The XIth dynasty temple at Deir el-Bahari .. - NYU | Digital Library ...

oki'ii I)rti\vM waix' vases and fragiaciits of his
fuueral kiiiiiturt'. Tliis was a cliainber-tomb of
simple form : at tlie bottom of a shaft 15 ft. deep
was a rectangular chamber in which the dead
body had been placed with its appurtenances.
(See p. 4.'^ and PI. xi. for plan and section).
The exploration of the great Xlth Dynasty
wall soon resulted in a surprise. It proved
to be a mask to a solid mass of mountain-
rock, carefully sijuared, about 1 ."J ft. in
height At this height tlie rock ceased, and
was found to be artiticiallv Sfpiared on the top
as well as at the side. Examining the surface
of the top, remains of a pavement of heavy slabs
of dull grey sandstone were brought to light. It
was evident that we had here an artificially pre-
pared platform with the remains of building
upon it, probably the Xlth Dynasty temple, the
existence of which had ali'eady been presumed,
but the situation and character of which were
unknown.
Accordinglv our efforts were directed to the
clearing of this platform from above and of the
facing wall from below, and the latter work
included the complete clearance of the court.
This work was continued until, after the wall
had been uncovered, with its base, for a distance
of 120 ft. in a westerly direction, it was brought
to an end by the discovery (January 1st, 1904),
of a transverse wall (I'l. viii., fig. 1), of the
same character as the platform-wall, running oil'
at a remarkably acute angle (I'l. viii., fig. 10;)
" like the bows of a boat," ze wahid dahalii/a, as
the workmen said, X.-E. to the Hathor-shrine
of Hatshepsu's temple, and passing away under
it. The i)latform of the Hathor-shrine had, as
lias already been mentioned, been built over it.
As the expk)ration proceeded, the platform-wall,
after two complete breaks down to the base-
blocks, became finer and more perfect until the
point of junction with the transverse wall. Here,
and for 20 ft. or so on either side of it, b(jth
walls are intact, with rounded coping-stones in
place (PI. viii., fig. 10) ; perfect specimens of
THE TEMPLE AND ITS EXCAVATION. 21
the stonework of the Middle Kingdom, far
superior to any of the XVIIIth Dynasty work
around.
Both walls were set in trenches cut in the
rock 1 8 ins. below the level of the rest of the
court. In both cases these trenches were made
considerably wider than the walls, in order to
give space for the work of the masons. The
afterwards unnecessary space was filled up with
rubl)ish to the level of the court.
Behind the transverse wall, which runs under
the 1 lathor-shrine, the sloping rock-face, against
which the platform of the shrine is reared, was
found, and the court was thus completely cleared.
This was not finally effected till January IJth,
1 90-4, as progress had latterly been very slow,
owing to the increasing height of the rulibish
mounds. At the end the loose (h'hris came roll-
ing down incessantly from a height of fifty or
sixty feet, far above the Hathor-shrine. Retain-
ing walls of ddbsh (fragments of limestone) had
to be built above the transverse wall to prevent
further falls.
It was during the excavation of this court
that the interesting deposit of XN'IIlth Dynasty
votive offerings and the Coptic dust-heap,
already mentioned, were found.
4. The Lower Colonnades and i;.\.\ii' of
THE XIth Dynasty Temi-i.i:.
Simultaneously with the clearing of the top
of the rock-platform the eastern face of the X Ith
Dynasty cross-wall limiting the North Court on
the east was cleared. The platform- wall (the
Xlth Dynasty wall of great Ijlocksj was found to
pass behind it eastwards for a few feet, and
then to turn abruptly south at a right angle.
We had therefore reached the eastern face of
the platform. On the following day (December
12th, 1903) a square pillar of grey sandstone,
sculptured with the name and titles of a King
Mentuhetep with the hawk-name Sam-taiii,
" Uuiter of the Two Lands," was found (PI. viii.,
fig. 8, Arckaeological Report, 1903-4, PI. ii..