DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49516#0155
CHARACTERISTICS AND DATE OF THE EASTERN CEMETERY
103
3. THE DATES OF THE MINOR TUMULI AND OF THE INDEPENDENT GRAVES
Having fixed the order of the great tumuli and defined the characteristics of each with
all its subsidiary graves, it becomes possible by comparison to deduce the approximate date
of each of the other tumuli which offers any material for that purpose. The deplorable ex-
tent of the plundering is the only obstacle to obtaining a complete result. The factors which
have been used are the pottery, the form of the bed-inlays, the occurrence of mica orna-
ments, leather pot-nets, bone awls, and the details of the grave and burial. To these fac-
tors is to be added the evidence resulting from proximity, which becomes the sole factor in
the case of many graves.
The examination of the contents of the minor tumuli, as will be shown below, proves
that the second and third line lying north of K II, K III, K IV, K X, K XI, and the inde-
pendent graves on Plan VII, are contemporaneous with the earlier tumuli as far as K X,
while the tumuli and graves north of K XVI—XX are in general of the date of the tumuli
to the south of them. It is clear that the Egyptian Cemetery grew in general from the
southwest towards the east-north-east. This was the direction of the first line, and mani-
festly the smaller graves followed approximately the same direction. Thus the absolutely
empty graves on Plan VII, may be dated with confidence to a period before K XVI. The
graves farther east are certainly later than K X and with few exceptions later than K XVI.
(1) The minor tumuli, kv, kix, and kviii
The general trend of the cemetery bids us look to the southwest for the earliest of the
minor tumuli, and in this region tumulus K V immediately arrests the eye owing to its
size and manifest importance.
(a) Tumulus K V and its surroundings:
K V, fully described on pp. 489, 490, consists of an earth tumulus, ca. 39 m. in diameter,
with a single chamber having a floor area of 109 sq. m. The tumulus is thus between one-
fifth and one-sixth of the size of K III, while the floor area of the burial apartment is a little
jver one-half that of K III, and about one-fourth that of K IV. There were no subsidiary
graves. The position, about 130 meters north of K III and 65 meters N N E of KII, is by
inference the earliest site north of the first line, and by position K V should be later than
the main burial in K III and earlier than that in K IV. The owner, judging from the size
of the burial, was a high official, but not of the rank of the viceroys of K III and K IV.
The grave was practically empty, but in the debris and probably belonging to the tomb
were three pottery vessels, a number of potsherds, and a fine set of mica ornaments. The
B. P. jar, the B. P. rilled beaker, and W. S. R. painted vessels taken together, indicate
a date not later than KIV; the fine set of mica cap ornaments, a date not later than K X.
The fragments of the objects would place K V certainly earlier than K X, probably earlier
than KIV.
In the immediate neighborhood of K V are the small tumuli, K XLI and K XXIX on
the east, K LII and K XL1X on the west. On the east, K XLIX was absolutely empty;
but with a tumulus of 25 meters in diameter and a chamber of 146 sq. m. was clearly the
tomb of a well-to-do person. K LII lay southwest of K V and by analogy should have been
made before the larger grave. The tumulus was 16-17 m. in diameter and the chamber had
an area of 4.3 sq. m., about the size of the larger subsidiary graves in K III. The interior
103
3. THE DATES OF THE MINOR TUMULI AND OF THE INDEPENDENT GRAVES
Having fixed the order of the great tumuli and defined the characteristics of each with
all its subsidiary graves, it becomes possible by comparison to deduce the approximate date
of each of the other tumuli which offers any material for that purpose. The deplorable ex-
tent of the plundering is the only obstacle to obtaining a complete result. The factors which
have been used are the pottery, the form of the bed-inlays, the occurrence of mica orna-
ments, leather pot-nets, bone awls, and the details of the grave and burial. To these fac-
tors is to be added the evidence resulting from proximity, which becomes the sole factor in
the case of many graves.
The examination of the contents of the minor tumuli, as will be shown below, proves
that the second and third line lying north of K II, K III, K IV, K X, K XI, and the inde-
pendent graves on Plan VII, are contemporaneous with the earlier tumuli as far as K X,
while the tumuli and graves north of K XVI—XX are in general of the date of the tumuli
to the south of them. It is clear that the Egyptian Cemetery grew in general from the
southwest towards the east-north-east. This was the direction of the first line, and mani-
festly the smaller graves followed approximately the same direction. Thus the absolutely
empty graves on Plan VII, may be dated with confidence to a period before K XVI. The
graves farther east are certainly later than K X and with few exceptions later than K XVI.
(1) The minor tumuli, kv, kix, and kviii
The general trend of the cemetery bids us look to the southwest for the earliest of the
minor tumuli, and in this region tumulus K V immediately arrests the eye owing to its
size and manifest importance.
(a) Tumulus K V and its surroundings:
K V, fully described on pp. 489, 490, consists of an earth tumulus, ca. 39 m. in diameter,
with a single chamber having a floor area of 109 sq. m. The tumulus is thus between one-
fifth and one-sixth of the size of K III, while the floor area of the burial apartment is a little
jver one-half that of K III, and about one-fourth that of K IV. There were no subsidiary
graves. The position, about 130 meters north of K III and 65 meters N N E of KII, is by
inference the earliest site north of the first line, and by position K V should be later than
the main burial in K III and earlier than that in K IV. The owner, judging from the size
of the burial, was a high official, but not of the rank of the viceroys of K III and K IV.
The grave was practically empty, but in the debris and probably belonging to the tomb
were three pottery vessels, a number of potsherds, and a fine set of mica ornaments. The
B. P. jar, the B. P. rilled beaker, and W. S. R. painted vessels taken together, indicate
a date not later than KIV; the fine set of mica cap ornaments, a date not later than K X.
The fragments of the objects would place K V certainly earlier than K X, probably earlier
than KIV.
In the immediate neighborhood of K V are the small tumuli, K XLI and K XXIX on
the east, K LII and K XL1X on the west. On the east, K XLIX was absolutely empty;
but with a tumulus of 25 meters in diameter and a chamber of 146 sq. m. was clearly the
tomb of a well-to-do person. K LII lay southwest of K V and by analogy should have been
made before the larger grave. The tumulus was 16-17 m. in diameter and the chamber had
an area of 4.3 sq. m., about the size of the larger subsidiary graves in K III. The interior