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

48 THE Xlni JJYNASTV TEMPLE AT DEIR EL-BAHARI.
that the suporimposv'd pavement was quite
iiidepeadent of that of the remainder of the
temple, so that Avhen the blocks immediately
over the opening were removed, none of the
side slabs overhung the entrance, as was the case
ill all the other tomb-pits. This seems to
suggest that the person for whom the tomb was
intended (no doubt a queen or iDrincess) did
not die before the completion of the temple.
The idea of making a romli for her here
was given up when the shaft had been partly
excavated (cf. No. (i). It may be that this
(jueen, unlike the other princesses, survived the
king, and so was not buried here.
No. 9. Tomb of Kunit. (Plan and Section,
PI. xi.)—This tomb was made to the south of
the western entrance of the inner enclosure.
In type it is similar to No. 7, but the shaft is
deeper, being 20 ft. instead of 15 ft. deep. The
greater part of the pavement had been removed
by the plunderers, with the exception of several
blocks at the western end which had been left
in position. These Avere crudely supported by
beams of ^ont (acacia) wood wedged into the
sides of the shaft. It is certain that we must
assign this propping to the later plunderers and
not to the original l)uilders of the temple, since
the supports would Ije totally insufficient to
bear any considerable weight, such as that of
numbers of people passing over, Avhich they
would have had to bear had they been part of
the original arrangements (not to speak of the
column which actually stood right over this
shaft ; see below) ; whereas they Avould amply
suffice for the needs of plunderers.
The shafts were probably originally iilled in
quite solid after the Inirial had taken place,
often, no doubt, in the same way as No. 8. A
column of the temple-colonnade had originally
stood over the centre of the shaft opening of
No. 9, and this enormous weight can scarcely
have been entrusted to the feeble support of
rough beams of >iunt wood. A filling, either
solid like that uf No. 8, or, mure probably, of
boulders and nodules of flint (see below), like
those used in the construction of the pyramid-
base (see p. 28), must have been used. Later
on the column Avas thrown down, the original
filling thrown out, and the tomb violated.
Then the shaft got full of the usual temple
debris to Avithin six feet of the bottom. From
this point it was found by us to be packed tight
with heavy lumps or nodules of flint, whicli kept
in jjlace a great slab of blue sandstone blocking
the entrance to the chamber. This Avas the
original slab which had been used for the Xlth
D}'nasty burial, and it had been replaced in
position bA' the plunderers Avhen the}' left. A
smaller block had been placed on top of this to
completely seal the aperture. The plunderers
had also replaced a part of the filling of flint
nodules.
On finding this " door " in position Ave Avere
of course in hope that the original burial Avould
be found intact, but Avere doomed to dis-
appointment.
The ancient mummv had been searched, but
roughlv tied up again and left in its limestone
sarcophagus.
The sarcophagus, however, ampl\' reAvarded
our eftorts. This great limestone coSin, noAv in
the Cairo Museum, Avas not made of a single
block (as Avas the case in the tombs on the north),
but in sections Avliich fitted into one another
Avith marvellous accuracy, being held in place
by bolts, jarobably of metal, driven through the
corners ; these had been removed. The base
Avas a single large block of limestone Avith grooves
into Avhich the sides fitted. The lid also of a
single piece of stone fitted closely into the top,
so that its surface Avas level with the upper edge
of the sides. The Avhole Avould consequently
form an air-tight box. In the lid four holes
Avere bored, by Avhich the lid could be lowered
into position Avith ropes or bolts. This had been
thi'OAvn back and stood against the Avail. The
upper edges of the sides had Ijeen someAvhat
broken in the attempts to remove the lid,