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Vol.34.p.818

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Diary Transcription:

page 818

microfilm: begin page 818

Sunday, May 14, 1939

Work on
(1) G 2239c A
(2) east of G 5230

(1) G 2239c
G 2239c A: Found in the west wall of the chamber: inscribed limestone fragment in relief [39-5-39].

(2) East of G 5230
East of that mastaba, between it and the serdabs, searching for granite fragments of statues: limestone debris, rubble and stones. Nothing found.

Monday, May 15, 1939

Work on:
(1) west of G 7510

(1) West of G 7510
Searching for broken inscribed fragments from G 7420 chapel: sand, limestone debris, rubble and stones. Nothing found.

Also today we removed the debris which was on top of the inscribed stele, which is west of that mastaba, or north of 7420 and south of G 7430, (Mr. Bill would like to see it): sand, stone, and limestone debris.

Tuesday, May 16, 1939
Day of rest.

WHAT A DAY, GEORGE A. REISNER AND HIS FAMILY PLUS EVELYN LEFT EGYPT TO AMERICA. They left Cairo by the 12:30 train to catch the boat on the same day at 6:10 p.m. from Alexandria to Boston. In the Cairo Station there were most of the Eureopean [sic] people living in Egypt (the Highest Eureopean [sic] people) went to say good bye for the Mudir, also were all the office staff, and all the Egyptian boys working for the Harvard-Boston Expedition or in a short way working for Dr. George Reisner. Reisner say good bye to every one of his Egyptian boys by kissing him twice or more, that makes all the Egyptians who were on the platform or in the Cairo Station looks very surprised and said what a kind man to his men. That really makes everybody of us weep or nearly weep. In the same train Mohammed Said Ahmed left Cairo to Alexandria to help them with the luggage and to say good by to them on the boat.
Dr. Reisner left Cairo to Boston this year to attend his class celebration of the 50th anniversary class 89', also Harvard University is going to give him his high degree, "Doctorate" in Letters.
We all hoping to have them all back to Egypt nearly at the end of July 1939 (perhaps on the 24th of July) INSHALLAH.

Wednesday, May 17, 1939

Work on:
(1) top of G 2430

(1) G 2430
[On top of the mastaba.] Searching for the remains of the lining and the shafts. Sand, limestone debris and rubble. Nothing exposed yet.

Thursday, May 18, 1939

Work on:
(1) G 2430

(1) G 2430
In the mastaba in exposing the lining: sand, limestone debris, and rubble. Exposed the lining of the street which is continued with the chapel named Lepsius 25, running north-south. Rest of lining not yet exposed on east.

Friday, May 19, 1939

Work on:
(1) G 2430

(1) G 2430
In that mastaba in exposing the remains of the lining: sand, limestone debris and rubble. Part of the lining exposed on north.

Saturday, May 20, 1939

Work on:
(1) G 2430

(1) G 2430
On top of the mastaba in removing the debris, to expose the lining on west. Sand, limestone debris, rubble and dirty debris. Nothing exposed yet.

Four of the house boys left to Quft: Rifai Abd el Azim, Attito [Attito Mahmud], Dahi, Ahmed Said, Mohamed Salem.

microfilm: end page 818

Details

  • Classification
    Documentation-Expedition diary pages
  • Department
    Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
  • Credit Line
    Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
  • Display Page Dates
    05/14/1939 through 05/20/1939
  • Mentioned on page
    Ahmed Said Ahmed [Diraz]
    Attito Mahmud el-Nahi
    Dahi el-Batlan
    Evelyn Esther Perkins, British
    George Andrew Reisner, American, 1867–1942
    Miss Mary Reisner, American, 1902–1963
    Mohamed Salem
    Mrs. Mary Reisner, American
    Rifai Abd-el-Azim
    William Stevenson Smith, American, 1907–1969
  • Translator
    Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]
  • Author
    Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

Tombs and Monuments 4

  • G 2239

    • Site Name Western Cemetery

  • G 2430

    • Site Name Western Cemetery

  • G 5230

    • Site Name Western Cemetery

  • G 7510

    • Site Name Eastern Cemetery

People 12

Modern People

  • Ahmed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Son of Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Head Reis 1908-1926), brother of Mohammed Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Head Reis 1936-1939) and Mahmoud Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Translator).

  • Attito Mahmud el-Nahi

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Brother of Ahmed Mahmud el-Nahi.

  • Dahi el-Batlan

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Dig house worker who ironed clothes for the ladies.

  • Evelyn Esther Perkins

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates British
    • Remarks Secretary to George Reisner

  • George Andrew Reisner

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates American, 1867–1942
    • Remarks Egyptologist, archaeologist; Referred to as "the doctor" and "mudir" (Arabic for "director") in the excavation records. Nationality and life dates from Who was Who in Egyptology.

  • Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]

    • Type Translator
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Diary translator. Son of Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Head Reis 1908-1926). Brother of Mohammed Said Ahmed (Head Reis 1936-1939). Family name, Diraz, was supplied by Said Ahmed Said's grandsons in 2006.

  • Miss Mary Reisner

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates American, 1902–1963
    • Remarks Daughter of George and Mary Reisner

  • Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

    • Type Author
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Head Reis for the Harvard-MFA expedition, 1936–1939. Son of Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Head Reis 1908-1926) and brother of Mahmoud Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Translator) and Ahmed Said Ahmed [Diraz]. Family name, Diraz, was supplied by Said Ahmed Said's grandsons in 2006.

  • Mohamed Salem

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Son of Salem Hassan (Expedition cook).

  • Mrs. Mary Reisner

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates American
    • Remarks Wife of Dr. George Reisner, mother of Miss Mary Reisner.

  • Rifai Abd-el-Azim

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Expedition worker at Giza.

  • William Stevenson Smith

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates American, 1907–1969
    • Remarks Egyptologist; Curator, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Nationality and life dates from Who was Who in Egyptology.