DOI Heft:
Nr. 3-4
DOI Artikel:Gourlay, J. A.; Newberry, Percy E.: Mentu-Em-Hat
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12427#0203
MENTU-EM-HAT
BY
MlS'S J. A. GOURLAY AND PERCY E. NEWBERRY
I
The statues published in this article were found in 1896-1897 during an excavation
which was carried on at thé temple of Mut at Karnak. In 1895 the Department of Anti-
quities had granted permission to Miss Benson to excavate the temple, and during the
seasons of 1896 and 1897 I was working with lier.
The temple is in a very ruinous condition, and such walls as remain were, beforc
excavation, almost entirely concealed by sandheaps. It is surrounded on three sides
(east/south and west) by a lake shaped like à horse-shôe. From the eclge of the water
a bank of earth sloped steeply up to the top of the ruinecl outer walls. On the south face
of the temple wo eut this mouncl of earth vertically down, and exposeci a burnt brick
wall of late date. It was buttressecl by four badly built piers of re-worked stones, one
of which bore the name of Thothmes III.
This brick Avall ran right round the temple at a distance of about 30 feet from the
outer stone wall, interrupted only on the south side by a small Ptolemaic shrine which
jutted from the main building. Part of this work on the southern slope was clone in 1896,
and in the eastern half of the brick wall then uncovered we found a pièce of a black
granité statue : it had been built in among the bricks as material for the wall, and
was only gt)t out by breaking them up, for the mass was closely cemented. This statue
proved to be the upper portion of a squatting figure, worked Avith three horizontal
lines of hieroglyphs, and with the lower part of the wig and beard-case yet remaining.
In 1897 the lower half of this same statue was founcl just at the juncture of the
brick wall and the south-east pier, where it had served as one of the blocks used in
building the pier. The two parts were taken to the Gizeh Muséum and there put to-
gether.
Wedgecl also among the stones of the same pier we founcl the remarkable head
shown in the same Plate.
Whether the destruction of thèse,, and the many other statues found, and the utter
wreck of the temple itself is due to the fanaticism of early Christians, or to the blincl
fury of the Persian invasion is a question which cannot be entered upon here. Itbelongs
to the history of the temple.
The first of thèse two statues bears the name ancl titles of the well known go-
vernor of Thebes, in the rcign of Taharqa, Mentuemhat. The few broken lines which
remain at the back of the second statue contain no name, but fortunately the titles of
the subject are preserved. Thèse last are co-inciclent with those on the first statue, and
both include the rare title of 4"' priest of Amen, both statues belong to the Saïte period
and are similar in workmanship. Thèse facts make it practically certain, as Mr. Percy
BY
MlS'S J. A. GOURLAY AND PERCY E. NEWBERRY
I
The statues published in this article were found in 1896-1897 during an excavation
which was carried on at thé temple of Mut at Karnak. In 1895 the Department of Anti-
quities had granted permission to Miss Benson to excavate the temple, and during the
seasons of 1896 and 1897 I was working with lier.
The temple is in a very ruinous condition, and such walls as remain were, beforc
excavation, almost entirely concealed by sandheaps. It is surrounded on three sides
(east/south and west) by a lake shaped like à horse-shôe. From the eclge of the water
a bank of earth sloped steeply up to the top of the ruinecl outer walls. On the south face
of the temple wo eut this mouncl of earth vertically down, and exposeci a burnt brick
wall of late date. It was buttressecl by four badly built piers of re-worked stones, one
of which bore the name of Thothmes III.
This brick Avall ran right round the temple at a distance of about 30 feet from the
outer stone wall, interrupted only on the south side by a small Ptolemaic shrine which
jutted from the main building. Part of this work on the southern slope was clone in 1896,
and in the eastern half of the brick wall then uncovered we found a pièce of a black
granité statue : it had been built in among the bricks as material for the wall, and
was only gt)t out by breaking them up, for the mass was closely cemented. This statue
proved to be the upper portion of a squatting figure, worked Avith three horizontal
lines of hieroglyphs, and with the lower part of the wig and beard-case yet remaining.
In 1897 the lower half of this same statue was founcl just at the juncture of the
brick wall and the south-east pier, where it had served as one of the blocks used in
building the pier. The two parts were taken to the Gizeh Muséum and there put to-
gether.
Wedgecl also among the stones of the same pier we founcl the remarkable head
shown in the same Plate.
Whether the destruction of thèse,, and the many other statues found, and the utter
wreck of the temple itself is due to the fanaticism of early Christians, or to the blincl
fury of the Persian invasion is a question which cannot be entered upon here. Itbelongs
to the history of the temple.
The first of thèse two statues bears the name ancl titles of the well known go-
vernor of Thebes, in the rcign of Taharqa, Mentuemhat. The few broken lines which
remain at the back of the second statue contain no name, but fortunately the titles of
the subject are preserved. Thèse last are co-inciclent with those on the first statue, and
both include the rare title of 4"' priest of Amen, both statues belong to the Saïte period
and are similar in workmanship. Thèse facts make it practically certain, as Mr. Percy