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Vol.34.p.830

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Diary Transcription:

page 830

microfilm: begin page 830

Tuesday, August 15, 1939
Today we finished packing of five big boxes. Nos. MFA 355 to 359. The boxes are addressed and numbered and ready. Two carpenters working.

Wednesday, August 16, 1939
Today we packed BGS boxes inside BG boxes and finally we packed them in MFA boxes. The last MFA box is No. 362. The other MFA box No. 363 is especially for the curtain box of Queen Hetepheres G 7000 X. we pack the box in and address it. Two carpenters working and a third one for half a day.

Thursday, August 17, 1939
We brought a lorry to take the boxes in two times to the Cairo Museum to be sealed. All the MFA boxes are nine. I took eleven of our men to the Museum to deliver the boxes. We finished from the Museum at 3 p.m. The boxes are not sealed today. Two carpenters were working today.

Friday, August 18, 1939
Hamid Genawi went to the Suez for special things and he will be back after two days.

Saturday, August 19, 1939
Early in the morning Mr. W.S. Smith left to Alexandria and will sail at noon to America. Mohammed Said and seven men to the Cairo Museum to seal the boxes, to be ready to sail this week, perhaps on Monday. Mohammed Said Ahmed left by the night train to Quft for ten days.

Saturday, August 26, 1939
Mahmoud Said, Sammam and Salem [Salem Hassan] went in town to buy things to be kept in case of war. The carpenter is working in "doulabs" in Mr. Frank's room.

Sunday, August 27, 1939
The carpenter is working in the rock cut tombs. North of the camp, in case of war or gas.

Tuesday, August 29, 1939
Mohammed Said Ahmed arrived from Quft early in the morning.

September 1, 1939
Today the war between Germany and Poland started.

Saturday, September 2, 1939
Mahmoud Sayed went in town to buy things needed by the kitchen "food" in case of war. All these things and the previous things are kept in boxes in Han's room. In cleaning and preparing the road between the camp and the north cliff (the tomb for the Dr. and the European staff). Take off the white paint on the walls north of the Dr.'s office.

Monday, September 4, 1939
Mr. Frank Allen went in town and brought gas masks for all the Egyptians, guards, house boys and the children. At 5 p.m. we went to the rock cut tombs after hearing the whistle. And it finished after 15-20 minutes.

Tuesday, September 5, 1939
In filling the sand bags.

Wednesday, September 6, 1939
In filling the sand bags and replaced them north of the office, and they are ready if anything happens.

Friday, September 8, 1939
Mohammed Said asked the Dr. for an advance for two pounds for each one in the camp (guards, house boys, and Yunis) total thirty-two men.

Wednesday, September 20, 1939
Mohammedani was ordered to photograph the chapel of G 5280. He went in to photograph it and he found a roofing stone on a shaft east of the chapel, he removed some of the debris from the stone and he found that the stone is inscribed in sunk relief, with seated figure of a statue. I saw the stone and I told Mr. Frank about it. We left the stone in place for photo.
Also he was ordered to photograph the door of the chapel, which is between G 2409 and G 2419. He found between these two mastabas inscribed door lintel in relief with cartouche of Khufu, (on the inscription traces of red and green paint). Stone left for photo.

microfilm: end page 830

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
    08/15/1939 through 09/20/1939
  • Mentioned on page
    Francis Olcott Allen
    George Andrew Reisner, American, 1867–1942
    Hamid Genawi
    Hansmartin Handrick
    Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]
    Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]
    Mohammedani Ibrahim
    Salem Hassan (expedition cook)
    Samman
    William Stevenson Smith, American, 1907–1969
    Hetepheres I (G 7000 X)
    Khufu
  • Translator
    Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]
  • Author
    Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

Tombs and Monuments 4

  • G 2409

    • Site Name Western Cemetery

  • G 2419

    • Site Name Western Cemetery

  • G 5280

    • Site Name Western Cemetery

  • G 7000 X

    • Site Name Eastern Cemetery

People 14

Ancient People

  • Hetepheres I (G 7000 X)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Wife of King Snefru, founder of Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty, and mother of King Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid. Her burial was hidden in a secret chamber (labeled G 7000 X) nearly 90 feet underground, and contained beautiful pieces of gilded and inlaid wooden furniture, silver jewelry, and a large alabaster sarcophagus that was found to be mysteriously empty.

  • Khufu

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Second king of Dynasty 4, son of Snefru. Builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Known two thousand years later by the Greeks as King Cheops. Horus name: [mDdw] Medjedu. Full birth-name: Khnum-Khufu.

Modern People

  • Francis Olcott Allen

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Archaeologist/Egyptologist for the Harvard University--Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition

  • 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.

  • Hamid Genawi

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Guard at Giza (from Quft).

  • Hansmartin Handrick

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates

  • 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.

  • Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • 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.

  • Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • 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 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.

  • Mohammedani Ibrahim

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Expedition photographer.

  • Salem Hassan (expedition cook)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Expedition cook. Father of Mohamed Salem.

  • Samman

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates

  • 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.