In his exploration of the large Necropolis east of El Qasr and
Bawitti, Steindorff records the finding of a tomb of the New Empire,
dating from the beginning of the 19th Dynasty (B.C. 1300). On clearing
out this tomb, extremely interesting decorations were found on its
walls. The tomb consists of several chambers hewn in the rock,
only two of which are decorated with reliefs, and belonged to a
certain Amenhotep, prince of the Northern Oasis and of the Oasis
Huye. The explorer records that on one of the walls of the first
chamber Amenhotep is represented sitting by his wife, his people
bringing to him all kinds of drinks and food, including fish; on
another wall he is seen superintending the manufacture of wine,
while on a third is a lively representation of the funeral of the
deceased. The pictures on the walls of the second room are of similar
kind, but of a more religious character.
Steindorff remarks that this is the first important tomb of Egyptian
age to be found in the oases of the Libyan Desert. It appears to have
been used later on for other interments, as several clay mummy-shaped
coffins were found; from these the mummies had disappeared, but a
few relics such as scarabei, a gold earring, a bronze mirror, etc.,
were found.
To the Egyptian period also belongs a limestone statue of the same
_Ded-Khens-ef-Onkh_ who erected the two temples of the 26th Dynasty
already mentioned; Steindorff found this in one of the houses at
El Qasr.
A sandstone ruin situate 2 kilometres due west of Zubbo, mapped but
not examined by the Survey, would appear to be that of another small
Egyptian temple. It is marked on Cailliaud’s map as “débris de
Temple,” but is not mentioned in his description.
Yet a fifth temple in Baharia would seem to be represented by the ruin
“Qasr Mayesra,” 2 kilometres north-west of Mandisha, visited by
Ascherson. This ruin, which is also mentioned by Belzoni, Cailliaud,
and Wilkinson, is a small structure of sandstone 7·91 metres long,
6·24 metres broad, having only one room (entered from the north),
and oriented to the cardinal points. The stones of this ruin have
Greek letters and other signs cut in them, possibly mason’s marks;
they are so striking as to have been seen from a distance through
a telescope by Belzoni.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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