From the south-east angle the foundation of the wall rises, to about the middle of the eastern side, and then falls again, down to the Golden Gate and beyond. The construction of the Golden Gate is still a vexed question; it is possibly a reconstruction of comparatively late date, but it stands on the ancient foundations of a gateway, which in some measure correspond with those of the Triple Gate. North of the Golden Gate the rock still falls, and the depth of rubbish in the depression is in the deepest part 125 feet. Yet the wall is built up from the bottom, and is carried across the depression to the higher rock surface north of it. It extends beyond the north-east angle of the Haram without showing any break at that point; and this seems to favour the idea that a break may be found more to the south, where the Haram terminated before Herod enlarged its area. In fact the masonry north of the Golden Gate is of a rougher sort than that south of it. But it is impossible to examine the buried portion of the east wall at all points, because a Mohammedan cemetery covers the ground, and excavation among the graves is forbidden. It was only by sinking shafts at a distance from the wall, and employing a method of laborious tunnelling, that the depth of the foundations could be ascertained. Warren’s work hereabout has been pronounced by Sir Charles Wilson to be without a parallel in the history of excavation. “In one shaft alone no less than 600 feet run of shaft and gallery was excavated.” If we might only explore freely within this cemetery Warren is confident that we should come upon those huge stones--20 cubits long and 6 cubits thick--which Solomon laid down on this side when he built the temple (Josephus, Ant. xx. 9,7). One would suppose that the present north-east angle, added by Herod, was of much later date than the south-eastern; yet here again “Phœnician” masons’ marks are found. Masons’ marks, however, may have a tendency to remain the same through many ages. It is a curious fact that the red paint with which they were put on has “run” in one instance, while still wet, and the trickling is _upwards_ as the stone stands in the wall. This shows that the marking was done before the stone was placed, and very likely at the quarry.