The Temple of the Kings: At Abydos (Sety I.) 9781463228125

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The Temple of the Kings

Analecta Gorgiana

594 Series Editor George Anton Kiraz

Analecta Gorgiana is a collection of long essays and short monographs which are consistently cited by modern scholars but previously difficult to find because of their original appearance in obscure publications. Carefully selected by a team of scholars based on their relevance to modern scholarship, these essays can now be fully utilized by scholars and proudly owned by libraries.

The Temple of the Kings

At Abydos (Sety I.)

By

Algernon Saint George Caulfeild In Collaboration With

Contribution by

H. Lawrence Christie W. M. Flinders Petrie

Gorgias Press LLC, 954 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA www.gorgiaspress.com G&C Kiraz is an imprint of Gorgias Press LLC Copyright © 2012 by Gorgias Press LLC Originally published in 1903 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC. 2012

ISBN 978-1-61719-486-3

ISSN 1935-6854

Reprinted from the 1903 London edition.

Printed in the United States of America

CONT ENTS.

INTRODUCTION.

SECT.

SECT.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

PAGE

Publication of the Temple Requirements of the Temple . . T h e Temenos . . . . . Purpose of the Temple . . . Absence of axial door . . . Connection of temple arid temenos . CHAPTER

. . . . .

i I 1 2 2 2

I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Character of the plans . . The foundations . . . Tempi«; plan askew . . . T h e outer courts . . . T h e first hypostyle hall . . T h e second hypostyle hall. Chambers south of hall . . T h e chapels . . . . T h e western halls . . . T h e western chambers . . T h e corridor and stairway. . T h e hall of the barques . . South-east court and chambers . Levels of temple and desert . Main section of temple . . Section of lesser parts . . Utility of the stairways . .

.

. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

2 3 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 9 . 1 0 . 1 0

24. 25. 26. 27.

PAGE

Construction of walls . T h e columns . . . T h e tying of the walls, etc. T h e steps and roof . . CHAPTER THE

28. 29. 30. 31.

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1

. . . .

. . . .

. 1 1 . 1 2 . 1 3 13

II.

TEMENOS.

Extent of temenos . T h e desert pylon . T h e subterranean passage List of dimensions .

. . . .

CHAPTER

III.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES, by W . M. F. PETRIE. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

Purpose of the temple . Original plan T h e sacred barques . . T h e shrines . . . T h e views . . . T h e standards . . . Emblems and ornaments . Nome standards . Chamber of the barques . Paintings . . . Shrine of Un-nefer . . Cubits in temple . .

. .

. .

. . .

. . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . , . .

13 14 14 . 1 6 . 1 6 16 - 1 7 17 . 1 8 . 1 8 . 1 9 - 1 9

îv

CONTENTS.

LIST OF PLATES.

First hypostyle hall to chapel of Isis. Shrine of Osiris. Barque of Osiris. Barque of Amen. Barque of Harakhti Barque of mummied hawk. Shrine of mummied hawk. Shrine of hawk. Shrine of Shenty. Pylon base ; front of seven chapels ; western hall. XI. Hypostyle hall ; chamber of barques. XII. Dad emblem ; sacred head. XIII. Ibis standard. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X.

XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI.

Standards of gods. Religious emblems. Clothing and ornaments. Vases, hieroglyphs, etc. Nome standards. Inscription of barques. Paintings on walls. Shrine of Un-nefer. Shrine of Un-nefer. Plan of Temenos. Plan and sections of Temple. Skew plan ; roof; original design. Plan with dimensions.

INTRODUCTION. 1. T h e temple of S e t y I at A b y d o s was cleared in most parts b y Mariette in 1863. H e published a large part of the inscriptions, but did not concern himself so much with the archaeological or architectural peculiarities, Some portions of the temple that were uninscribed, and therefore from his point of view uninteresting, he left almost untouched. Subsequent digging has only revealed one inscription (in the chamber of the Barques) that he did not notice, although he knew of the existence of the stone bench round which the inscription was cut. These chapters are intended to supplement Mariette's work by giving, more or less accurately, the architectural details, and the results of excavations outside the temple, which disclosed the temenos wall, or boundary of the sacred enclosure. 2. T h e temple is irregular in shape. Mariette says that this is due to the rock formation which had to be cut into to lay the foundations, and that to avoid excessive labour, the builders altered the original plans. T h e nearest rock is at least a mile and a half away, and the foundations of the temple simply follow the outline of the desert surface. N o excavating for foundations was attempted. S e t y I wanted a temple with a priests' dwellinghouse and store-rooms attached to it. T h e temple required large halls and a high roof; the priests only required rooms big enough to live in, and the conventional theory of sacred building required the sanctuary to be on a higher level than the entrance. Here then was a place fitted b y nature to fulfil these three conditions. T h e natural slope of the desert surface beneath one horizontal roof was fit for (1) a temple whose floor was to rise from front to b a c k ; for (2) high courts and halls for an entrance and approach to the sanctuary; and (3) a convenient hill on which smaller halls for sacristies and offices

could be built, adjoining the main temple and still under the same roof, without having to make an unsightly break in the line of the roof. Instead of the temple being altered to suit the position, I should say that the position was specially selected to suit the necessities of the design, and particularly the purpose for which the temple was built. 3. T o the westward of the temple is the desert pylon in the temenos wall. A mile and a half further to the westward are the royal tombs of the 1st dynasty. A t first sight the whole temple and enclosure seem hopelessly unsymmetrical; none of the walls are parallel, none of the angles are right angles. T h e desert pylon is not in the middle of the temenos wall, and there seems to be no correspondence between the pylon and the temple. N o w the temple itself is practically hidden b y the mounds of rubbish thrown out from it by Mariette's excavations; so that the surveying of the general plan meant establishing sighting points on the top of these rubbish mounds, and setting out the relative position of walls and temple b y a somewhat complicated system of cross-bearings. For instance, the desert pylon is invisible except from the highest point of the temple r o o f ; and from the N . W . corner of the temenos the only part of the temple that is visible is part of the roof about 10 metres back from the N.W. corner of the outer c o u r t ; so while I was drawing the plans I failed to see any symmetry at all in the arrangement. However, when Plan No. 1 was finished I showed it to Mr. Petrie, remarking sadly on the painful lack of symmetry. Mr. Petrie looked at it for a b i t ; suddenly he seized a piece of string, stretched it across m y drawing, and behold the string passed through the desert pylon, the centre door of chapels, the centre door of the main court, the main east door and the courtyard pylon gate. T h u s the axis of the main temple produced to the W . passed B

2

THE TEMPLE OF THE KINGS. by

the desert pylon, w h i c h is m a r k e d with dotted lines ;

h a n g i n g p l u m b - b o b s from the centres of t h e t e m p l e

there w a s no trace of a n y wall to be found here, but

doors, and s i g h t i n g a l o n g them from the centre of the

it seems the most rational reconstruction, considering

p y l o n g a t e t o a m a r k on t h e N. rubbish h e a p ; a hole

the shape of t h e outside standing walls, w h i c h are

in the c h a p e l wall enabled a thorough sight to b e g o t

m a r k e d solid black.

from the rubbish h e a p m a r k to t h e p y l o n m a r k and

main b l o c k of the t e m p l e w a s the original design, and

t h e t e m p l e roof.

t h r o u g h the

desert

pylon.

This was

tested

T h i s seems to indicate t h a t t h e

T h e s e sights were c a r e f u l l y carried

t h a t t h e southern portions were a later addition ; b u t

on till the t e m p l e a x i s w a s m a r k e d out on the roof

there is n o evidence t h a t the southern part w a s built

itself, and the m a r k s then pointed t o a spot a little t o

at a later date, the w a l l s are all properly b o n d e d at

t h e right of t h e centre of the desert p y l o n ; and a

the joints, and the design is continuous.

mile and

a half to the

westward

the a x i s of

the

It is in fact an a n n e x t o the main temple, as is

t e m p l e produced passed over the offering m o u n d j u s t

shown b y

to t h e south of the royal t o m b s o f the 1st d y n a s t y .

assembling of t h e sacred b a r q u e s " is in this a n n e x ,

W e found traces o f a sunk c a u s e w a y leading in this

and that the passages and staircases are s o arranged

direction, just outside the desert pylon, but failed t o

that the priests could enter or leave their own living

the

fact t h a t

the v e s t r y or

" place

of

find a n y traces o f it further out in the d e s e r t ; so it

rooms without g o i n g into the main t e m p l e .

was possibly o n l y an approach t o the g a t e w a y .

processions could be arranged in the a n n e x , marched

Also

t h r o u g h the temple, and o u t and b a c k t o t h e a n n e x 4. H e r e then is another reason for building the

b y another route.

t e m p l e in such a position, n a m e l y , ancestor worship, in one of t h e t e m p l e

passages is a list of all t h e

CHAPTER I.

kings, a n d o u t in t h e desert are t h e t o m b s of s o m e of them. that

A s a mark of respect the t e m p l e w a s built so those w h o

were

celebrating

commemorative

services in t h e s a n c t u a r y should face the t o m b s of the early kings. T h e idea of worshipping an invisible power in a astrian l o o k e d — a s the Parsee

T h e Zoro-

l o o k s — t o the rising

sun, the M u h a m m e d a n turns his face to M e c c a , the Christian

7. I should like t o h a v e it t h o r o u g h l y understood t h a t I a m not an E g y p t o l o g i s t ; I am m e r e l y a rolling

definite form or position is no new one.

western

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE.

faces

the east or Jerusalem

(I

stone, w h o spent s o m e m o n t h s t u r n i n g over sand and d r a g g i n g a surveyor's chain in the neighbourhood o f Abydos.

I do

not g u a r a n t e e

the accuracy of m y

observations, or the a c c u r a c y o f m y drawings. Firstly, as to t h e measurements themselves.

The

refrain from solar m y t h discussions), and t h e

XlXth

w a l l s of an E g y p t i a n t e m p l e are not perpendicular,

dynasty

to

they

Egyptian

king

turned

his

face

his

are not straight, t h e y

are not

parallel, their

ancestors' t o m b s as t h e most obvious revelation of

corners are not r e c t a n g u l a r ; time, tourists, and natives

the O n e U n k n o w n .

h a v e d a m a g e d t h e m considerably, walls have bulged, foundations have sunk, surfaces have chipped.

5. T h e o n l y objection to this funerary chapel idea

The

measurements g i v e n in these plans are as a rule t h e

is t h a t there is no door or passage in the line of a x i s

floor

leading through t h e main west wall.

or roof beams b l o c k t h e floor, and a line can only be

any sign of such intention.

Neither is there

T h e o n l y passage leading

out t o the westward from the t e m p l e is the

com-

measurements.

In s o m e cases fallen columns,

taken, say, 6 feet higher than the floor; and the wall at t h a t height m a y have b u l g e d

inward, or be

so

paratively narrow one with the staircase l e a d i n g from

m u c h flaked, that it is impossible to s a y w h e r e the

the corridor of the kings, in which is the great r o y a l

original surface was.

list.

from a corner, the corner is an i m a g i n a r y spot, t h e

B u t there seems no reasonable d o u b t t h a t the

I n measurements taken t o or

t e m p l e w a s used for c o m m e m o r a t i v e services o f the

actual corner being

early kings.

battered piece of stone.

a rounded, chipped, worn a n d 1 m a y safely s a y t h a t m y

measurements are correct within a limit o f 5 centi6. A s against the theory of the situation

being

metres more or less than

the g i v e n

figures.

The

chosen t o fit the temple, it m a y b e said that the

measurements were m o s t l y t a k e n w i t h a 20 metre

w i d t h o f the main t e m p l e nearly corresponds t o t h e

steel chain.

probable w i d t h inside t h e p r o j e c t i n g wall

tinuous readings were t a k e n a l o n g an a x i s f r o m s o m e

flanking

In all cases w h e r e it w a s possible, con-

2

THE TEMPLE OF THE KINGS. by

the desert pylon, w h i c h is m a r k e d with dotted lines ;

h a n g i n g p l u m b - b o b s from the centres of t h e t e m p l e

there w a s no trace of a n y wall to be found here, but

doors, and s i g h t i n g a l o n g them from the centre of the

it seems the most rational reconstruction, considering

p y l o n g a t e t o a m a r k on t h e N. rubbish h e a p ; a hole

the shape of t h e outside standing walls, w h i c h are

in the c h a p e l wall enabled a thorough sight to b e g o t

m a r k e d solid black.

from the rubbish h e a p m a r k to t h e p y l o n m a r k and

main b l o c k of the t e m p l e w a s the original design, and

t h e t e m p l e roof.

t h r o u g h the

desert

pylon.

This was

tested

T h i s seems to indicate t h a t t h e

T h e s e sights were c a r e f u l l y carried

t h a t t h e southern portions were a later addition ; b u t

on till the t e m p l e a x i s w a s m a r k e d out on the roof

there is n o evidence t h a t the southern part w a s built

itself, and the m a r k s then pointed t o a spot a little t o

at a later date, the w a l l s are all properly b o n d e d at

t h e right of t h e centre of the desert p y l o n ; and a

the joints, and the design is continuous.

mile and

a half to the

westward

the a x i s of

the

It is in fact an a n n e x t o the main temple, as is

t e m p l e produced passed over the offering m o u n d j u s t

shown b y

to t h e south of the royal t o m b s o f the 1st d y n a s t y .

assembling of t h e sacred b a r q u e s " is in this a n n e x ,

W e found traces o f a sunk c a u s e w a y leading in this

and that the passages and staircases are s o arranged

direction, just outside the desert pylon, but failed t o

that the priests could enter or leave their own living

the

fact t h a t

the v e s t r y or

" place

of

find a n y traces o f it further out in the d e s e r t ; so it

rooms without g o i n g into the main t e m p l e .

was possibly o n l y an approach t o the g a t e w a y .

processions could be arranged in the a n n e x , marched

Also

t h r o u g h the temple, and o u t and b a c k t o t h e a n n e x 4. H e r e then is another reason for building the

b y another route.

t e m p l e in such a position, n a m e l y , ancestor worship, in one of t h e t e m p l e

passages is a list of all t h e

CHAPTER I.

kings, a n d o u t in t h e desert are t h e t o m b s of s o m e of them. that

A s a mark of respect the t e m p l e w a s built so those w h o

were

celebrating

commemorative

services in t h e s a n c t u a r y should face the t o m b s of the early kings. T h e idea of worshipping an invisible power in a astrian l o o k e d — a s the Parsee

T h e Zoro-

l o o k s — t o the rising

sun, the M u h a m m e d a n turns his face to M e c c a , the Christian

7. I should like t o h a v e it t h o r o u g h l y understood t h a t I a m not an E g y p t o l o g i s t ; I am m e r e l y a rolling

definite form or position is no new one.

western

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE.

faces

the east or Jerusalem

(I

stone, w h o spent s o m e m o n t h s t u r n i n g over sand and d r a g g i n g a surveyor's chain in the neighbourhood o f Abydos.

I do

not g u a r a n t e e

the accuracy of m y

observations, or the a c c u r a c y o f m y drawings. Firstly, as to t h e measurements themselves.

The

refrain from solar m y t h discussions), and t h e

XlXth

w a l l s of an E g y p t i a n t e m p l e are not perpendicular,

dynasty

to

they

Egyptian

king

turned

his

face

his

are not straight, t h e y

are not

parallel, their

ancestors' t o m b s as t h e most obvious revelation of

corners are not r e c t a n g u l a r ; time, tourists, and natives

the O n e U n k n o w n .

h a v e d a m a g e d t h e m considerably, walls have bulged, foundations have sunk, surfaces have chipped.

5. T h e o n l y objection to this funerary chapel idea

The

measurements g i v e n in these plans are as a rule t h e

is t h a t there is no door or passage in the line of a x i s

floor

leading through t h e main west wall.

or roof beams b l o c k t h e floor, and a line can only be

any sign of such intention.

Neither is there

T h e o n l y passage leading

out t o the westward from the t e m p l e is the

com-

measurements.

In s o m e cases fallen columns,

taken, say, 6 feet higher than the floor; and the wall at t h a t height m a y have b u l g e d

inward, or be

so

paratively narrow one with the staircase l e a d i n g from

m u c h flaked, that it is impossible to s a y w h e r e the

the corridor of the kings, in which is the great r o y a l

original surface was.

list.

from a corner, the corner is an i m a g i n a r y spot, t h e

B u t there seems no reasonable d o u b t t h a t the

I n measurements taken t o or

t e m p l e w a s used for c o m m e m o r a t i v e services o f the

actual corner being

early kings.

battered piece of stone.

a rounded, chipped, worn a n d 1 m a y safely s a y t h a t m y

measurements are correct within a limit o f 5 centi6. A s against the theory of the situation

being

metres more or less than

the g i v e n

figures.

The

chosen t o fit the temple, it m a y b e said that the

measurements were m o s t l y t a k e n w i t h a 20 metre

w i d t h o f the main t e m p l e nearly corresponds t o t h e

steel chain.

probable w i d t h inside t h e p r o j e c t i n g wall

tinuous readings were t a k e n a l o n g an a x i s f r o m s o m e

flanking

In all cases w h e r e it w a s possible, con-

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE.

fixed point T h e angles of the walls were ascertained b y fixing poles at a definite distance from the inner surface of the wall, where best obtainable. T h e lines were drawn on a plane table b y means of a sighting rule. T h e levels are approximately accurate; I think they may be depended on to within 10 centimetres more or les s on either side of the given figures. With regard to using the plans, the regular workshop rule should be followed: " never accept any dimension unless it is plainly figured." A s stated in describing the Temenos, I suppose that when the reader is standing looking into the temple at the main doorway, the W. wall is facing him, the N. and S. walls being to his right and left. 8. T o begin with the foundations. T h e desert surface slopes from S.W. to N.E. If you hold up this book so that its left-hand top corner is higher than its right-hand top corner, and both top corners are on a higher level than its bottom corners—in fact if a pool of ink will run from top left to bottom right, then you will get an idea of the surface of the desert. T h e floors of the chambers at the S.W. end of the temple are 5*75 metres (17^ feet) higher than the N.E. corner of the first courtyard. The foundations themselves are nothing more than the untrimmed walls " floating" on the top of the sand. A s the walls are very broad in comparison with their height, there was enough bearing surface to support the superstructure without any special foundations. The temple was well above the inundation, and rain is, and was, uncommon; so subsidence owing to marshy subsoil was not a factor of great importance at Abydos. There is only one place where any water would accumulate, near the N.W. corner, and from this spot water would tend to run to the eastward along the axis of the temple; it is down this axis that the greatest irregularities in the floor are observable, though 1 need hardly remark that the floor is not a mathematical plane anywhere. T h e blocks of limestone of which this floor is composed are from 10 to 20 centimetres (4 to 8 inches) thick, and are roughly rectangular; but where the floor approaches a column or a wall, in fact wherevei the floor had to be built round any object that was already in position on the sand below, that floor was just made up of any odd bits of stone that came handy to fill up the space required. 9. T h e temple itself, like the Temenos, is not

3

really square. T h e original design was probably square, but the laying out of the main walls does not seem to have been very accurate. T h e outside walls were probably laid out a trifle off the square, and then the inside walls put in to fit the outside ones; the result is that the whole building is a trifle askew. If you took an oblong wooden frame jointed at its corners, and squeezed it, so as to push the top left hand corner towards the bottom right hand corner, you would see approximately what has happened to the plan of the Temple of Sety. T h e whole building has been skewed sideways; the diagonals from S.W. to N . E . are all shorter than the diagonals from N.W. to S . E . A l l angles at the S . E . and N.W. corners of courts or chambers are smaller than a right angle, all the angles at S.W. and N . E . corners are larger than right angles. The difference is not so enormous as to have been intentional, but it is a very perceptible difference. PL. X X V shows what has happened, the irregularity being very much exaggerated. PL. X X V I is drawn correctly ; and in this the difference is hardly perceptible to the eye, though actual measurement will show that the diagonals and angles are nowhere regular. F o r instance, taking the two main columned courts and the chapels as one block, the diagonal from top left to bottom right is 66*40 metres, while the diagonal from top right to bottom left is 67 • 28. In the central chapel the diagonals are 1 1 • 94 and 1 2 metres; in the next chapel to the left the diagonals are 1 1 '95 and 1 2 * 5 . In the last chapel to the right the diagonals are 1 1 * 8 5 and 1 1 * 9 5 . In the western court the diagonals are 23*05 and 23*50, and s o o n all through. A glance at PL. X X V will show the construction far better than pages of print. T h e N. and S. walls of the temple are not parallel, they slope in towards the E . T h e actual angles at the corners a r e : — N.E. corner S.W. „ S.E. N.W. X O „

. .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

go0 34' . 9 0 ° 16' 89o 35' 89o 35' 89o o' 90o 20'

I do not guarantee these figures, as every measurement must be rather on the give and take principle ; they merely show that the temple is neither square nor symmetrically crooked. io. THE OUTER COURTS. — T h e temple was approached through two courtyards. T h e most easterly one of the two is now buried beneath the B 2

4

THE TEMPLE OF THE

village of A r a b a h ; the one next the temple is now clear and visible. There is nothing left of the massive pylon that divided the two courts except the foundations. T h e court from wall to wall, N. to S., is 5 2 * 1 0 m. across the pylon, and 51*90 across the temple front; and from pylon to temple 42 • 50. The diagonals are, from top left to bottom right 66*75 m., and from top right to bottom left 67* 10. The side walls of the court draw together towards the W., whereas the sides of the temple draw together the other way, tending to meet to the E., giving the plan a somewhat wasp-waisted appearance, the waist being at E . wall of the temple. The whole courtyard very nearly corresponds in size to the main part of the temple, including the two columned courts and the chapels. These measurements are so close that one must believe the correspondence is intentional, the axis of the courtyard being 42*50 E . to W., and the axis inside of the columned courts and chapels being likewise 42*50 E. to W. It may be noticed here that the N. wall of the Hypostyle courts and chapels is not in a continuous line; the chapel wall stands 20 cm. back (or further to the N.) than the wall of the Hypostyle court; and the N. wall of the N.W. chamber of the temple stands back again 25 cm., so that the side of the corner chamber is 45 cm. back from the whole line of the N. wall from temple pylon to the hypostyle hall. The E . front of the temple is approached by an inclined plane of stone 5 metres wide, with two parallel series of shallow steps cut in it. This slope leads on to a terrace which is 1 metre above the courtyard level, and at the level of the first hypostyle hall: on it stand twelve square pillars, the average dimensions of which are 1 • 50 m. X I *35 m., standing on bases 2 * 1 5 m. x 2 • 10 m. and 1 metre high. These pillars probably supported a projection of the main roof, but no architraves or roof beams remain. The pillars are not built of solid blocks, some courses have three and some four separate blocks in each course: the bases stand 2 • 60 m. from the temple wall. They are arranged in two sets of six, on either side of the main doorway; but they are spaced without any regard to the position of the other doorways in the w a l l ; neither are they really square with the middle door, as the lefl hand column is nearer the axis of the door than the right hand one. The other pillars come sometimes in front of a door, sometimes opposite one •6f its corners. One can only imagine that the pillars were thought of, and built, after the big doors had been blocked up. The average interval between the

KINGS.

bases is I • 80. T h e interval opposite the doorway is 2*75. The pillar at the S. end is 2 * 1 5 from the side w a l l ; but the pillar at the N. end is 2*5 from its side wall. A t the S. end of the terrace is a door high up in the S. wall of the court; there were probably steps leading up to it off the terrace and courtyard, enabling anyone to get out of the court without going back through the pylon gate or through the temple. T h e E. main wall is 5 1 * 9 0 m. long and 3*65 m. thick, pierced by seven doorways ; the middle one is 3*65 m. wide, the other six are spaced more or less symmetrically, three on either side of the middle door; their average width is 2 - 5 0 m. and height 5*20 m. These doorways were afterwards built up, leaving only the next door to the N. of the main door completely open ; while a very small door 1 '40 wide was left in the blocking up of the N. door of all. T h e blocking of the door spaces is 2 • 20 thick, leaving a recess on the inner side 1*45 deep. T h e inner surface of the stones was left rough. T w o sorts of limestone have been used ; the main wall is grey limestone, but the filling is a lighter stone, and some of the top courses of the main wall on the S. side are of the same lighter stone. T h e doors were filled in before the large inscriptions and figures were cut on the outer walL T h e construction of the wall is peculiar, and will be noticed further on. 1 1 . T H E F I R S T HYPOSTYLE H A L L . — T h i s hall is

51*95 m. X r I *5 m., and is divided from the second hall by a wall 2*60 thick pierced by seven doorways, which correspond fairly closely with the position of the doors in the main E. wall. T h e measurements were obtained by laying the chain from the S . E . corner in each court, and reading off at each corner of each door consecutively; it can thus be seen clearly by the figures where the irregularities come. These doors in what we may call the middle wall are all larger than the doors in the E. wall, and their width is more variable. T h e middle one is the only exception ; this is 3*40 m. as against 3 "65 m. of the E . middle door. Of the six side doors in the E. wall the largest is 2*70 and the smallest 2 * 50 (measurements being taken across the widest part not between the door posts); but in the central wall the largest of the six side doors is 3*5 and the smallest is 2*55. Over each door is a cartouche, supported by uraei standing out from a cornice that runs the whole length of the wall. T h e roof is carried by twenty-four lotus-headed columns, 7*5 m. high, 4*40 m. in circumference at the swell of the shaft, standing on

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE. shallow bases that project from 25 to 30 cm. all round. T h e outline of these columns is perfectly plain ; there are no projecting ornaments. T h e y are not absolutely circular, as four flat stripes, each about 8 cm. wide, run down the length of each column, dividing its surface into four quadrants. Almost all the columns in the temple are divided in this w a y ; the photograph of the second H y p o s t y l e H a l l (PL. X I ) shows some of these stripes. The spacing of these columns is i n t e r e s t i n g ; t h e y are arranged in two parallel lines of twelve, at 4*40 m. apart, but are grouped in s i x blocks of four columns each, so as to leave a clear passage w a y leading to the doors between the several groups of columns. But the middle doors required a larger passage, so in groups 3 and 4, to right and left of the central passage, the columns are placed a little closer to each other, so as to provide for the larger a x i a l passage without encroaching on the space required for the side passages. T h e central passage is 4* 65 m. wide (measured from centre to centre of the columns on either s i d e ) ; the side passages are 4 - 2 0 m. wide, and, strange to say, are as nearly as possible equal to each other (centre to centre), including the two side passages that have the temple wall for one boundary, this last measurement being from the centre of the last column to the foot of the wall. 12. T H E SECOND HYPOSTYLE H A L L is 5 1 * 9 6 m. l o n g at the middle wall, 52 m. a t the eastern, or chapel wall, and 15*90 m. broad, it contains thirtysix columns arranged in three parallel lines of twelve, or s i x grou ps of s i x each. T h e spacing of the groups to allow for the passage-ways is the same as in the first court, but the distance between the parallel lines varies. T h e first line is 4 * 1 0 m. from the second line, and the second 3*95 ra. from the third or most western line. T h e western wall of the H a l l is pierced b y seven doorways leading to the seven chapels, as these two H y p o s t y l e halls with their s i x t y columns were but an approach to the sanctuary of the temple. A c c o r d i n g l y , w e find that the floor, which has been steadily sloping upwards from the outer gate, rises suddenly just before the third row of columns in the second hall, forming a broad terrace on which the third row of columns stands. T h e s e columns differ from all the others in the t w o halls, as instead of being lotus-headed they have plain cylindrical shafts. T h e y only resemble the others in their abaci, which are merely square corners left on the block out of which the top drum of the shaft w a s cut. T h e r e is

5

naturally (or E g y p t o l o g i c a l l y ) an exception t o this, and it m a y be seen in the right hand column of the H y p o s t y l e H a l l (see PL. X I ) , where the corners of the head h a v e been rounded off so as to leave only a small fiat on the front side, corresponding to the flat stripe down the columns. T h e vertical rise from floor to terrace is 55 cm. • Seven stone slopes lead from the ordinary temple floor u p to the more sacred chapel l e v e l ; these slopes carry on the regular p a s s a g e - w a y s between the columns, and point directly to the doorways of the seven chapels. T h e chapel terrace is 5*95 m. wide, and runs the full breadth of the temple, which is here 52 m. T h e W e s t wall is 2* 10 m. thick. T h e doors are arranged in the same w a y as the doors in the middle and E. walls, one large one in the middle, and s i x smaller ones to right and left. T h e middle one is 4*50 m. high, 2 • 60 m. wide between the door-po3ts, or 3 * 15 m. if measured across the door recesses, like the doors in middle and E. walls ; the other doorways v a r y between 2 * 1 5 m. and 2 • o m. wide between door-posts, but are about 50 cm. more across the recesses, and are all the same height, 4 * 5 0 m. In the same doorw a y one j a m b is often 10 cm. larger than the other. In each space between the doorways there is a niche in the wall, about 1*50 b y 1 - o and ' 7 5 m. deep, placed about 25 cm. from the ground, s i x niches altogether. T h e y m a y have contained small figures, but there is no evidence on the point. O v e r the centre of each door is an oval cartouche flanked by uraei. T h e s e uraei stand out from a simple moulded cornice, the same as in the middle wall. These mouldings occur only on the E. side of these t w o walls ; no other walls in the temple have them, and the W . side of these middle and chapel walls are perfectly flat 13. In the left-hand corner of the Hall, leading off the upper or chapel level, are t w o doors ; one v e r y small one leads to the corridor of the K i n g s , and the other, a large one, leads to a small hall ( A ) with three columns, and two small chambers leading off it. In later times the upper part of the southern wall was knocked down, leaving only three pieces of wall to carry the r o o f ; these pieces have been roughly chipped into a column form, but it is evident that originally the wall was solid. T h e r e are four niches in this wall, the same size as the niches in the H y p o style Hall. T h e Hall is 16*30 m. l o n g b y 8 - 2 0 m. w i d e ; the sides are fairly equal and parallel, but it is one of the least rectangular chambers in the temple.

6

T H E TEMPLE OF THE KINGS.

The three columns are 4-45 m. in circumference; the west and east columns are spaced 4*20 m. and 4-30 m. respectively from the middle one, and the middle one is 1 m. to the W. of the centre of the chamber. This was probably arranged to allow a clear passage-way from the entrance door, which is 2-50 m. across the door recesses. The doors were double, opening to the South. A t the west end of the chamber are two doorways. The left-hand door is 1-90 between doorposts, which project from buttresses built against the side walls, apparently to produce the impression that the door leads through a thick main wall at right angles to the axis ; the right-hand buttress or doorflank projects 60 cm. from the wall, and the doorpost 26 cm. from that. The left-hand buttress projects only 37 cm. from the wall, and its door-post is only a shallow projection of 3 cm. The right-hand door is 2*20 m. wide between the door-posts (which are again irregular), and has no door-flanks at all. I believe that the dividing wall between the chambers tapers from 1 • 50 m. at the doors to 1 * 30 m. where it meets the western main wall of the temple; but the roof here is intact, so I was unable to get at the top of the wall to measure it. The left-hand chamber (B) with the small thick door is 3*25 wide, and the right-hand chamber (C) with the wider shallow door is 2*54 wide. The curious arrangement of the doorposts has the effect of making the wider chamber io-6 m. long, as against 11*35 m - f ° r the length of the narrower chamber. The South and North walls of these chambers do not coincide with S. and N. walls of the main chamber. The right-hand wall of the small right-hand chamber C stands 75 c.m. to the Southward of the right wall of the main chamber A. The left-hand wall of the left chamber B stands 30 cm. to the Northward of the left wall of the main chamber. On the south side of these chambers is a long passage, but the dividing wall is 1 * 85 m. thick opposite the small chambers, and only 1*55 m. thick where it separates the main chamber from the passage. All these irregular dimensions are taken from the actual walls, not from the drawings. 14. THE CHAPELS.—We can now go back into the main Hypostyle Hall and notice the seven chapels. Counting from the left there are four with solid walls at the west end of them. They are all iO'6o m. long, but they vary in width from 4*90 m. to 5-40 m. The second chapel is 10 cm. narrower at the west end than at the east or door end. The diagonals

show the skewness very clearly. The third chapel from N.W. to S.E. is 12- 5 m., while from N.E. to S.W. it is only 11 '95 m., a difference of 55 cm. in a room 12*80 X 5 "40 m. The diagonal difference in the fourth chapel is only 6 cm. The dividing walls vary from 2*75 to 2 • 30 m. The position of the doorways is very eccentric, the amount of wall left between the corners of a doorway and the wall on either side differing as much as 25 cm. The fifth chapel has a symmetrically placed door; and has besides another door at the west end of it, which is also symmetrical. The sixth and seventh chapels are rather longer than the others ; they have solid walls at their west ends, and are 5.30 and 5 *o m. wide respectively. Professor Maspero in his Manual states that the Sanctuary was arranged with four chapels on one side of it and two on the othei, and had a door at each end of i t ; but as the whole arrangement of the columns is designed to make the axial passage wider than the others, and the middle door is the largest in the row, it seems natural to conclude that the axial chapel was also the most important, and that the side chapel with a door at each end was only a passage to the western court. The roofs of these chapels are all vaulted (see PL. XXTV). The top stone of the walls projected slightly from the wall on both sides ; across the chambers between these projecting stones were laid enormous sandstone blocks 7 m, long, I • 14 wide and 1.52 deep. The under side of these roof blocks was hollowed out and the curve continued on the projecting blocks on which they rested. These roof stones must have weighed a little over 26 tons each before being scooped out, and from 18 to 20 tons when finished. The chapels alone would have required nearly one hundred of them, and the only materials at hand for shifting these blocks were sand, fibre ropes and palm-tree levers. The old Egyptian was a marvel. When he wanted to carve a colossal statue, like the Rameses at the Ramesseum at Thebes, he brought a 200 ton block of granite from 300 miles away, and we don't know how he did i t ; so that 2ton blocks of sandstone must have been well within his day's work. 15. THE WEST HALL.—The passage through the fifth chapel leads into an oblong hall, 21 m. by 10* 10 m., containing ten columns placed in two lines. At the north end are three small chambers; at the south end a door that opens into a lesser square hall

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE.

7

each of them narrower than the corresponding chambers at the north end. The door of the righthand chamber L is a good deal to the west of the mid line of the chamber. A t the south end of these chambers is a wall 2* 10 m. thick dividing them from the two narrow chapels B C before described. A The twelve columns of 3n 10 m. circumference rest glance at the plan will show that the line of this wall on shallow bases, and the two lines are 4 m. apart. from the Hypostyle court to the west main wall is The columns stand opposite each other, but the not continuous, the western end of this wall having spaces between the couples along the axis vary from been placed more to the southward. The southern 3*65 m. to 3*40 m. The whole group of columns is face of it is 75 cm. out of line (as explained on placed nearer to the south end of the hall, so as to page 6), and the north face is 95 cm. out of line in allow a broad passage at the north end from the door the same direction, so that the western end of this out of the chapel. The north wall of this hall is wall is 20 cm. narrower than the eastern end. There 1 • 30 m. thick, and is pierced by three doors 1 '25 m. is no very obvious reason for the shifting of this wall, wide between the door-posts. These doors lead to as the narrow chapel on the S. side of the wall three small flat-roofed chambers 6*50 m. long; the might have been made almost symmetrical with its centre one is the narrowest, 2-50 m. wide, the others neighbour by carrying the wall on in a straight line. are 2'65 m. and 2*67 m. The larger south chapel, B, is 3*25 m. wide and the The wall between the two columned halls is smaller, C, 2 • 54 m. ; so that if the wall had not been 1 • 60 m. thick. The small hall is nearly square, displaced by 75 cm., the smaller chapel would have 9*70 m. X 10-10 m. The four columns are 3-10 m. been 3*29 m. wide, or practically symmetrical with in circumference, and placed in continuation of the its neighbour in the same group, and there would still same line as the columns in the large hall; but the have been left a wall 1 • 30 m. thick to divide the two space between the couples is larger than any space in sets of chambers and carry the roof beams. All the other hall, being 3*70 m. In this hall the whole these chambers, chapels, and walls, were lighted by group of columns ha^ been placed slightly nearer the funnel-shaped holes in the roof, the wide end of the north end of the chamber. The distances of column funnel being uppermost. centre to dividing wall are 2 "90 m. and 3 m. in the A t the N.W. corner of the temple is an incomsmall and large halls respectively. The dividing wall prehensible chamber; it had two stone floors, one on seems to be part of the original design, as the joints a level with the chapel floors, the other about 2-50 m. are carefully bonded in the main walls. In the N.E. higher, carried on two square pillars. The pillars corner of this hall is a curious niche in the wall, continued upwards from the higher floor and may seeming almost like a window ; and in one place have carried a roof; but if so, it must have been there seems to have been a narrow door. This higher than the chapel roofs, or have left very little window (if it be such) looks in at the N.W. corner of head room. There are no doors, no windows, and no the second chapel; and the apparent door is between steps. One can only imagine that there may have the window and the centrc stone of the chapel end. been an opening in the first floor (which is now partly The window or niche seems to have been part of the original design, as the wall carvings are continuous in broken), through which prisoners were dropped into the lower chamber; but how the upper chamber was i t ; but the end of the chapel is so much broken down approached, or what the whole contrivance was used that nothing can be said with certainty. for, there is no evidence to show, now that the top has been broken away. Mariette suggests the wells 16. On the south side of this hall are three small mentioned by Strabo: I suggest a dungeon; and it chambers, L M N, similar in position to the three may equally well have been a corn-bin or a treasury chambers P Q R at the north end of the big hall ; It was evidently arranged with some care, as it is but the wall between chambers and hall is much recessed 25 cm. into the west and north main walls of thicker, and the chambers shorter and more square. the temple. The upper chamber is io-6o m. long The middle chamber, M, is the largest, instead of and 6-40 m. wide. The upper stone floor is of limebeing the smallest, like Q at the N. end ; it is 2 '90 m. stone slabs about 20 cm. thick, carried on beams wide, the ones next to it are 2*47 m. and 2*58 m., running in a north and south direction, which are with four columns, along the south end of which are three more small chambers. The floors of the two columned halls are on the same levels, but the sill of the door between them is raised. Three shallow steps on either side lead up to it, though the total rise is only 12 cm.

8

THE TEMPLE OF THE KINGS.

supported at their middles b y the pillars, and let into

o f b e i n g the entrance t o underground mysteries, w a s

the walls on either side.

o n l y a convenient

chamber

are

left

The

stones of the lower

rough, the walls

of

the

upper

c h a m b e r are smooth.

rubbish pit.

T h e columns

3* 10 m . in circumference.

T h e y are spaced

metrically

w e s t direction, but

in an east and

are symare

15 cm. nearer the south than the north wall. 17. T h e corridor of the K i n g s (S), 2*62 m. wide, leads from the small door in t h e south end of the

19. T h e south-east court, 19*8 m. X 8*7 m., is

second h y p o s t y l e hall to t h e open court in the south

m a i n l y open to t h e s k y .

division of the temple.

covered in b y a portico carried on seven cylindrical

T h e passage rises g e n t l y till

O n three sides it is p a r t l y

within a few metres of the south doorway, and then

pillars, 3*20 m, in circumference.

slopes rapidly u p w a r d ; the total rise is 1 • 50 m.

The

usual unequal, v a r y i n g in t h e l o n g row of c o l u m n s

distance from the h y p o s t y l e court t o the open court

from 3*35 to 3 • 55 ; the whole g r o u p is displaced

is 2 7 - 7 5

T h e spacing is a s

50 cm. t o the southward o f its s y m m e t r i c a l position.

m-

A b o u t the middle of the passage, on the

right-

A short wall is built b e t w e e n the N . E . outside c o l u m n

hand side w h e n g o i n g up, are t w o doorways.

The

and the E . wall of the court, which prevents a n y view

first leads to the staircase passage T , 3*20 m. wide and 16*25

m-

l o n g : s i x steps lead up t o the door

at the end, and

then comes t h e staircase

proper,

leading up to a door in t h e W . main w a l l o f t h e

of the court from the corridor o f t h e K i n g s .

The

roof of t h e portico has a finely m o u l d e d e d g e (see PL. X X I V ) , and projects 90 cm. outside the c o l u m n s and 3*90 m. from the west wall.

In the east main

temple.

T h e sill of this door is 45 cm. above the

wall, which is 2 • 3 5 m. thick, is a g a t e 2 m. w i d e : it is,

desert.

The

for no apparent reason, placed 2 m. t o the northward

actual rise from the entrance in

corridor of the K i n g s to the outer door is 2*75 T h e s e levels will be e x p l a i n e d later.

the m.

T h e steps are

cut o u t of solid blocks of limestone, three or four in one b l o c k ; and a s m o o t h strip is left on either side o f the steps to slide h e a v y o b j e c t s u p or down.

The

of the centre o f the wall.

[ d u g into the rubbish

heap outside the gate, but could find no trace of a n y buildings or road l e a d i n g t o i h e gate. T h e wall d i v i d i n g the court from the w e s t rooms is 1 * 7 5 m. thick, pierced b y three doors, all

about

roof is formed of arched blocks which m a y b e seen in

1*25 m. wide, b e t w e e n door-posts.

the top right-hand corner a b o v e the bench in P l . X I .

g i v e the third or most southern door in his plans.

Mariette does not

T h e first door leads into a square c h a m b e r , Z , 10 m. x 10*32

m., with

chamber 9*85 m. x 1 5 * 1 0 m., with six columns, a

circumference.

T h e y are spaced 3*75 m. apart in

staircase leading on t o the roof, and a stone bench

the north and south direction, and 4*5 m. apart from

running all

east to w e s t ; the whole g r o u p is fairly s y m m e t r i c a l

18. T h e second door in the passage leads into a

been

round the room, which seems to h a v e

used as a vestry or p l a c e for a s s e m b l i n g a n d

marshalling

processions.

setting out

and

The

bench

adorning the sacred

served

for

as regards the walls.

four c o l u m n s 3 * 1 0 m. in

T h e C o p t s used this c h a m b e r

as a chapel, and have t h o r o u g h l y ruined it.

The

barques and

walls stood h i g h e r than a n y o f t h e other walls in this

it is built of sandstone slabs

part of the building, so that the roof w a s raised, and

45 cm. wide, 8 cm. thick, and rests on solid blocks all

there were o b l o n g slits provided b e n e a t h the roof for

t h e w a y round, b e y o n d which the e d g e projects 10 cm.

lighting purposes.

T h e staircase, which is divided from the room b y a

have stood up a b o v e the rest of t h e roof like a raised

narrow wall, leads on t o the roof (see sect. 27).

terrace, w i t h a w a l k all round it (see PL, X X V ) .

other paraphernalia:

The

T h e roof of this c h a p e l seems 1:0 In

under side of t h e b o t t o m step of this staircase w a s

the S . W . corner of this room there is a door in the

hollowed out like the roof of a v a u l t ; so, with visions

wall which is here 1 * 80 thick, w h i c h is not shown b y

of subterranean passages, I turned on some m e n to

Mariette ; as the room it leads t o is on a much higher

d i g beneath.

level ( 1 * 5 0 m. higher) and the d o o r w a y is v e r y m u c h

W e found a broken piece o f uninter-

esting inscription, and s o m e fragments of a late b l a c k

broken down, I think the C o p t s are p r o b a b l y respon-

stone bowl.

sible for it.

W e also found that the t e m p l e founda-

tions were v e r y shallow, and were resting on ordinary sand.

T h e rock that so deranged the original design

of the t e m p l e (according

to

Messrs.

Mariette and

Maspero) w a s not to b e found ; and our hole, instead

T h e second door in the S . E . court leads into a chamber, Y , 10*30 m. x 5 ' 7 0 m . ; it has t w o columns, 3 • 10 m. in circumference, s y m m e t r i c a l l y placed in the E - W a x i s of the chamber.

T h e door is in t h e N . E .

9

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEMPLE. corner, o p e n i n g flat a g a i n s t t h e wall.

T h e r e are t w o

surface on which the

temple

small d o o r s in t h e s o u t h wall, neither o f w h i c h is

S . W . to N . E .

m a r k e d in M a r i e t t e ' s plan.

s t a n d i n g in t h e desert

T h e eastern one s e e m s

is built,

slopes

T h e t o t a l fall is 5 -75 m. pylon

from

A n observer

gate of the

temenos

C o p t i c , b u t t h e western one is so p l a c e d as t o clear

f a c i n g t h e t e m p l e w i t h his b a c k t o t h e w e s t e r n hills,

t h e columns, a n d m a y b e original.

Both these doors

w o u l d see a l o n g w a l l o n l y b r o k e n b y three s m a l l

are v e r y l o w (2 m.), a n d unless M a r i e t t e d u g d e e p he

d o o r s in t h e r i g h t - h a n d or southern p a r t o f it, t h e sills

w o u l d not h a v e seen them.

o f these doors b e i n g a l l on t h e s a m e level.

He

says he did not

T h e level

The

t o p o f this wall, w h i c h is 3*40 m. from t h e d e s e r t

w a l l s are not inscribed, so p e r h a p s h e t o o k his plan

s a n d at t h e southern end, s t a n d s u p 6 * 7 0 m. (over

thoroughly

explore

this side of t h e temple.

20 feet) from t h e s a n d a t t h e northern end.

o n l y from t h e roof. T h e third door leads into a c h a m b e r , X , i o * 6 o m. X 5*90 m., a l m o s t identical with t h e l a s t ; b u t t h e

T h e two

r i g h t - h a n d doors are j u s t o n a level with t h e s a n d ; t h e l e f t - h a n d door, a b o u t a m e t r e a b o v e t h e sand,

w a l l b e t w e e n c h a m b e r and c o u r t is, for s o m e reason,

w o u l d p e r h a p s b e a p p r o a c h e d b y a f e w steps.

thinner h e r e than a n y w h e r e else in its l e n g t h .

The

this door t h e s a n d s l o p e d s t e e p l y d o w n t h e side o f t h e

outer face is in line w i t h t h e rest o f t h e wall, s o t h a t

wall, r e a c h i n g its l o w e s t point a b o u t t h e m i d d l e o f t h e

t h e c h a m b e r inside is 30 cm. l o n g e r t h a n a n y of t h e

northern or l e f t - h a n d h a l f of t h e t e m p l e , a n d

then

others in t h e s a m e group.

rising s l i g h t l y

wall

It has two columns spaced

t o t h e l e f t - h a n d corner.

From

The

so as t o c o i n c i d e (within 5 cm.) with t h e position o f

stood n e a r l y 7 m. h i g h from t h e b o t t o m o f this v a l l e y

t h e c o l u m n s in t h e c h a m b e r t o t h e n o r t h ; but, o w i n g

or depression.

t o t h e thin e a s t wall, there is m o r e r o o m b e t w e e n t h e

A r c h a e o l o g y , ' p. 85) t h a t t h e t e m p l e w a s " s u n k u p t o

E . c o l u m n a n d t h e w a l l than there is in t h e m i d d l e

t h e roof, t h e t o p s o f t h e w a l l s b u t j u s t s h o w i n g a b o v e

chamber.

T h e d o o r o p e n s flat a g a i n s t the wall, t h e

s a m e as in t h e m i d d l e c h a m b e r ,

i n t h e S . E . corner

is a n o t h e r s m a l l d o o r , p r o b a b l y also

Coptic;

this

P r o f e s s o r M a s p e r o s a y s (' M a n u a l o f

t h e level of t h e g r o u n d . " top of the west g r o u n d , in

those

wall days

I can only say that if the followed

the

it m u s t

outline

have

of

resembled

leads t o a small, o b l o n g , e m p t y c h a m b e r , w h i c h h a s a

s w i t c h b a c k a n d h a v e g r o w n horizontal since.

small door

the a

Actually

B o t h these

t h e t e m p l e stood o u t a b o v e t h e g r o u n d at t h e b a c k as

d o o r s are so b a t t e r e d a n d worn t h a t it is i m p o s s i b l e

b o l d l y as t h e w a l l s at D e n d e r e h or E d f u ; a n d t h e

to s a y w h e t h e r t h e y are original

Mariette

s a n d of t h e desert is q u i t e distinct f r o m the e n o r m o u s

s h o w s t h e c o u r t d o o r b u t not t h e o t h e r ; a n d s e e i n g

rubbish h e a p of b r o k e n p o t s and dust, w h i c h a c c u m u -

l e a d i n g t o t h e S . E . court.

the extraordinary

doorless

or n o t

chamber

at

the

N.W.

corner o f t h e t e m p l e , one c a n well b e l i e v e in s u c h an

lated

during

many

centuries,

and

almost

hid

the

building.

o n e at t h e S . E . corner. A t t h e S . W . corner o f c h a m b e r X is a d o o r with a small

flight

o f steps l e a d i n g u p t o t h e level o f t h e

S . W . rooms,

2 1 . T o c o m e t o p a r t i c u l a r s : at t h e N . W . side o f t h e t e m p l e , instead o f t h e t o p o f t h e roof j u s t s h o w i n g , t h e floor o f t h e t e m p l e is 7 0 cm. a b o v e t h e d e s e r t ;

T h e S . W . rooms a r e on t h e h i g h e s t level of a n y in t h e temple, as their floor is 5 ' 7 5 m. a b o v e t h e level of the main courtyard.

There

are four of

r o o m s all a b o u t 1 2 - 3 8 m. x 4 - 2 0 m.

these

T h e o n e into

a n d a t t h e S . W . end t h e desert is o n l y j u s t a b o v e t h e floor. T h e plans on PL. X X I V

show the levels of the

temple, all drawn w i t h t h e vertical s c a l e d o u b l e of t h e

w h i c h t h e staircase from t h e l o w level ( X ) c o m e s u p

horizontal so as t o m a k e t h e s l o p e s more

is t h e widest, b e i n g 4' 30 m .

a n d P L . X X V s h o w s t h e roof.

T h e s e four r o o m s are

a r r a n g e d in pairs o n either side o f a central c h a m b e r l o ' i o m . X 5 • 20 m.

distinct;

T h e solid b l a c k p a r t o f E - W section, PL. X X I V ,

T h i s central c h a m b e r h a s a door

s h o w s t h e actual f o u n d a t i o n s a n d floor o f t h e t e m p l e ;

I m. a b o v e t h e floor o p e n i n g on t o t h e desert outside.

t h e observer is s u p p o s e d to b e s t a n d i n g at t h e N . side

M a r i e t t e writes o f an e s p l a n a d e o u t s i d e this portion

o f t h e t e m p l e l o o k i n g south.

of the temple;

but

careful d i g g i n g

The

north

wall

is

produced

s u p p o s e d to b e r e m o v e d , t h u s s h o w i n g t h e construc-

A l l o f t h e three d o o r s in

tion of t h e m a i n e a s t w a l l w i t h its b l o c k e d - u p door-

t h e w e s t side o f t h e t e m p l e o p e n i n g on t o t h e d e s e r t

w a y s , t h e m i d d l e wall, t h e c h a p e l wall, a n d t h e main

are at t h e s a m e level.

west w a l l

n o t h i n g but b r o k e n pots.

has

T h e d o t t e d w a l l o n t h e left, b e t w e e n t h e

m i d d l e a n d c h a p e l walls, is t h e o u t e r wall of t h e o p e n 20. L E V E L S . — A s

before

explained,

the

desert

court at t h e S . E . e n d o f t h e a n n e x .

T h e dotted wall C

IO

THE TEMPLE OF THE KINGS.

to the right is the wall dividing the high level rooms (W) in the S.W. corner of the annex. From the main east courtyard (PL. X X I V ) the first slope rises I m. to the level of the terrace, on which stand the columns in front of the east wall. T h e steps H (PLS. X X I V , X X V I ) lead from here to a higher level on the south side of the courtyard w a l l ; and along the rising ground by the dotted line to the steps D (PLS. X X I V , X X V , X X V I ) . These steps lead on to a terrace on the top of the roof of the corridor of the kings (PL. X X V ) . This terrace forms a sloping gangway sunk below the general level of the roof, and rising slightly from D to where it joins the entrance to steps K and Q (PLS. X X I V , X X V I ) ; K leading downwards to the chamber of the barques, C B (PLS. X X I V , X X V I ) , and Q leading up to the roof (PL. X X V I ) . Continuing on PL. X X I V , the floor rises gently through the first hypostyle hall, through the middle wall, through part of the second hypostyle hall, and then sharply up on to the chapel level at the entrance to the door of the corridor S (PLS. X X I V , X X V I ) . The total rise from courtyard to chapel is 2 • 60 m. 22. The door of the corridor of the Kings, S, is marked in solid black (PL. X X I V ) ; the vertical lines run up the rise from the chapel level to where the passage comes out in the S.E. court O C (PLS. X X I V , X X V , X X V I ) ; the dotted door just above the black door (PL. X X I V ) shows the position in level of the door at the upper end of the corridor. Halfway up this corridor the stairway passage T (PL. X X I V ) starts to the westward ; rising as shown in the short section to a door T in the AV. wall. T h e total rise from the corridor to the outer back door is 2*60 m., and from the courtyard to the outer door 5*80 m. B y comparing the two sections, PL. X X I V , you can see that this staircase just follows the slope of the hill, so that very little excavation was required. Further along the corridor of the Kings we come to the door leading into the chamber of the barques, C B (PLS. X X I V , X X V I ) . PL. X X I V shows that this chamber stands too far to the eastward to cut into the hill of sand which is shown in the long section. Proceeding from the corridor, you come out in the S.E. court O C (PLS. X X I V , X X V ) ; the court is 4*15 m. higher than the east courtyard. Comparing PLS. X X V and X X V I will show how much of the courtyard was covered in by the portico. Passing along the court and through chamber X (PL. X X V I ) you arrive at the stairs F (PLS. X X I V , X X V I ) ,

leading to the highest chambers of all. T h e floor of the middle chamber was slightly lower than the outer desert and 5 *6O m. above the E. courtyard. PL. X X V shows the roof of the annex. T h e hole Y is where the staircase V comes up from the outer desert (PLS. X X V , X X V I ) ; this staircase is built on a solid foundation between the S.W. chambers W and the staircase T (PL. X X V I ) . Z is the raised roof over the so-called Coptic chapel (PLS. X X V , long section X X V I ) ; from the roof the corridor of the Kings, K and Q, are steps leading to the chamber of the barques and the roof of the annex. O C is the open space inside the portico of the S.E. court. I cannot say for certain what size the steps Q were, as this portion of the temple is much battered. But the terrace over the corridor of the Kings (which terrace may or may not have been roofed in) is so carefully arranged as a terrace, and so much space provided to the east of the head of stiiircase K , that I think Q is a reasonable reconstruction. 23. A priest could come up from the desert at V ; he could walk round the raised roof Z and look at the view; he could come down by Q on to the sunk terrace, and down again by K to see if the barques were in order in chamber C B. From this chamber any part of the temple was open to him. H e could then come up K again, walk along the passage to D, go down D outside the temple into the village, or down again by H into the principal courtyard. This system of stairs and passages made it possible lor those connected with the temple to get about from one end to the other, or into any part of it, without having to cross the holy places. Unless they actually had duties to perform in the sanctuary of the temple, they need never even go on to the chapel level at all. T h e priests who were on duty could get to the sanctuaries through the corridor of the Kings, S. T h e others could either sit on the roof, walk on the desert, read in their own rooms, or talk to their friends in the east courtyard, without in any way interfering with the sacred rites that were being carried on in the chapels. There is a large gateway shown near staircase D. There must at some time have been a building here, but the gate is all that remains ; there may have been a wall running parallel with the S. wall of the main temple, enclosing the road from D to H. This part is concealed beneath a high heap of dust and rubbish, but might well repay further excavation.

11

THE TEMENOS. 24. T h e walls of the temple are built without any mortar, and the stones are not regularly bonded. T h e main East wall is 3*65 m. thick, and built of courses three stones t h i c k ; these stones are simply laid side b y side, and one on the top of the other. A n y spaces were filled up with loose rubble. In the case of narrower walls, only two parallel walls of stone were used, and the space between them varied with the thickness of the wall and the size of the stones. T h e outside faces were smooth finished, the inner sides left rough, and the top and bottom surfaces and the ends were carefully dressed. In the main E. wall, the blocks on the E. side of the wall are smaller in height than the blocks on the W . or temple s i d e ; there are nine courses on the W . side under the architraves, but fourteen on the E. side up to the same level. W h e n an architrave did not happen to come at the joint at the end of a wall block, the builders cut a w a y the block and made an enormous mortice for the architrave end to rest in. In the same w a y they did not build the corners of their rooms ; they cut the corner out of a solid block. Where one wall crosses another, or meets it at right angles, the courses are carefully b o n d e d : the cross wall sticking into the main wall, and the main wall blocks projecting into the cross wall, alternately. 25. T h e bases of the columns are generally in one block with the first drum of the column, and the height of this first block varies considerably. So long as the original block was wide enough to make the base, they did not seem to mind how thick it was, or how much stone they had to chip a w a y to form the lower end of the column. T h e top drum of the column is often made in the same w a y , one block being chipped out to form both the square capital and the head of the s h a f t In the second H y p o s t y l e Hall the bases of the columns on the raised floor in front of the chapels have been cut out by the Copts, as if walls or long beams had been fitted along them. Sometimes the whole side of a base is cut away to within 10 cm. of the floor; sometimes only a rightangled segment has been taken out. T h e edges of the columns on either side of the middle passage are worn, as if the columns had been used as pulleys to pull some heavy weight up the central passage. T h e architraves that carry the roof round the corners of the South-East court, forming a portico, are carefully fitted in triangular form.

26. A l l the principal walls and beams were tied

together with dovetailed ties of granite or ebony, and are invariably tied longitudinally, never transversely. In a course three blocks thick, each stone would b e tied to the end of the n e x t stone in the same line, but no attempt was made to tie any stone to its neighbour in the next parallel line on either side of it. In the case of doorways, the jambs of the door or the doorposts are often cut from the solid block. T h e r e are very few instances where the door-posts are built of separate stones. It seems throughout as if labour was a drug in the m a r k e t ; if a block was too b i g for a particular purpose, they cut it down to the required size instead of looking for a smaller one. 27. Steps are always cut three or four at a time out of one big b l o c k ; so long as the block was wide enough, they did not mind how thick it was. There is one large block that formed part of the stairway leading up to the r o o f ; the steps are not small, but they look like shallow grooves compared to the block. T h e roof stones are carefully fitted, and the longer edges of each stone are ploughed out, so that a squareshaped groove was formed, running all along between the parallel lines of blocks. W h e t h e r the present grey sandstone roof had a top casing originally there is nothing to s h o w ; but it is pretty certain that a strip of stone was let into the groove just named, so as to close the joint b y a cover. T h e upper sides of the present blocks are marked with many rough tracings of pairs of f e e t The people seem to have traced the outlines of their feet, or sometimes only a single foot, and then to have cut in the outline with a chisel. T h e s e outlines are scattered pretty evenly all over the r o o f ; they do not all point the same way, and some are cut more deeply than others. B u t there are no marks of anything but feet, and nothing else animate or inanimate is represented. T h e feet are mostly s m a l l ; but the modern A r a b small boy prefers hawking forged antiquities, to carving his extremities on the works of his ancestors.

C H A P T E R

II.

THE TEMENOS. 28. T h e Temenos of the T e m p l e of S e t y at A b y d o s (see PL. X X I I I ) encloses an irregular space about 214 m. X 105 m ; the walls are roughly parallel C 2

11

THE TEMENOS. 24. T h e walls of the temple are built without any mortar, and the stones are not regularly bonded. T h e main East wall is 3*65 m. thick, and built of courses three stones t h i c k ; these stones are simply laid side b y side, and one on the top of the other. A n y spaces were filled up with loose rubble. In the case of narrower walls, only two parallel walls of stone were used, and the space between them varied with the thickness of the wall and the size of the stones. T h e outside faces were smooth finished, the inner sides left rough, and the top and bottom surfaces and the ends were carefully dressed. In the main E. wall, the blocks on the E. side of the wall are smaller in height than the blocks on the W . or temple s i d e ; there are nine courses on the W . side under the architraves, but fourteen on the E. side up to the same level. W h e n an architrave did not happen to come at the joint at the end of a wall block, the builders cut a w a y the block and made an enormous mortice for the architrave end to rest in. In the same w a y they did not build the corners of their rooms ; they cut the corner out of a solid block. Where one wall crosses another, or meets it at right angles, the courses are carefully b o n d e d : the cross wall sticking into the main wall, and the main wall blocks projecting into the cross wall, alternately. 25. T h e bases of the columns are generally in one block with the first drum of the column, and the height of this first block varies considerably. So long as the original block was wide enough to make the base, they did not seem to mind how thick it was, or how much stone they had to chip a w a y to form the lower end of the column. T h e top drum of the column is often made in the same w a y , one block being chipped out to form both the square capital and the head of the s h a f t In the second H y p o s t y l e Hall the bases of the columns on the raised floor in front of the chapels have been cut out by the Copts, as if walls or long beams had been fitted along them. Sometimes the whole side of a base is cut away to within 10 cm. of the floor; sometimes only a rightangled segment has been taken out. T h e edges of the columns on either side of the middle passage are worn, as if the columns had been used as pulleys to pull some heavy weight up the central passage. T h e architraves that carry the roof round the corners of the South-East court, forming a portico, are carefully fitted in triangular form.

26. A l l the principal walls and beams were tied

together with dovetailed ties of granite or ebony, and are invariably tied longitudinally, never transversely. In a course three blocks thick, each stone would b e tied to the end of the n e x t stone in the same line, but no attempt was made to tie any stone to its neighbour in the next parallel line on either side of it. In the case of doorways, the jambs of the door or the doorposts are often cut from the solid block. T h e r e are very few instances where the door-posts are built of separate stones. It seems throughout as if labour was a drug in the m a r k e t ; if a block was too b i g for a particular purpose, they cut it down to the required size instead of looking for a smaller one. 27. Steps are always cut three or four at a time out of one big b l o c k ; so long as the block was wide enough, they did not mind how thick it was. There is one large block that formed part of the stairway leading up to the r o o f ; the steps are not small, but they look like shallow grooves compared to the block. T h e roof stones are carefully fitted, and the longer edges of each stone are ploughed out, so that a squareshaped groove was formed, running all along between the parallel lines of blocks. W h e t h e r the present grey sandstone roof had a top casing originally there is nothing to s h o w ; but it is pretty certain that a strip of stone was let into the groove just named, so as to close the joint b y a cover. T h e upper sides of the present blocks are marked with many rough tracings of pairs of f e e t The people seem to have traced the outlines of their feet, or sometimes only a single foot, and then to have cut in the outline with a chisel. T h e s e outlines are scattered pretty evenly all over the r o o f ; they do not all point the same way, and some are cut more deeply than others. B u t there are no marks of anything but feet, and nothing else animate or inanimate is represented. T h e feet are mostly s m a l l ; but the modern A r a b small boy prefers hawking forged antiquities, to carving his extremities on the works of his ancestors.

C H A P T E R

II.

THE TEMENOS. 28. T h e Temenos of the T e m p l e of S e t y at A b y d o s (see PL. X X I I I ) encloses an irregular space about 214 m. X 105 m ; the walls are roughly parallel C 2

n

THE TEMPLE OF THE KINGS.

w i t h the t e m p l e walls, b u t not symmetrical, as the

The

t e m p l e is toward the S . E . corner of the enclosure.

time.

It

is p r o b a b l e t h a t t h e N . W . corner of the t e m e n o s w a l l w a s built first, a n d t h a t the designer intended

the

R o m a n coins found were m o s t l y of H a d r i a n ' s

T h e western w a l l from the N . W . corner t o t h e m i d d l e of the desert p y l o n is 123 m.

Near the gate

desert p y l o n in t h e W . wall to b e in the m i d d l e o f

it spreads out into a projection o f w i d e r construction,

t h e w a l l ; b u t for s o m e reason, perhaps l a c k o f funds,

in the middle of w h i c h is the p y l o n .

t h e w a l l w a s not carried an equal distance t o the S.

original w a l l w a s w e cannot say, b u t w i t h a f o u n d a -

o f t h a t pylon, and the S . wall w a s built a g r e a t deal

tion of 3 m. at the narrow parts a n d o f nearly 7 m. at

nearer t h e t e m p l e than t h e N . wall.

t h e p y l o n projection, it is reasonable t o suppose t h a t

From

the evidence

at

present o b t a i n a b l e

cannot s a y how far t h e T e m e n o s wall e x t e n d e d

H o w high the

we

t h e wall w a s at least 8 m. a b o v e t h e present desert

to

level, w h i c h is a b o u t 1 m . a b o v e the l o w e s t course of

the east side o f the t e m p l e ; it seems improbable t h a t

bricks.

t h e builders should h a v e constructed a wall t h a t did

T h e total w i d t h o f t h e t e m e n o s enclosure outside

not even enclose the front o f the temple, but, t h o u g h

t h e walls is 2 1 9 m., t h e g a t e b e i n g 123 m. from t h e

numerous trenches were dug, n o other walls those shown w e r e found.

At

than

the N . E . corner t h e

wall ceases a b r u p t l y ; there is then a space o f about

N . end and o n l y 98 m . from t h e S . end, w h i c h g i v e s t h e w h o l e t h i n g an u n s y m m e t r i c a l appearance.

Of

t h e S . wall there are o n l y 30 m . t o be found, and this

20 m. o f clear sand, and then a m a s s o f ruined brick

portion is not parallel t o t h e N . wall, for if p r o d u c e d

houses o f all dates, R o m a n , Coptic, early A r a b i c , a n d

would m e e t t o the E .

tumbled-down recent A r a b i c ; w h i l e all this confusion

t h e W . wall, as it m a k e s an a n g l e o f 9 1 0 20' w i t h that.

is still further c o n f u s e d b y the modern A r a b s , w h o

I t is o n l y 2 ' 7 5 m. thick as a g a i n s t 3 m. o f t h e corre-

h a v e h o n e y c o m b e d the place with their d i g g i n g s for

s p o n d i n g N . s i d e ; it has no buttresses; and, g e n e r a l l y

" s e b a k h , " a sort o f manure c o m p o s e d o f crumbled

speaking, t o t h e casual e y e such as mine, it a p p e a r s

brick and organic rubbish.

t o b e a hasty a n d u n s y m m e t r i c a l piece of work.

through

this present

T h e w a l l p r o b a b l y ran

dust-heap

and on below t h e

present native v i l l a g e o f A r a b a h ;

but all traces o f

w a l l are lost in the dust-heap, and the v i l l a g e r

ob-

j e c t s to h a v i n g his h o m e disturbed b y an inquisitive foreigner l o o k i n g

for antique walls.

There

trace o f a wall forming a continuation of the

is

no long

front of the t e m p l e t o m e e t t h e T e m e n o s wall at the north-eastern corner.

I f t h e wall continued it must

h a v e been a prolongation of t h e e x i s t i n g wall. F o r convenience' sake, 1 will imagine t h e reader t o b e standing

in the t e m p l e l o o k i n g towards the

desert pylon, w h i c h w e will assume to be t o the westward ; t h e right-hand w a l l will b e called the north, and the left-hand wall t h e south wall. T h e N. t e m e n o s w a l l is not parallel with the N . t e m p l e w a l l ; t h e lines if produced would m e e t t o t h e east.

T h e outside corner o f t h e wall as w e k n o w it

is 93 m. N . W . b y W . (correct magnetic) from the N . W . corner o f the temple. Hi

T h e wall runs E . for

m., and h a s on its N . side four buttresses, each

3 m. X 2 ' 2 5 m . ; the third buttress from the E . end has been utilised in R o m a n times for a tomb, h e n c e the irregularity o f its shape. the N . W . end o f the wall.

N o r is this portion square to

T h e r e is no buttress at

O n the S. side o f the wall

are various small b r i c k chambers, p r o b a b l y o f R o m a n d a t e ; and the w h o l e area of the T e m e n o s enclosure shows R o m a n walls, only a few o f w h i c h are drawn.

29. T h e desert p y l o n and its flanking w a l l s form t h e most prominent f e a t u r e of t h e enclosure. The c o m p a r a t i v e l y narrow t e m e n o s wall here spreads o u t into massive structures of b r i c k w o r k m. thick ; t h e front or western wall stands 14 m. in front of t h e t e m e n o s walls, w i t h t h e c o n n e c t i n g side-walls s l o p i n g s o m e w h a t t o the W . (see plan). T h e y may have sloped inwards also, l i k e a p y l o n ; b u t as o n l y the foundations are left w e cannot tell w i t h certainty. T h e whole projection is 64 m. across the base on t h e line of the main walls, and 62*5 m. across t h e W . front, measuring a l o n g t h e outer walls in both cases. T h e desert p y l o n is a c t u a l l y in t h e middle of this wall, as from t h e a x i s o f t h e g a t e w a y t o the end o f the projection is 31*25 m. on either side. T h e sides o f the g a t e w a y are of w h i t e limestone, b r o u g h t from t h e E . bank o f the Nile. T h e width between d o o r j a m b s is 2*20 m . ; the door w a s a single leaf, 2 - 7 5 m. wide, fitting w h e n open into t h e recess on t h e south side o f the g a t e w a y , m o v i n g on a p i v o t at the W . end o f t h e south recess, a n d shutting against t h e j a m b on the N . side. T h e door w a s p r o b a b l y o f wood, w i t h a thicker hinge-post, as t h e e d g e o f t h e recess on the h i n g e side is farther b a c k (or farther t o the W . ) than the e d g e of the recess on the h a n d l e or N . side. W h a t height the door w a s w e h a v e n o

ARCHAEOLOGICAL

means of j u d g i n g ; some of the doorways in the temple would take doors 6 m. high, and this pylon door may have been as big. W e cannot say that we know anything about this pylon except some fragments of its ground plan, which is much confused by small buildings of Roman date. T h e limestone sides of the gate stand about 75 cm. clear of the bricks of the flanking walls ; the space between may have been filled with plaster, but evidence is wanting. The southern flank wall has a portion recessed two bricks back, at the S. end of i t ; this is the only w a y in which it differs from the N. flank of the gate. In this, as in many other buildings, we see that the Egyptians were not bound b y rigid symmetry. In Roman times they evidently found this S. flank a convenient spot—probably it was s h a d y — s o they built a series of small rooms on the old foundations ; the N. flank has no such additions, as it would be in full glare of the sun most of the day. From the base of the flank of the pylon the wall proceeds to the Southward for 64' 5 m., where it turns to the E. T h e designers probably intended the angle to be 90°, but it is in fact 91 0 20'. T h e W . wall, as a whole, is not straight, as it bows out slightly to the W., the furthest part of the curve being at the N. side of the gate flank wall. O f the S. wall only 30 m. remain. W e cannot say how far the walls continued to the E., and the only certain dimensions we have are given below. 30. In the N . W . part of the temenos enclosure we found a gateway, 41 m. from the W . wall, and 28 m. from the N. wall. T h e floor of the gate is about 2-J m. below the desert level. T h e wide part of the gate is 4*4$ m., and the narrow part 2*75 m., across. T h e narrow part continues in a long passage to the South, approximately parallel to the W . wall, and about 69 m. long. T h e passage is lined with sandstone blocks covered with religious inscriptions, not y e t unearthed. T h e axis of this passage points to the North, to a mound of sand 93 m. to the N. of the Temenos wall. T h e level of the desert inside the Temenos wall rises to the N . W . corner from the centre of the enclosure. T h e passage leads from the low level desert into the hill, and is there roofed o v e r ; it extends probably to outside the temenos, as the wall is built on made ground, which appears to be the filling in over the passage. Further excavation m a y show that the passage continues under the wall of the Temenos to a chamber under the sand mound to the North of the Temenos. T h e greater

13

NOTES.

part of the excavation by the Research Account this season has been spent in disclosing the extent of this great passage, which still awaits complete clearing. 31. T h e principal measurements of the temenos are as follow. W i d t h N. to S. over all, at between temple and west wall, inside 212*5 m., outside 218*4 m. W i d t h at the west wall outside . . 219* 5 m. Thickness of N. wall 3*15 m., of S. wall 2 7 5 m. Thickness of W . wall in greater part . 3*0 m. Thickness of projection in W . wall . 6*5 m. W i d t h of projection at start . » 64*0 m. W i d t h at its W . front , . . 62*3 m. Composed of N . half 28*4 m . ; pylon opening 5• 5 m . ; S. half . . . 28*4 m. Projection sets forward on N. 14*10, on S. . , . . . . . 14*0 m. From pivot of desert pylon to t e m p l e . 124*0 m. S a m e to front pylon . . . 227*0 m. Inside W . wall of temenos to temple at N.W. n o m., at S . W . . . . 108- 5 m. Inside N. wall of temenos to temple at N.W 87-0 m. Inside S. wall of temenos to temple at S.W. 15-2 m.

CHAPTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL By W. M. F.

III. NOTES.

PBTRIE.

32. T h e construction of the T e m p l e of the K i n g s b y Sety I and Ramessu I I involves many interesting problems which we can begin now to unravel, but which require also still more examination of the structure before they can be fully solved. T h e main discoveries, which throw an entirely fresh light upon the building, and enable us for the first time to read its purpose, are those of the Temenos, the desert pylon, and the relation to the R o y a l T o m b s of the earliest dynasties. These essential features at once remove this from being merely a " t e m p l e of Sety," like many other buildings in E g y p t , and show that it is the T e m p l e of the Kings, for the kings of the early dynasties, strictly analogous to the funereal chapels which are always found connected with the tombs of Egyptian kings. A t first the place of offerings was closely connected

ARCHAEOLOGICAL

means of j u d g i n g ; some of the doorways in the temple would take doors 6 m. high, and this pylon door may have been as big. W e cannot say that we know anything about this pylon except some fragments of its ground plan, which is much confused by small buildings of Roman date. T h e limestone sides of the gate stand about 75 cm. clear of the bricks of the flanking walls ; the space between may have been filled with plaster, but evidence is wanting. The southern flank wall has a portion recessed two bricks back, at the S. end of i t ; this is the only w a y in which it differs from the N. flank of the gate. In this, as in many other buildings, we see that the Egyptians were not bound b y rigid symmetry. In Roman times they evidently found this S. flank a convenient spot—probably it was s h a d y — s o they built a series of small rooms on the old foundations ; the N. flank has no such additions, as it would be in full glare of the sun most of the day. From the base of the flank of the pylon the wall proceeds to the Southward for 64' 5 m., where it turns to the E. T h e designers probably intended the angle to be 90°, but it is in fact 91 0 20'. T h e W . wall, as a whole, is not straight, as it bows out slightly to the W., the furthest part of the curve being at the N. side of the gate flank wall. O f the S. wall only 30 m. remain. W e cannot say how far the walls continued to the E., and the only certain dimensions we have are given below. 30. In the N . W . part of the temenos enclosure we found a gateway, 41 m. from the W . wall, and 28 m. from the N. wall. T h e floor of the gate is about 2-J m. below the desert level. T h e wide part of the gate is 4*4$ m., and the narrow part 2*75 m., across. T h e narrow part continues in a long passage to the South, approximately parallel to the W . wall, and about 69 m. long. T h e passage is lined with sandstone blocks covered with religious inscriptions, not y e t unearthed. T h e axis of this passage points to the North, to a mound of sand 93 m. to the N. of the Temenos wall. T h e level of the desert inside the Temenos wall rises to the N . W . corner from the centre of the enclosure. T h e passage leads from the low level desert into the hill, and is there roofed o v e r ; it extends probably to outside the temenos, as the wall is built on made ground, which appears to be the filling in over the passage. Further excavation m a y show that the passage continues under the wall of the Temenos to a chamber under the sand mound to the North of the Temenos. T h e greater

13

NOTES.

part of the excavation by the Research Account this season has been spent in disclosing the extent of this great passage, which still awaits complete clearing. 31. T h e principal measurements of the temenos are as follow. W i d t h N. to S. over all, at between temple and west wall, inside 212*5 m., outside 218*4 m. W i d t h at the west wall outside . . 219* 5 m. Thickness of N. wall 3*15 m., of S. wall 2 7 5 m. Thickness of W . wall in greater part . 3*0 m. Thickness of projection in W . wall . 6*5 m. W i d t h of projection at start . » 64*0 m. W i d t h at its W . front , . . 62*3 m. Composed of N . half 28*4 m . ; pylon opening 5• 5 m . ; S. half . . . 28*4 m. Projection sets forward on N. 14*10, on S. . , . . . . . 14*0 m. From pivot of desert pylon to t e m p l e . 124*0 m. S a m e to front pylon . . . 227*0 m. Inside W . wall of temenos to temple at N.W. n o m., at S . W . . . . 108- 5 m. Inside N. wall of temenos to temple at N.W 87-0 m. Inside S. wall of temenos to temple at S.W. 15-2 m.

CHAPTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL By W. M. F.

III. NOTES.

PBTRIE.

32. T h e construction of the T e m p l e of the K i n g s b y Sety I and Ramessu I I involves many interesting problems which we can begin now to unravel, but which require also still more examination of the structure before they can be fully solved. T h e main discoveries, which throw an entirely fresh light upon the building, and enable us for the first time to read its purpose, are those of the Temenos, the desert pylon, and the relation to the R o y a l T o m b s of the earliest dynasties. These essential features at once remove this from being merely a " t e m p l e of Sety," like many other buildings in E g y p t , and show that it is the T e m p l e of the Kings, for the kings of the early dynasties, strictly analogous to the funereal chapels which are always found connected with the tombs of Egyptian kings. A t first the place of offerings was closely connected

14

T H E TEMPLE OF T H E K I N G S .

with the tomb, as shown by the large steles found at the royal tombs of the first dynasty ; and such continued to be the case for the ordinary Egyptian in all times. But the place of offering to the kings was at the end of the I l l r d dynasty in a separate court attached to the side of the tomb (Seneferu at Medum) ; in the I V t h dynasty the court became a separate temple (Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura); In the X l l t h dynasty the tomb was farther back on the desert, and the chapel was at the desert edge (Usertesen II, Illahun; Usertesen III, A b y d o s ) ; in the X V I I I t h and X l X t h dynasties the chapels or temples were ranged along the desert edge at Thebes, and not in any uniform relation to the tombs hidden in the desert. When at that period S e t y I began to adore the early kings as his ancestors (to give a glamour to the new dynasty), and made some examination of the great group of the Royal Tombs at Abydos, it was but natural that he should found a large chapel or temple for their collective worship, like the temples built in honour of each of the kings of his own age. This temple was accordingly placed on the desert edge, in front of the Royal T o m b s ; a processional way was provided from the back of it out to the tombs ; enormous heaps of offering jars accumulated out on the desert where the tomb road led o u t ; and the temple was directed with its axis pointing to a peak of rock close to the Royal Tombs, which was covered thickly with offerings. T h e purpose of the temple is henceforth beyond question. T h e same purpose is shown in the temple itself. T h e great list of kings there, on the way leading out to the Royal Tombs, points to the use of the temple ; and in the chambers of the barques it appears that the barques and processions in which they figured were in honour of the ancestors of Ramessu. 33. T h e unsymmetrical plan of the temple, with a large annex on the south side, has always been a stumbling-block, and has led to the strange modern fable—as absurd and baseless as any mistake of Herodotus—that the temple was built in a rock which limited its form. When we see the projection of the west wall of the Temenos, exactly behind the main body of the temple, and of the same width as that, it is plain that the south annex is an afterthought, a variation on the original plan ; presumably therefore the temple was to have been carried on farther back, and, instead of that, the required halls and chambers were added at the side. W e may even see further than this, and restore

the original design with some probability (see PL. X X V ) . T h e south annex appears to be the original plan of the back part of the temple simply stuck on at t^e side, with a minimum of alteration. T h e connections are as f o l l o w : — (1.) The breadth is very nearly that of the true temple, within little more than the walls ; and a slight diminution of the breadth at the back of a temple is familiar elsewhere. (2.) T h e continuation of the long processional way through the Osiris chapel would have led straight into the processional chamber of the barques. (3.) T h e existing doorway into the south-east court of the annex would fall just into the corner of the back hall of the temple. (4.) T h e unexplained chamber without any opening at the N.W. corner of the temple would be led into by the corridor of kings, by the existing door out of the N.E. corner of that corridor. (5.) Even the gateway built on outside of the corridor of the Kings falls exactly into the place of the front of the chapels in the back hall of the temple. Thus the whole plan might be put on to the back of the temple, with every point of the structure falling exactly into place, the processional w a y leading straight from the hall where the procession was marshalled, and the back way out to the Royal T o m b s closely in line with it. A b o v e all, this e x plains the strange dumb chambers at the N.W. corner; they were left useless and inaccessible because the plan was altered. 34. Turning now to the plates, there are some points of interest in the figures of the sacred barques, PLS. I I - V I . Much more is clearly shown in the plates of sculptures than has been hitherto published ; the work of drawing and preparing these was entirely done by Mr. Laurence Christie, and m y own work at A b y d o s did not leave me even an hour or t w o for making any comparison or revision. Hence I can only annotate these plates from the same stand-point as anyone else who knows the temple. T h e chapels of the gods have a uniform type of sculptures, which Mariette arranged in parallel texts. T h e inner half of each chapel has on one or both sides figures of the shrine or sacred barques of the god, placed high up on the wall. Three of these are here copied; and also the sacred barque of the mummied hawk from the hypostyle hall. PL. II shows the shrine of Osiris on the south

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES. wall of his chapel, containing the emblem of the Sacred Head, in the form of a g r e a t wig, crowned with feathers and uraei. T h e shrine was entered b y a door, shown standing open on the left, while the k i n g passes a censer into the shrine, and casts balls of incense upon it. First come the standards of (1) U p u a t u of the south, the standing j a c k a l with a serpent reared u p g o i n g before him, and the curious object before the serpent which is seen from the d a y s of the first d y n a s t y (Royal Tombs, ii, x v , 108). T h i s name of the j a c k a l god, Up-uatu, the opener of the w a y s , is only intelligible to a desert t r a v e l l e r ; on the desert ploughed out with deep valleys, which are not suspected till the e d g e of the g o r g e is reached, the only direct mode of finding the w a y is to look for the tracks of the jackals, w h o k n o w every ravine and nearest road, and w h o open the w a y to the traveller. H e n c e they were taken as the openers o f the w a y to the sun god, and to the dead in the future life. T h e serpent g o i n g before the jackal, as opening the w a y , should be compared with the legend of the two serpents w h o led the w a y for A l e x a n d e r to the oasis of A m e n . T h e god U p - u a t u of the south is called the commander of both lands, the east and west sides of the valley. T h e n e x t standard (2) shows Up-uatu of the north as a couchant jackal, entitled " L o r d of Ta-zeser," or the abode of the d e a d ; this connects this god with the other j a c k a l god A n p u , w h o usually has the same title. N e x t is (3), Tahuti, w h o not only has a standard with the title " T a h u t i , weigher of truth," but also a baton placed in front of it with the legend, " T a h u t i , leader of the gods, g i v e him all health and all j o y of heart." N e x t (4), is " R o r u s the strong, defender of his f a t h e r " ; and lastly (5), A n h e r of Thinis, w h o seems to be identified with Shu, son of R a , a union which is interesting, as both are g o d s of the s k y or of space (Lansone Mit. 78). N e x t comes the Sacred Head o f " Osiris K h e n t a mentiu, lord of A b y d o s , within the temple of Sety, g i v i n g him all life, stability and power, and all health." T h e sacred e m b l e m is a pole bearing a w i g upon i t ; and, as w e learn from the great e x a m p l e in PL. X I I , it had a face with plaited beard on the front of it. T h i s emblem is set upright in a stand flanked b y t w o lion-headed figures ( S h u and T e f n u t ?), embraced b y the protecting vulture of Mut. O n the upper bar o f the stand are three hawk-headed spirits. A b o v e are s i x kings, or perhaps s i x kas of K i n g S e t y , upholding the emblem, and offering to it. T h e g u a r d i n g jackals and defensive uraei flank the group. T h e two ram standards are not otherwise known as connected with

15

Osiris. A t the top is the declaration of Osiris g i v i n g to the king life, strength, valour, m i g h t and j o y . Before the e m b l e m is a stand with four metal vases for l i q u i d s ; and behind it another stand with four stone vases covered with lotus flowers. T h e t w o large fans are doubtless copied from other articles of the furniture of the shrine. A l o n g the top the cornice of the shrine is figured, formed of uraei, and with pendant bunches of grapes along the lower edge. PL. I l l shows the barque of Osiris on the opposite wall of the same chapel. H e r e again is the Sacred H e a d with the w i g h a n g i n g down from it (see below on PL. X I I ) , reared on h i g h over the ark in the processional boat. T h e k i n g is (or the various kas of the k i n g are) shown upholding the t w o ram standards, embracing the ark, offering wine, and holding the steering o a r ; while H o r u s presides, and Isis and N e b h a t stand with upraised hands, crowned with water plants. T h e king also takes the place of one of the four hawk-headed genii below. T h e various fans and vases of offerings are much as those about the shrine. PL. I V shows the barque of A m e n , on which the k i n g performs every act, of steering, adoration, and f a n - b e a r i n g ; and h e is said to be the son of A m e n , born of Mut. T h e barque is lashed down b y rope ties to a sledge on which it could b e carried, or drawn along, in procession ; and it rests upon a highly decorated stand, with four figures of the k i n g supporting it. T h e elaborate stand of flowers in front of the boat is more detailed than in other instances. PL. V shows the barque of Harakhti, H o r u s of the t w o horizons. O n the prow are t w o draperies (?) hanging down, on which are seated the t w o forms of Horus, the east and the west, with S h u supporting the heaven between them, over which the sun passes. T h e boat is steered b y the dual Horus, and bears also the baboon seated with the e y e of Horus, and t w o goddesses upholding a disc (see Hawara PL. II). At the stern are the t w o ends of the double boat, like the t w o prows in front. I t is placed on a stand decorated with kneeling figures of the king. A n d behind there are t w o sphinxes of the king's kas. T h e barque on PL. V I bears the mummied hawk, and from other cases w e learn that this is the barque of Sokar. It is here carved over the entrance to the a n n e x belonging to the adoration of the early kings, and leading to the stairway p a s s a g e in which is a similar figure, which was passed on the w a y out to the r o y a l tombs. T h e structure of this barque is mysterious, and has evidently c o m e down from so

16

T H E T E M P L E OF T H E K I N G S .

early an age that the sense of the details was forgotten. The long row of oars projecting from the bows is a reminiscence of the long bank of oars shown along both the bows and stern sides in the prehistoric paintings ; the triple steering oars seem to hâve driven out the rowing oars from the stern half. The gazelle and oryx heads, and fish, and the chains hanging at the bows, are all fossilized details. Possibly the curved chain was to link the oars together in order to keep stroke ; and the straight chain may be derived from the tying-up rope (shown on the prehistoric vases) hanging from the figure-head at the prow. The row of hawks in place of oarsmen suggests possibly that the boat was rowed by the followers of Horus, the shem.su Heru. The lashing down of the boat to the stand shows that it was fixed high up between the four uprights on each side. The same high position was continued to late times (see Hawara, PL. II) ; but in Mariette's Dendera iv, 64, the oars have almost all disappeared. 35. The shrines are carved on the east wall of the hall at the back of the chapels. Three of the more interesting are shown here. On PL. V I I is the shrine of the mummified hawk Hor-si-ast, which is in a different form from that of the mummy hawk of Sokar. It is probably the hawk of Hierakonpolis. judging by the form. The shrine door is being opened by the king, revealing in the shrine a box or ark with a cornice round the top, and a sloping lid. Within the ark is the figure of the hawk on a stand carved with the dad and girdle tie amulets. On the top of the shrine is a bucranion, reminding us of those over the prehistoric doorways. On PL. V I I I is the shrine of the Horus hawk ; the door is opened by the king, who makes the offering of Maat. Within the corniced shrine is the figure of the crowned hawk, on a stand in the form of the primitive façade of carved woodwork, which originally represented probably the palace or the tomb door. On PL. IX is the portable shrine of the Shenty cow, in a mummified form, placed on its stand. This sacred animal is elsewhere unknown, and was probably a local divinity ; it may have been a sacred cow, or have acquired the form by being identified with Hathor, whose sistrum is hung to its neck. On the stand this divinity is put in parallelism to Osiris. The shrine door is open, and the king is offering incense at it. 36. On P u X are shown (1) the stone foundations

of the north half of the desert pylon; (2) the view from the top of the south end of the second hypostyle hall, looking along the top of the front wall of the chapels, and at the innermost row of columns of the hall; and (3) the western hall behind the seven chapels; the shrines just named are on the wall with shadows of the columns; the emblems in following plates are on the opposite wall, outside the left of the view. These and the other photographs in this volume were taken by Mr. Caulfeild. The view in the second hypostyle hall, on PL. XI, is taken diagonally through the columns, toward one of the doorways leading into the first hall. The chamber of the barques in the south annex is shown from the east end, looking along the bench which is against the north and west walls. The further account of this is given in noticing PL. X I X , The archway seen above it to the right is that over the stairway leading up to the desert. 37. Along the west wall of the western hall—the extreme back of the present temple—is a series of sacred standards being adored by the king, probably the figures of the various objects of adoration which were exhibited at the festivals. The greatest is the Sacred Head of Osiris (see PL. X I f) which is represented on the top of a great pole crowned with two feathers, the upper parts of which have disappeared in the destruction of the top of the wall. This central relic of the city appears in the familiar hieroglyph ab in the name of the place; and in fact the very name of Abydos—Abdu—is "the hill of the Sacred Head," this object being named ab from the generic name for a figure or symbol. One form of the ab sign is copied on PL. X V I I . right side of group 7 : but it frequently has the uraeus (reduced sometimes to the form of the spout of a jar) and the circlet on the head. The other sacred object on PL. X I I is the dad emblem of Osiris Khentamenti, clad with drapery, having the eyes expressing its life and intelligence, and bearing the two feathers, and the disc with the crowned serpents of Upper and Lower Egypt. On PL. XIII is the Ibis standard from the same wall, with figures of the king upholding it. It appears to be in one piece with its box-stand, as the poles for carrying it pass below the cornice of the stand. There are also runners at the base of the stand for drawing it along the ground. PL. X I V shows eight standards on the south side of the king's chapel. These appear to be four of the

ARCHAEOLOGICAL

Delta and four of Upper Egypt. The first is of Neit; second of Selk; third the emblem of Letopolis, the gods of which were Horus and Hathor, but the sign is unknown for a deity; fourth of R a ; fifth of Horus; sixth of Tahuti; seven and eight Upuat of the south and north. Compare the four standards borne before Narmer {Hierakonpolis /, xxix). For the inscriptions around these see Mariette's A bydos I, 28.

NOTES.

17

of Osiris, which shows details of the dress and a peculiar form of mace head. Fig. 6 is an example of the fringed scarves shown as offerings of clothing, from the chapel of Isis. Fig. 7 is a good instance of the incense-burner, from the south wall of the second hypostyle hall. Fig. 8 is part of a figure of Mut holding out a collar which seems to have been joined up like a pectoral in the front, and then hung by strings of beads across the shoulders to the menat. This is in the second hypostyle hall, between the chapels of Ptah and the king. On PL. X V I I are some selected details. The four columns of signs, fig. 1, are the names of four wines given on the north wall of the hall of Ptah-Sokar; they are interesting for the seated youthful figure of the goddess Neit, which is very rare ; the good example of the bird on fish hieroglyph ; and the name of a place, dua Hor kkent pet, which seems to have come down from the first dynasty where we find the similar place-names, Hor se khent du (Den, R.T. ii, xx, 161, etc.), Tep kket Hor (R.T. ii, xix, 154), and in the second dynasty dua Hor bau (R.T. ii, xxiii, 199). Figs. 2 to 5, from the chapel of Amen, show various modes of the king opening the doors of the shrines ; usually there seem to have been loop handles on the doors, but one instance, 4. shows a key being placed into the bolt to withdraw it, much on the principle of a modern eastern lock. Fig. 6 is a fine example of the mezed hieroglyph, from the north wall of the back stairway. The group of signs from the north wall of the second hypostyle hall, fig. 7, were chosen for the fineness and detail of their work, but in so late a period the forms were only traditional. Figs. 8 to 11 show various vases used for making offerings; from the forms it is clear that these were of metal, and they are usually coloured as gold. No. 8 is from the north-west chapel of Horus; 9 from the north-west chapel of Isis; 10 from the king's chapel; 11 from the Horus chapel. Fig. 12 is on the west wall of the western hall. Fig. 13, from the king's chapel, is a varied group of vases on stands; the head of a calf projecting from the bowl probably means that a figure of a calf was embossed in the bowl, such as is well known. Fig. 14 is the sign qed, on the west jamb of the north-west chapel of Osiris. Fig. i 5 is a vase, piled up with flour or incense, showing the wreath pattern around it; this is in the chapel of Horus.

38. Other emblems are shown on PL. X V . Fig. 1 seems to be the menat or counterpoise of a collar; compare that on the hawk, PL. VIII, in the chapel of Horus. Fig. 2 is the ordinary form of sistrum, with the uraeus in a shrine; from the chapel of Isis. Fig. 4 is an unusual form with Horus the child standing in the shrine, which is flanked by two lionheaded figures, perhaps Shu and Tefnut; from the north-west chapel of Osiris. Fig. 3 is shown as a small model offered by the king; probably it was a group in gold-work which was dedicated in the temple ; in the north-west chapel of Horus. Fig. 5 is the panther skin hung on a pole, from the northwest chapel of Isis; this was a very ancient emblem, appearing on tablets of Mena {Royal Tombs ii, iii, 4, 6 ; x, 2 ; xi, 2). The three stands, fig. 6, are those behind figures of the god Min, in the chapel of Amen. The middle form is most like that of the X l t h and X l l t h Dynasty (Koptos). The objects upon the stands are pretty certainly the spathes of the inflorescence of the palm; and this being a plant of which the fertilisation was always artificially performed, its flowers were a fit emblem of Min the god of fertility. It may be that Min was originally worshipped as the protector of the fertile palm groves, and thence became generalised, as he is never associated with any animal forms as might have been expected. The details of clothing and ornament on PL. X V I serve to explain more complex groups. In 1 and 3, from the chapel of Osiris, the deep collar of beads is seen to be quite separate from the fourfold bead necklace from which hangs the square pectoral. Fig. 2 is a very rare figure of Osiris, from his chapel to the north of the western hall; it is peculiar from having the ram's horn, and holding a form of hooked stick besides the usual heq sceptre. Fig. 4 is one of a row of figures, perhaps captives, in the chapel of Sokar, peculiar in wearing the sheath on which Dr. Naville has commented {Recueil xxii, 69). Fig. 5 39. The nome standards on PL. X V I I I , from the is part of the figure of Sety in the north-west chapel first hypostyle hall, are borne upon the heads of the D

i8

THE TEMPLE OF THE KINGS.

kneeling figures of the nomes, of which the fifth nome of Upper E g y p t is here shown in full. T h e numbers here given to these standards are those of the nomes, those missing having been destroyed in the sculptures. No. i, Elephantine; 2, E d f u ; 3, E l K a b ; 5, Q u f t ; 6, Nubt (near T u k h ) ; 7, Denderah; 8, A b y d o s ; 9, Ekhmim ; 10, Itfu (in two forms); 11, Shutb ; 12, A r a b el H e t a m ; 13, S i u t ; 14, E l K u s i y e h ; 15, Eshmuneyn ; 16, K o m el A h m a r ; 17, E l K a i s ; 18, El Hlbeh ; 19, Behnesa; 20, Ahnas ; 21, Abusir?. These modern names of the centres of the nomes will be more familiar than the ancient Egyptian forms ; and the Greek forms often used have no locus standi as between Sety and ourselves.

monument unto his father Osiris] Khentamentiu, Isis the Great, the mother of a God, Horus, the Avenger of his father, Sokaris Osiris in the place of the tomb (?), Nefertum, Neb-kau, Hor-heknu, Min-Ra, bull of his mother, T h e Moon-God, The Horus who is in heaven, the ka of the king Men-maat-ra (Sety I), (B.) T h e gods and goddesses in the temple of Menmaat-ra, making for them a place of pure offerings of manifestation, which are to be offered unto them as daily rations each day upon their (C.) pure altar that is within the house, their mysterious palace for partaking of sacrifice, after the god has been brought to his meals ; together with pure offerings which are to be offered to their kas (D.) each day upon their The nomes in Lower E g y p t are I, Memphis; 2, great place of the sacred seshem-bark which exalts Ushim ; 3, K o m el Hisn ?; 5, Sa el Hagar ; 7, Fueh?; the beauties of their majesties, in the performance of 8, Tell el Maskhutah. This is one of the best series their functions at every fit hour each day. . . . of nome signs, as most of the lists known to us belong The beginning of the inscription is lost. In view to far later times, when the forms were more corrupt. of the statement in the other half of the inscription In the temple of Ramessu II is a similar list, but we might preferably restore the name of A m e n - R a at of cities and not of nomes. T h e numbers here given the beginning thus : — " he hath made, as his monushow the relative order, and where gaps occur in the ment unto his father A m e n - R a king of the gods, series. 1 must be far in the south; 2 is Kush or Osiris] Khentamentiu," etc. Ethiopia; 3, Nubia ; 4, K o m Ombo ; 5, Elephantine ; T h e other inscription ( E - H ) r u n s : — 6, Silsileh; 7, E d f u ; 8, El K a b ; io, E s n e h ; \ 8, (E) " King Rameses II] giving life ; the good god, Erment; 19, T h e b e s ; 21, Medamot?; 22, Q u s ; 27, who furnishes . . . each day . . . of the lord of Dendereh ; 28, Hu ; 34, Eshmuneyn. The last three A b y d o s ; who fashions the divine forms resting upon seem to be part of a nome list, being the 14th, 3rd their thrones with the excellent workmanship of Ptah ; and 2nd, of Upper E g y p t the bark ' Exalter of the Beauties' of the Lords of the Abydos-nome (F) plated with electrum ; their 40. T h e chamber of the barques (see P l . X I ) has barge with silver in sackfuls (?) inlaid with gold ; poron three sides of it the long inscription, given on traying Those who are in the Barge in their noble P l . X I X , which is engraved on the edge of the bench. forms, (G) in their original natures. H e adds for The walls of the chamber bear figures of the various them (uah-f n-sn) offerings beyond their daily food, sacred barques, but without inscriptions. It seems festivals of heaven and earth on their appointed dates, then that this bench was for setting out the sacred and all season-feasts at their seasons ; (H) their liquorbarques, with all their fittings, as figured on the wall vessels are in hundreds of thousands of gold and above the bench ; thus they were ready to be taken silver, there is no end to the metal (?) to sanctify the up by the procession, which could pass uninterruptedly offering (r s-uab hetepi) to their kas. Amen-ra is at down the stairway from the upper floor, around the the head of them. There is reward for this in life whole length of the bench, and out by the door into stability and long life to the pious (?) User-Maat-Ra the corridor of the kings and the rest of the temple. Setep-en-Ra, Son of the Sun [Rameses II]." This inscription is in two halves: lines A B C on the In describing his good deeds at A b y d o s Rameses north side, D on the north half of the west side; does not fail to mention that Amen-Ra, the god of then E F G on the south side, and part of H on the his dynasty at Thebes, is made to take a leading south half of the west side. Parts are broken, and place in the temple here. " T h e excellent workmanunfortunately the beginning and end of each half is ship of Ptah " is an expression that reminds us that missing. Ptah was the divine artificer, identified by the Greeks Mr. F. LI. Griffith has translated the inscription from that point of view with Hephaestus. as follows:— 41. In the back chambers of the south annex, at (A.) [King Rameses I I ; he hath made, as his

ARCHAEOLOGICAL

the S.W. corner, are several painted walls in such condition that the subjects can be traced out The name on the small inscriptions of the objects is that of Sety I, and this work appears to be of his date, though only painted and not sculptured. Among these paintings—which have never been copied—are some interesting subjects, see PL, X X . Figs. 1 and 2 are metal vases of a very elaborate work, with animal heads as covers. Fig. 3 shows harps which had two sets of strings, apparently one to be played on by each hand ; this form with crossing strings is quite unknown hitherto. Fig. 4 is part of a wine press ; a frame supports the twisted cloth in which the wine lees were placed : and a cross head attached to the end of the cloth allows of its being twisted tighter, in place of the rude way with men wrenching poles in opposite directions, which is familiar on tombs of the old kingdom. A t the base is a copy of the inscribed sides of a foundation-deposit block, which was found by the desert pylon, naming the dedication to Sarapis Osiris, the great saviour, Dioskoros the eklogistes of the nome being the builder. Near this was a fragment of a great architrave with a few letters of a dedication by Ptolemy IV, pointing to a rebuilding of the pylon at that date. 42. The shrine of Yuyu and Un-nefer (PLS. X X I X X I I ) was found near the desert pylon. It is carved in one block of limestone, and has been chipped along the top in front, and a hole broken through the back. On one side is Unnefer adoring " Isis the Great, mistress of the g o d s " ; on the other side Yuyu adores Osiris, lord of Ta-zeser, where Yuyu is said to be father of Unnefer, se-ankh ran-f, a common phrase, which means " engraving his name " on the monument in question. The front of the shrine has three columns for Unnefer, and one for Y u y u ; here Yuyu is said to be maakheru, which he is not on the

NOTES.

19

side of the shrine. On the back the names, apparently of Yuyu and of the mother of Un-nefer, have both been erased. 43. A s I find that Mr. Caulfeild has not described the mode of laying out the temple plan in cubits, I here give a brief statement of it, so far as I observe it at sight. The breadth was designed as generally 100 cubits inside, with small variations ; and probably 110 over all. This 100 is divided at the first wall into 5 cubits for each door, and 10 between the doors, with 7 for the mid-door gained by deducting from the walls of it, which are each 9 instead of 10; the end spaces are only 2 instead of making a total of only 99 cubits. A t the chapels the division is 10 cubits each chapel, and 5 cubits each wall between, making 100 cubits. The doorways are 4 cubits wide on the face and 5 inside ; and 5 out, 6 in, for the mid door. Along the back the back hall is 40, the square hall 19, the south chambers 10, the north chambers 15, wall 3, closed chamber 12, making 102 cubits. The breadths of the annex chambers, which should have been built at the end of the temple, are peculiar. The total inside breadth of all is 92 ; and the 8 cubits off 100 has been gained by reducing each chamber one cubit, and so producing breadths of n , II (for 12), 19, 19, 23, 23 (for 24), 38 (for 40). The lengths parallel to the axis are also in cubits. The outer court is 80 cubits; first great wall, 7 ; first hypostyle hall, 22 ; middle wall, 5 ; second hypostyle hall, 30; front wall of chapels, 4 ; chapels 20; wall 3^ ; and N.W. chamber, 20 cubits. In the annex the south-east court is 16, and the chambers behind it are 20 cubits. The value of the cubit varies from '523 to '533 m. or 20*63 T 0 20*98 inches; the usual value is about 20*85 inches, and in any case this is a very long form of the cubit, which should normally be 20.65 inches.

(

20

)

I N D E X .

PAGE

Ab sign Abaci Abdu „ derivation of Abydos, derivation of name . Accuracy of observations . „ ,, laying out temple Alexander, legend of serpents Altar Alterations in temple . Amen, barque of „ son of

.

Amen-Ra Ancestor worship . . . Angles of temple walls . „ „ temenos walls . Anhur „ identified with Shu Annex, southern, of temple „ „ „ „

.

. . . . .

. . . . .

16 5,11 16 16 16 2, 3 3 15 18 5 15 15

18 2,14 . 2, 3 12,13 15 . 15 .2,14 its

original position . . . . 14 „ „ „ „ measurements of 19 Architectural details . . . 11,14 Architrave, inscribed . . . . 19 Area of temple . . . . 2,3,9 Ark 15, 16 A x i s of Sety temple . . . 1, 2 , 4 j, „ „ „ pointing to R o y a l Tombs . . . . 14

Baboon, with sacred eye . . . 15 Barque, of A m e n 15 „ double 15 „ of Harakhti . . . . 15 „ „ Osiris 15 „ „ Sokar 15 Barques . . . 8,14,15,16,18 „ chamber of r, 2,8, 10, 14, 18 „ lashing of 16

Barques, position of . Bead collar „ necklace Bench, stone, inscribed Bird on fish Blocks, courses o f . . „ weight of Bolt of door Bonding of walls . . Bowl Bucranion Building, construction in „ irregularities in Bunches of grapes Buttresses of temenos. of temple . yj

C a l f s head Cartouche Causeway Censer Chain at bows „ of oars . „ tying up Chamber A „ B „ C „ L „ M „ N „ P

.

.

.

PAGE

PAGE

16 17 17 . . 1, 8 , 1 8 17 . . . 11 6 17 . . 2,11 8, 17 16 . . . 11 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 , 1 1 , 1 2 , 14 15 . . . 12 . . . 6

Chamber i n a c c e s s i b l e . . . . 7 » » explanation of 14 „ of barques 1 , 2 , 8 , 1 0 , 1 4 , 1 8 „ north-west . . . . 7 „ „ its intended connection with corridor of kings 14

.

.

.

.

.

17 4, 5 2 15,17 16 16 16 6 6,7 6,7 7 7 7 7

» „ „ „ „

Q R S T W

7 7 7 8,10 10

» „ „

X Y Z

9 8 , 9 , 10 8, 10

„ 0. C Chapel, funerary . . Chapels of temple. . Christie, H. L Clothing . Collar of beads Columns, bases of „ cylindrical . „ lotus-headed „ measurements

. .

.2,13,14 . 4, 6 , 1 4 14 17 17 11 . . . 5,8 . . . 4,5 of . 4, 5, 6, 7, S „ spacing of . 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Construction of doors. . . . 1 2 „ „ temple . 11, 13, 14 Copts, alterations by . . . 9 „ destruction b y . . . .8, 11 Corners of chambers . . .2,3,11 „ „ temenos . . . 12,13 Cornice of uraei . . . •4,5,15 Corridor of K i n g s . . - 5, 8, 10, 18 Counterpoise 17 Courts, outer, of temple . . • 3, 4 „ S.E 8,10 Cramps, ebony n „ granite 11 Cubits 19

Dad „ eyes of Dedication by Ptolemy I V . Dendereh

16 .

.

19 16

21

INDEX. PAGE

PAGE

Desert or temenos pylon . i , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 9 „ „ „ foundations of 16 „ ,, ,, rebuilding of 19

Hall west 6, 7 „ „ chambers of . 7 Handles, loop 17 Harps, double strung . . . . 19 Hathor 16,17 „ crowned 16 Hawk, mummied 15 „ „ of Hor-se-ast . 16 „ „ ofSokar . 15,16 Hawk-headed genii . . . . 15 „ oarsmen . . . 1 6 „ spirits . . . . 15

Destruction by Copts. . . . 8,11 Dioskoros, Eklogistes of nome . 19 Disc and uraei . 1 6 „ upheld by goddesses . . 15 Discovery of desert pylon. . . 13 „ „ meaning of Sety temple 13 „ „ temenos . . . . 13 Door handles 17 „ key 17 „ of desert pylon . . . . 12 » »j » „ hinge post of 12 „ „ shrine. . . . 1 5 , 1 6 , 17 Doorposts 6,11 Doorways . . . . 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 „ blocking of 4 „ measurements of . 19 Double barque . . . . . 15 Dua

Hor

khentpet

.

.

Emblem of Letopolis . „ „ Min Emblems „ of Osiris

.

.

.

,

1

.

Fans Feathers of Osiris head . . „ on dad Fish Followers of Horus . . . . Foot-marks cu t Foundation block Foundations of desert pylon . „ of temenos walls „ of temple . . Funerary chapel . . . .2, Funnel-shaped holes for lighting

7

17 17 17 r6

15 15,16 16 16 16

Head of Osiris 15,16 Heq sceptre 17 Hierokonpolis 16,17 Hooked stick 17 Horus 15,17 „ dual 15 „ eye of 15 „ followers of . . . . 16 „ the child 17 House ruins . . . . . . 12 Hypostyle Hall 4 „ „ first . . . .4,17 „ „ second . . 5 , 1 6 , 17

Ibis standard 16 Incense 15,17 Incense-burner . . . . 15,17 Inscriptions . . . . . 13,17 „ in chamber of barques 18 „ in great tomb . . 13 „ on shrine . . . . 19 Irregularities of building 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 4 Isis and Nebhat

19 12, 16 . 12 3,8,9 13, 14 . 7

15

Jackal god, Anpu „ „ Up-uat . . . . ,, tracks Jambs, door . . . . 5, &, 11, Jar spout, error for uraeus . .

15 15 15 17 16

PAGE

15, 16

K i n g offering incense. „ „ wine . „ opening door .

• IS 16, 17

Levels 3, 5, 7 , 8 , 9 , 1 0 „ of floors 3,9 Lighting of temple . . . .7,8 Limestone 7,8,12,13 „ shrine 19 Lion-headed figures . . . 15,17 List of kings in Sety temple . . 2,14 Lists of nomes 18

Maat 16 Mace head 17 Manual of Archaeology, Maspero 6, 9 Mariette . . . . 1,7,8,9,14 Marshalling of processions 14, 18 Maspero, Prof. 6, 8 , 9 Measurements. 2» 3» 4 „ of chambers • 7 „ „ chapels 3» 4, 6 „ „ columns 5,6 „ „ courts 4 „ „ doors 5 „ „ halls 4) 5 „ „ passages 5 „ „ pillars „ „ temenos. 1 2 , 1 3 , 14 „ „ temple >, „ „ in cubits. 19 „ „ temple walls 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 „ irregularity of or counterpoise . . . 1 7 17 17 16

Min, emblem of Mummified cow „ hawk Mut . . .

15,

n

Narmer, standards o f . Gate 8, 10 Gateway 10,12,13 Gazelle head 16 Girdle tie 16 Goddesses upholding disc. . . 15 Grapes, bunches of . . . . 15 Griffith, F. LI 18

Hadrian, coins of Hall, small columned .

.

.

.

5

Ka

King, adoring . bearing fan. embracing ark figured . holding „ „ making

Ibis stand Osiris emblem steering oar offerings .

. 18 15.16 15 15 15 16 15 15 16.17

„ seated figure . Niches in wall Nome standards . . . Nomes, kneeling figures of

Oars Offering jars . „ mounds' „ vases .

• . .

17

17, I S •

I/

.

16

•

14 2

• > I

I

4

5rIî,

22

INDEX. PAGE

Offerings Oryx head Osiris „ barque of „ chapel „ emblem „ shrine „ with ram's h o r n .

.

.

18 16 15 15 15,17 15 14,15 . 1 7

P a l m spathes 17 P a n t h e r skin on pole . . . . 17 Passages 2, 5, 6, 7 , 1 0 Pectoral 17 Petrie, Prof. W. M. F. . . . 1 Pillars, measurements of . . 4, 5, 7 „ spacing o f . . . . 4,5> 7 Plan, alteration in 14 „ „ „ former, evidences of 14 Plans 3 „ of temple 14 Points of compass 3,12 Portico 8,10, xi Processional way 14 „ „ its former direction 14 Processions, marshalling of . 8 , 1 4 , 18 Ptah 18 „ Sokar 17 Ptolemy I V , dedication by . . 19 Pylon 4 „ oftemenos . . .1,12,13,19 „ „ „ foundations of 1 2 , 1 6 „ „ ,, rebuilding of . 19

Royal T o m b s , temple facing . Rubble filling Runners

PAue 2 11 15,16 .

Sacred barques . . .8,14,15,16 „ h e a d of Osiris . . . 15,16 „ „ „ „ K h e n t a m e n t i 15 Sanctuary of temple . . . .2,6 Sandstone 6 „ blocks inscribed . . 13 Sarapis Osiris 19 Scarf, fringed 17 Se-ankh-ran-f 19 Selk 17 Serpents leading way . . . . 1 5 Sety I 13,14 „ figured . . . . 15,16, 17 „ kas of 15 Sheath 17 Shemsu heru

16

PAGE

Steps K „ Q „ v Stones used in construction temple Strabo Sun Survey of temple

10 10 10 of 4 7 15 1

T a b l e of Abydos 2,14 Tahuti 15, 17 „ titles of 15 T e m e n o s of Sety T e m p l e 1 , 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3 „ discovery o f . . . . 13 „ doors into . . . . 9 „ irregularity of . . . 1 2 „ measurements of 12, 13, 14 „ pylon . . .1,12,13,19 „ „ foundation o f . 12, 16 ,, „ rebuilding of . . 19

„ walls 12 Shenty cow 16 Temple, relation to tombs . 13,14 Shrine, door of 15, 1 6 , 1 7 „ of Rameses I I . . . 1 8 „ of Hor-se-ast . . . . 16 „ „ „ „ list of cities 18 „ „ Horus 16 „ „ „ „ „ n o m e s 18 „ „ Osiris . . . . 14,15 . 5 „ „ Shenty c o w . . . . 36 T e m p l e of Sety, alterations in „ „ „ altered plan of . 14 „ „ Yu-yu a n d Un-nefer . 19 „ „ „ chapels of . 1 , 3 , 4 Shu 15 „ „ „ commemorative „ and T e f n u t . . . . 15,17 of early kings 2 Sighting of temple axis . . .1,2 „ „ „ connection with Sistrum 16, 17 Royal T o m b s . . . . 14 Sledge of barque . . . . . 1 5 „ „ „ construction of 1 1 , 1 3 , Sloped way t o t e m p l e . . . . 4 14 „ ways 5 „ „ „ doorways 4, 5, 6, 7, Sokar 15 8,9 „ chapel of 17 „ „ „ as funerary chapel 2, Sphinxes of royal kas . . . . 1 5 Qed sign 17 13' 1 4 Staircase 2, 8, 9, 10 „ foundations of . . 3,8,9 Stand 16,17 „ g r o u n d selected for . 1 „ for vases 15,17 Ra 17 „ „ „ „ slope „ of flowers 15 R a m standards 15 of 3 15,16 Rameses I I 18 Standards .2,14 „ list of kings in . „ ibis 16 R a m ' s horn 17 „ measurements o f . • 2, 3>*9 „ of Narmer . . . . 17 Religious texts . . . . 13,18 „ outer courts of • • 3,4 „ „ nomes . . . 17, 18 Rock, erroneous statements about 1, „ passages . . .2,5,6, 7,10 „ „ ram 15 8,14 former „ plan alterations in „ „ Tahuti . . . . 15 R o m a n coins 12 . . 14 evidences of . „ „ Up-uat of the N . . 15 „ house remains . . 12,13 . .2,8 „ processions in „ „ „ „ • i5 Roof 10,11 . . 14 „ purpose of . „ „ U p p e r a n d Lower Egypt „ construction of . . . . 11 . . 2,6 „ sanctuary of . . 16, 17 „ footmarks o n 11 . . 14 „ sculptures Steering oars 15,16 „ raised 8,10 „ sloped way to . • 4 7,8,11 „ stairs leading to . . . . 10 Steps 2, 6, 9 , 1 0 „ staircases. „ D 10 „ vaulted 6,8 „ H 10 R o p e ties 15

INDEX.

23 PAGE

PAGE

Up-uat, titles o f

T e m p l e , symmetrical arrangement of

I

„

walls of

.

.

.

. 3,10,11

Terrace „

„

„

„

f a c i n g of .

16

„

„

„

measurements of 3, 4,

„

„

„

rubble filling of

in sign

T i t l e s of A n p u

15

V a l u e of cubit .

.

15

V a s e s metal

i5> 17, 19

„

„ Up-uat „

,,

„

„

. 1, 2 , 1 4

temple o f . „

.

.

14

facing.

.

2

.

„

stone

„

with animal heads

V a u l t e d roofs . V u l t u r e of M u t

.

.

.

19

• . .

• 15 . 19 .6,8

•

15,17

11

.

11

Wall, painted

19

W a t e r plants

15

W i g , holy, of Osiris „

details of

„

on pole

.

.

.

„

15,16 16 15,16

Wine

15, 17 press

W o r s h i p of ancestors . Un-nefer

.

5, 6, 8, 9, 1 1

17

5 15

.

11

„

Thinis .

T o m b s , R o y a l , o f dyn. I .

W a l l o f temple, courses of blocks

4, 5 , 1 5

U r a e u s o f ab sign

4, 5, 10 of chapels

15

Uraei

19 .

,

.2,14

19

Up-uat, c o n n e c t e d with A n p u „

of the N o r t h .

„

„

„

South

.

. .

. .

.

15

W a l l of T e m e n o s

15,17

„

„ temple

15,17

„

„

„

12 .

.

3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 9

b o n d i n g of

.

.2,11

Yuyu

19

1 :7

ABYDOS.

TEMPLE

OF T H E

K I N G S : S H R I N E OF

HAWK.

VIII.

1:6

ABYDOS.

TEMPLE

OF T H E K I N G S : S H R I N E O F

SHENTY.

IX,

HALL

BEHIND

THE

SEVEN

CHAPELS,

LOOKING

NORTH

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E OF T H E

KINGS.

XII.

ABYDOS.

TEMPLE

OF T H E

KINGS ; IBIS.

XIII.

1:7

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E OF T H E KINGS: STANDARDS.

'M J1A

XIV.

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E OF T H E KINGS: N O M E

STANDARDS.

XVIII.

X X

S0

e 3

m

(1

H

óÒ

l-r •1 E!

\

1 : 6

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E OF T H E

KINGS:

WALL

PAINTINGS.

1:2 I N S C R I B E D S I D E S O F B L O C K O F F O U N D A T I O N

y

FOUND A T

/ ^ ( r i e j M

DESERT

XX.

DEPOSITS:

PYLON.

O o T H P /

A j O c K o p

£ r M >

r

C T H

C

i

T O Y > K O M O Y

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ABYDOS.

SHRINE

OF

UN-NEFER.

FRONT

AND

SIDË.

XIX.

DYN.

XXI.

ABYDOS.

SHRINE

OF UN-NEFER.

BACK AND SIDE.

XIX.

DYN.

XXII.

1:1000

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E O F T H E KINGS: T E M E N O S .

XXIII.

JM" DIRGCTlON OF ^ ^ MOUND 93 M. Ot

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E OF T H E

1;500

1:1200

PLAN WITH TO SHEW

VARIATIONS

XXV.

KINGS, PLAN

OF ROOF OF SOUTH

ANNEX.

EXAGGERATED

IRREGULARITIES.

1,2000

ORIGINAL

DESIGN,

BEFORE

•jlj

THE

TRANSFERENCE

OF T H E

m

::::::::::::

KM.F.P.

BACK

HAC.LS.

1 : BOO

ABYDOS.

T E M P L E OF T H E

XXVI.

KINGS.

Depth of line shading

shews the various floor

levels.