DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28687#0014
2
THE TOMBS OF THE OLD KINGDOM
CHAPTER II
THE TOMBS OF THE OLD KINGDOM.
4. The tombs of the first to third dynasties were
singularly bare of pottery, but some twenty-eight
tombs contained stone vases, which are drawn on
plates ii to v, and which serve to date them. Those
of which details were recorded are entered in the
register pi. xxxvi. The tomb 315 is remarkable for
the objects in it. The vases, pi. iii, 34 to 40, are
distinctly of the latter half of the first dynasty, or,
more precisely, of the reign of Den. The entrance
was regularly bricked up, the body was undisturbed
in position, partly contracted (the hips at right
angles, and the knees rather sharper); there was
no trace of a secondary interment. The head had
rolled over, and under it was the copper fillet
and tie (xxii, 2), copper armlets were on the
arms (U. C., xxii, 1), and the mirror (xxii, 3) was
placed by the feet, with the tang of it beneath
the bones. A difficulty arises, as no mirror of metal
is known before the Vlth dynasty, and none of that
pear-shaped form with the narrow tang before the
XVIIIth dynasty. The head-fillet is more like work
of the Xlth dynasty or later. Even if we invented
a secondary interment (of which there is no trace
of evidence) the difficulty would remain in the body
being more contracted than is ever known after
the Vth dynasty, and the bricks of the blocking,
10X5X3 inches, being the size used in the first
dynasty—too small for any later period. The only
hypothesis to explain this would be to assume
that the pear-shaped mirror was used in Syria or
elsewhere long before it was customary in Egypt,
just as glass was in early use; and that this
specimen was an imported product. The shaft was
N. 3g, E. 54, 264 inches deep, with a chamber
on the south side, N. 63, E. 72, 44 inches high
(Alabaster vases, Sydney).
5. The greater part of the earliest tombs are of
the second dynasty, marked by the use of stone
tables, and usually with long stairways descending
to the chamber. The most complete series, from
tomb 560, is drawn on pi. ii, photographed on
pi. i, 2 to 17, and shown in undisturbed position
on pi. i, 1. The recess at the right hand contained
the body, lying contracted on a wooden tray, the
feet were toward the vases (plan lxxxi, 4, 7). The
condition of the copper bowls was astonishing,
most of the surface being merely blackened by
age, and ringing when struck, like new metal.
The surface fully showed its original polish. The
forms of the vases 12 and i3 (pi. ii) made in two
pieces, the deep waist of the cylinder jar 11, and
the tables 14 and 15, all mark this group as being
of the second dynasty. The entrance was by a long
stairway from the north, opening directly into the
chamber, with the vases at the south end. The
group is at Philadelphia.
Another fine group was in tomb 314. The copper
ewer 24 (pi. iii), bowl 25, tables, cylinder jars,
alabaster and porphyry bowls (26—33) were on a
wooden tray, placed before the recess in which
the skeleton lay. The forms of the cylinders might
well be of the time of Den, but the tables and ewer
seem later. The erased royal name on 3i suggests
that the cylinders were older royal furniture when
buried here. Unfortunately the copper bowl was so
completely rusted that it broke into chips by the
mere vibration of travelling.
Probably the latest of the Old Kingdom stone
work is the form v, 72, 76, from cemeteries P
and W. Diorite does not seem to have been used
before late in the Illrd dynasty (Gizeh and Rifeh,
viD, 132, viE, 145); and the form of curved lip is
of about the same age, or later.
The group 87 to 94 (pi. v) is of the XVIIIth
dynasty, described further on.
6. There does not seem to have been any activity
in the district in the IVth and Vth dynasties, but
some large tombs belong to the Vlth.
The most important tomb was that of Ra-mery-
ha-shetef, dated to the middle of the Vlth dynasty
by the name. In the northern face of a low
hill (cemetery A) a courtyard was cut, with a
subterranean chamber at the back of it, which
contained three plain coffins with bodies of women
(lxxxi, 9). In the east corner of the open court a
square shaft descended about forty feet to the
burial chamber. Though quite undisturbed, there
was nothing there beyond the skeleton in an in-
scribed coffin (xii), and an alabaster head-rest (xi).
At about ten feet down in the filling of the shaft,
against the south side, facing north, were three
ebony statuettes of the same man at different ages,
a rough statuette of a woman, and three groups of
servant models. The whole deposit is in pi. xi, 3;
the separate figures in plates vii to x.
The three figures of men evidently represent
three different ages and conditions of the deceased.
They were done by different sculptors, and there-
fore perhaps were each contemporary with the
THE TOMBS OF THE OLD KINGDOM
CHAPTER II
THE TOMBS OF THE OLD KINGDOM.
4. The tombs of the first to third dynasties were
singularly bare of pottery, but some twenty-eight
tombs contained stone vases, which are drawn on
plates ii to v, and which serve to date them. Those
of which details were recorded are entered in the
register pi. xxxvi. The tomb 315 is remarkable for
the objects in it. The vases, pi. iii, 34 to 40, are
distinctly of the latter half of the first dynasty, or,
more precisely, of the reign of Den. The entrance
was regularly bricked up, the body was undisturbed
in position, partly contracted (the hips at right
angles, and the knees rather sharper); there was
no trace of a secondary interment. The head had
rolled over, and under it was the copper fillet
and tie (xxii, 2), copper armlets were on the
arms (U. C., xxii, 1), and the mirror (xxii, 3) was
placed by the feet, with the tang of it beneath
the bones. A difficulty arises, as no mirror of metal
is known before the Vlth dynasty, and none of that
pear-shaped form with the narrow tang before the
XVIIIth dynasty. The head-fillet is more like work
of the Xlth dynasty or later. Even if we invented
a secondary interment (of which there is no trace
of evidence) the difficulty would remain in the body
being more contracted than is ever known after
the Vth dynasty, and the bricks of the blocking,
10X5X3 inches, being the size used in the first
dynasty—too small for any later period. The only
hypothesis to explain this would be to assume
that the pear-shaped mirror was used in Syria or
elsewhere long before it was customary in Egypt,
just as glass was in early use; and that this
specimen was an imported product. The shaft was
N. 3g, E. 54, 264 inches deep, with a chamber
on the south side, N. 63, E. 72, 44 inches high
(Alabaster vases, Sydney).
5. The greater part of the earliest tombs are of
the second dynasty, marked by the use of stone
tables, and usually with long stairways descending
to the chamber. The most complete series, from
tomb 560, is drawn on pi. ii, photographed on
pi. i, 2 to 17, and shown in undisturbed position
on pi. i, 1. The recess at the right hand contained
the body, lying contracted on a wooden tray, the
feet were toward the vases (plan lxxxi, 4, 7). The
condition of the copper bowls was astonishing,
most of the surface being merely blackened by
age, and ringing when struck, like new metal.
The surface fully showed its original polish. The
forms of the vases 12 and i3 (pi. ii) made in two
pieces, the deep waist of the cylinder jar 11, and
the tables 14 and 15, all mark this group as being
of the second dynasty. The entrance was by a long
stairway from the north, opening directly into the
chamber, with the vases at the south end. The
group is at Philadelphia.
Another fine group was in tomb 314. The copper
ewer 24 (pi. iii), bowl 25, tables, cylinder jars,
alabaster and porphyry bowls (26—33) were on a
wooden tray, placed before the recess in which
the skeleton lay. The forms of the cylinders might
well be of the time of Den, but the tables and ewer
seem later. The erased royal name on 3i suggests
that the cylinders were older royal furniture when
buried here. Unfortunately the copper bowl was so
completely rusted that it broke into chips by the
mere vibration of travelling.
Probably the latest of the Old Kingdom stone
work is the form v, 72, 76, from cemeteries P
and W. Diorite does not seem to have been used
before late in the Illrd dynasty (Gizeh and Rifeh,
viD, 132, viE, 145); and the form of curved lip is
of about the same age, or later.
The group 87 to 94 (pi. v) is of the XVIIIth
dynasty, described further on.
6. There does not seem to have been any activity
in the district in the IVth and Vth dynasties, but
some large tombs belong to the Vlth.
The most important tomb was that of Ra-mery-
ha-shetef, dated to the middle of the Vlth dynasty
by the name. In the northern face of a low
hill (cemetery A) a courtyard was cut, with a
subterranean chamber at the back of it, which
contained three plain coffins with bodies of women
(lxxxi, 9). In the east corner of the open court a
square shaft descended about forty feet to the
burial chamber. Though quite undisturbed, there
was nothing there beyond the skeleton in an in-
scribed coffin (xii), and an alabaster head-rest (xi).
At about ten feet down in the filling of the shaft,
against the south side, facing north, were three
ebony statuettes of the same man at different ages,
a rough statuette of a woman, and three groups of
servant models. The whole deposit is in pi. xi, 3;
the separate figures in plates vii to x.
The three figures of men evidently represent
three different ages and conditions of the deceased.
They were done by different sculptors, and there-
fore perhaps were each contemporary with the