabs and
amulets. This must have been the work of the
sexton, as the coffin had not only been closed, but
the brickwork perfectly replaced. No robber would
have taken the trouble to replace the bricks so as to
make the burial appear untouched ; but the sexton
would be obliged to do so, as there was always a
possibility of other members of the family requiring
to be buried beside the first body.
In the New Kingdom, when a large amount of
amulets and vases were buried with the bodies, it
must have been a paying business to sell the better-
21
roofed chamber in tomb no. 191, cemetery A. See
sects. 66, 67.
56. Pis. xxviii-xxxiii. Drawings of the xiith-
dynasty pottery of Riqqeh. The pottery is arranged
in provisional corpus form, gaps in the numbers
having been left for the types already published in
past volumes of the British School, and other volumes
in which drawings are published. It is hoped soon
to combine these types with all the others that are
available, to make a complete corpus of the xiith
dynasty. The drawings are to a scale of one-sixth.
Pis. xxxiv-xxxviii. Drawings of the xviiith- and
xixth-dynasty pottery of Riqqeh, arranged, as in
the case of the xiith-dynasty pottery, in provisional
corpus form, to a scale of one-sixth.
PI. xxxix. Odd pottery of various dynasties.
These were all found without other objects by which
we could compare or date them exactly. The
numbers in the bottom left-hand corner mark the
supposed dynasty, judging by the form of the pot
itself. Nearly all the Ptolemaic and Roman pottery
came from the surface deposits of cemetery B, and
were in no sort of groups which we could definitely
connect together as being of one date. No. 140 was
found with a mummified sheep about six inches below
the surface. All are to a scale of one-sixth.
CHAPTER IX
THE PLUNDERING OF THE TOMBS
57. The examination of the robbed, and partially
robbed, tombs of Riqqeh affords several interesting
points as to the control and management of the
cemeteries, particularly of the xiith-dynasty cemetery
A. Although much plundering took place at all
periods of Egyptian history, the majority of the
graves and tombs of Riqqeh were plundered either
contemporarily or at most within a generation of the
last burial in the tomb. The first plundering of the
rich tombs was undoubtedly done by the guardians
of the cemetery, who would probably combine that
duty with the office of sexton. They, having attended
the funerals, would naturally know which graves were
worth the risk of robbing. A party of six men used
to the business could easily work out the largest
grave in the cemetery in a night, with the exception,
of course, of nos. 305 and 306, which indeed were not
plundered until many generations later.
The reasons for assuming this are: first, the
bodies had been still pliable when the tombs were
opened ; this has been repeatedly shewn by the fact
that the bodies had been lifted out of the coffins and
flung aside, falling in an attitude which leaves no
doubt that they had been pliable when they were
disturbed. In other cases the coffin had been broken
open near the head, and the body shoved down
towards the feet to see if there were anything which
had been put beneath the head, or which had fallen
from a necklace. In two burials (nos. 23 and 55), the
knees of the body were pressed against the lid of
the coffin. If this had been done in later times, the
ligaments would have been stiff, and the limbs would
have broken at the joints. It is, of course, rather
difficult to say for how long a body will retain its
pliability in Egypt, but this year I accidentally ex-
humed a Muslim body which I was told had been
buried recently, and in this case the body was quite
stiff and hard. Unfortunately, our men were so
anxious to cover it up that I could not examine it as
thoroughly as I had wished.
Secondly: in the xiith-dynasty cemetery A, in
many cases (nos. 9, 21, 146, 155, 180, etc.), when we
worked out the shafts, we found that one room had
been completely plundered, whereas the other was
untouched, the entrance to the chamber being bricked
up ; but when these closed rooms were opened there
was never anything of intrinsic value, the contents
only a few pots and dishes, and perhaps a few beads
on the body. This shews that the ancient robbers
knew perfectly well what was in the tomb. Another
example is found in the tomb of Sa-uazet, in which
both chambers had been robbed, the coffin, however,
being untouched. As usual in such a case, on open-
ing the coffin, it contained nothing of value except
to the archaeologist.
Thirdly; in the xviiith-dynasty cemetery D, we
often found, on opening an apparently untouched
pottery-coffin burial, that the body inside the coffin
was completely broken up, and everything taken
except the pottery and the coarser scarabs and
amulets. This must have been the work of the
sexton, as the coffin had not only been closed, but
the brickwork perfectly replaced. No robber would
have taken the trouble to replace the bricks so as to
make the burial appear untouched ; but the sexton
would be obliged to do so, as there was always a
possibility of other members of the family requiring
to be buried beside the first body.
In the New Kingdom, when a large amount of
amulets and vases were buried with the bodies, it
must have been a paying business to sell the better-