DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3391#0032
THE PAINTED COFFINS
23
all in one, and there taken apart for copying. A
hand-copy was all that it was possible to make,
whilst avoiding breathing too near the wood. The
closer texts required carefully adjusted top-lighting,
or electric hand-lamp, to decipher portions of them.
The other painted coffin, that of Sa-Uazet, was
in better condition, in parts of it; but as it stood
in the tomb, the copying was always at a difficult
angle, and work was hampered by constant falls of
loose blocks of rock from a rotten roof.
The chapel of Sen-mera was brightly painted
with scenes, on white-washed walls, perfectly pre-
served. In both these tombs, likewise, tracing was
impossible, and I could not use the folding of paper
to adjoin the original, or any of the other necessary
expedients to which draughtsmanship is reduced.
Careful hand-copying, to actual size, was all that
could be attempted. They had to be drawn in situ,
but the cemetery was only i| hour's ride from
Tarkhan, and alternate days' work at each place
sufficed to keep the drawing in progress in both
sites.
60. Tomb 22. Antef-Ameny. This tomb was
entered by a shaft, and had the two small chambers
which are usually found at this period. The south
chamber contained the complete outfit of a xiith-
dynasty burial (see sect. 16). The great wooden
coffin was well constructed of dowelled boards, with
concealed mitre jointing. It had the unusual con-
struction of greater thickness near the top edge,
and thinned away in the interior towards the
bottom. The outside of the coffin bore inscriptions
in vertical columns joined by a horizontal band ;
the hieroglyphics are large and boldly drawn, in
bright blue. The inner sides were covered with
long texts in smaller signs of cursive. This cursive
writing was very difficult to decipher, where the
black ink had nearly perished from the dark brown
boards. The massive lid, which weighed over a
hundredweight, bore one long line of inscription.
The ka figure which lay upon this coffin is figured
in pi. viii, I, and described in sect. 33.
61. Tomb 166. Sa-Uazet. This was the tomb
of a priest of the order of priesthood of the meti-en-sa,
Regulator of the Courses of the Priests. The tomb
had an oblong shaft, about twenty feet deep, from
which a small chamber opened at either end. See
plan, pi. xlviii.
The south chamber had nothing in it, except
four small wooden canopic heads, being the covers
of canopic jars which had been plundered out, or
had perished like other woodwork in these tombs.
No coffin remained.
The north chamber held its contents still intact.
A great outer wooden sarcophagus contained a box-
coffin within it, and this again contained the rotted
remains of the mummiform case with the burial.
The sarcophagus was finely painted inside with
representations of various objects, and it had the
whole inventory of the man's possessions for the
future world, his clothing, implements, and other
things, depicted in tiers round both the sides and
ends of the interior. All these objects were executed
in the bold and faultless outlining of the xiith
dynasty, a period which surpassed all others in fine
draughtsmanship.
The box-coffin was veneered, and painted with
inscriptions in yellow. It had not been rifled in the
plundering of the tomb.
The mummiform case, with wooden head-piece,
lay intact, though badly perished, and the body
remained within it. The body had a cartonnage
over the head and breast, and certain xiith-dynasty
objects of unknown use were found on this, for the
first time in position. The wig was represented by
ribbed lumps of pottery, stuck on to a blue and
gilt plaster back, and these lay in lines on the
cartonnage with gold-plated ribs between them.
We know these black lumpy unbored beads, ribbed
and convex, so commonly found loose with remains
of the xiith dynasty, but the use of them was hitherto
undemonstrated.
In tomb 304, some fragments of a box were
found with similar ornamentation. The man had
apparently died in old age. On the left side there
lay two long wooden sceptres of the zam and uas
forms (see pi. v, 2, and chap, iv, sect. 30). The
sceptres were of a dark hard wood, probably ebony;
one was wavy in shape instead of straight. They
had both been covered with gold leaf, and this
had scaled away. Another plain stick which lay
with them is considered to have been part of the
heq or crook sceptre. The coffin also contained a
set of beads from a flail or scourge (pi. xxii, 8,
described sect. 51). Another such flail is repre-
sented in the hand of Sen-mera (pi. xxvii), who
was also a meti-en-sa priest. We know little of
what officials were entitled to carry it; but as a
sign of authority it was borne by the King, and it
is always represented among the insignia of Osiris.
In a recess on the east of the chamber was a
set of large wooden canopic heads, very much rotted.
23
all in one, and there taken apart for copying. A
hand-copy was all that it was possible to make,
whilst avoiding breathing too near the wood. The
closer texts required carefully adjusted top-lighting,
or electric hand-lamp, to decipher portions of them.
The other painted coffin, that of Sa-Uazet, was
in better condition, in parts of it; but as it stood
in the tomb, the copying was always at a difficult
angle, and work was hampered by constant falls of
loose blocks of rock from a rotten roof.
The chapel of Sen-mera was brightly painted
with scenes, on white-washed walls, perfectly pre-
served. In both these tombs, likewise, tracing was
impossible, and I could not use the folding of paper
to adjoin the original, or any of the other necessary
expedients to which draughtsmanship is reduced.
Careful hand-copying, to actual size, was all that
could be attempted. They had to be drawn in situ,
but the cemetery was only i| hour's ride from
Tarkhan, and alternate days' work at each place
sufficed to keep the drawing in progress in both
sites.
60. Tomb 22. Antef-Ameny. This tomb was
entered by a shaft, and had the two small chambers
which are usually found at this period. The south
chamber contained the complete outfit of a xiith-
dynasty burial (see sect. 16). The great wooden
coffin was well constructed of dowelled boards, with
concealed mitre jointing. It had the unusual con-
struction of greater thickness near the top edge,
and thinned away in the interior towards the
bottom. The outside of the coffin bore inscriptions
in vertical columns joined by a horizontal band ;
the hieroglyphics are large and boldly drawn, in
bright blue. The inner sides were covered with
long texts in smaller signs of cursive. This cursive
writing was very difficult to decipher, where the
black ink had nearly perished from the dark brown
boards. The massive lid, which weighed over a
hundredweight, bore one long line of inscription.
The ka figure which lay upon this coffin is figured
in pi. viii, I, and described in sect. 33.
61. Tomb 166. Sa-Uazet. This was the tomb
of a priest of the order of priesthood of the meti-en-sa,
Regulator of the Courses of the Priests. The tomb
had an oblong shaft, about twenty feet deep, from
which a small chamber opened at either end. See
plan, pi. xlviii.
The south chamber had nothing in it, except
four small wooden canopic heads, being the covers
of canopic jars which had been plundered out, or
had perished like other woodwork in these tombs.
No coffin remained.
The north chamber held its contents still intact.
A great outer wooden sarcophagus contained a box-
coffin within it, and this again contained the rotted
remains of the mummiform case with the burial.
The sarcophagus was finely painted inside with
representations of various objects, and it had the
whole inventory of the man's possessions for the
future world, his clothing, implements, and other
things, depicted in tiers round both the sides and
ends of the interior. All these objects were executed
in the bold and faultless outlining of the xiith
dynasty, a period which surpassed all others in fine
draughtsmanship.
The box-coffin was veneered, and painted with
inscriptions in yellow. It had not been rifled in the
plundering of the tomb.
The mummiform case, with wooden head-piece,
lay intact, though badly perished, and the body
remained within it. The body had a cartonnage
over the head and breast, and certain xiith-dynasty
objects of unknown use were found on this, for the
first time in position. The wig was represented by
ribbed lumps of pottery, stuck on to a blue and
gilt plaster back, and these lay in lines on the
cartonnage with gold-plated ribs between them.
We know these black lumpy unbored beads, ribbed
and convex, so commonly found loose with remains
of the xiith dynasty, but the use of them was hitherto
undemonstrated.
In tomb 304, some fragments of a box were
found with similar ornamentation. The man had
apparently died in old age. On the left side there
lay two long wooden sceptres of the zam and uas
forms (see pi. v, 2, and chap, iv, sect. 30). The
sceptres were of a dark hard wood, probably ebony;
one was wavy in shape instead of straight. They
had both been covered with gold leaf, and this
had scaled away. Another plain stick which lay
with them is considered to have been part of the
heq or crook sceptre. The coffin also contained a
set of beads from a flail or scourge (pi. xxii, 8,
described sect. 51). Another such flail is repre-
sented in the hand of Sen-mera (pi. xxvii), who
was also a meti-en-sa priest. We know little of
what officials were entitled to carry it; but as a
sign of authority it was borne by the King, and it
is always represented among the insignia of Osiris.
In a recess on the east of the chamber was a
set of large wooden canopic heads, very much rotted.