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Vol.30.p.485

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Diary Transcription:

microfilm: begin page 485

Wednesday, June 9, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-a

(1) G I-a
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. Not yet cleared.

In packing objects. Four (No. 10) boxes packed, Nos. B.G.S 478 - 481. And also three sugar boxes packed Nos. 442 - 444.

Thursday, June 10, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-a

(1) G I-a
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. Not yet cleared.

In packing objects. Five boxes (no. 10) packed, Nos. B.G.S 482 - 487. And also seven sugar boxes packed Nos. 445 - 451.

Friday, June 11, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-a

(1) G I-a
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. Not yet cleared.

In packing objects. Two sugar boxes Nos. 452 - 453 packed.

Saturday, June 12, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-a

(1) G I-a
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. Room not yet cleared.

Preparing boxes for packing.

Sunday, June 13, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-a

(1) G I-a
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. G I-a cleared. Nothing found. Empty. Drawing of the pyramid on page 486.

The Mudir went to the museum and talked with Selim Bey Hassan Sub Director General about the new alteration they decided later about the division of 1937. The new alteration is that they want two more statues from the expedition statues. After the speech between Selim Bey and our Mudir, Selim Bay gave the two statues to the expedition.

Monday, June 14, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-b

(1) G I-b
In the western room of the pyramid. Search for inscribed stones or objects. Stones, dubsh and dirty debris. Not yet cleared.

Tuesday, June 15, 1937
Day of rest.

Bill went to the museum to deliver the objects taken by the Cairo museum to them. Mohammed with Mr. Bill.

Wednesday, June 16, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-b

(1) G I-b
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. Found in room debris: faience scarab inscribed, obsidian eye pupil, fragments of ushabti, four Roman faience objects, round faience object (decorated), small limestone fragments (decorated), alabaster jar.

Guards in packing objects for the Boston museum. Two sugar boxes Nos. 454, 455 packed. In them the Hetepheres pottery. Also two boxes Nos. 456, 457 packed. In them new inscribed pieces of gypsum taken from the Hetepheres chair and canopy.

Thursday, June 17, 1937

Work on
(1) G I-b

(1) G I-b
In the western room of the pyramid. Stones, dubsh, limestone debris and dirty debris. Three burial Roman places appear in the room. Found in debris: ninety four faience complete ushabtis, many fragments from inscribed ushabtis, five round faience objects of which two are complete, faience udjat eye, fragment from faience jar, two fragments from alabaster cup, one fragment from bottom of alabaster jar, inlay eye (limestone) with obsidian pupil, fragments from granite coffin.

Boxes Nos. 458, 459 and MFA 336 - 340 packed today.

microfilm: end page 485

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
    06/09/1937 through 06/17/1937
  • Mentioned on page
    George Andrew Reisner, American, 1867–1942
    Selim Hassan (Bey), Egyptian, 1886–1961
    William Stevenson Smith, American, 1907–1969
    Hetepheres I (G 7000 X)
  • Translator
    Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]
  • Author
    Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

Tombs and Monuments 1

  • G I-a

    • Site Name Khufu Pyramid Complex

People 6

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.

Modern People

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Selim Hassan (Bey)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates Egyptian, 1886–1961
    • Remarks Egyptologist; Sub Director General. Nationality and life dates from Who was Who in Egyptology. (1886-1961) Egyptian Egyptologist; born Mit-Nagi, 15 April 1886, he studied at the Higher Teacher's College, Cairo under Kamal (q.v.); in 1912 he became a teacher and in 1921 obtained a post in the Egyptian Museum as assistant keeper; he studied in Paris 1923-7 at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes; he was the first Egyptian to be appointed as a Professor of Egyptology in the Universitv of Cairo, 1928 - 36; he was later made Deputy Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service responsible for the care of all monuments in the Nile valley, 1936-39; Ph.D. Vienna University, 1935; stimulated by the archaeological work of P. E. Newberry (q.v.) and Junker (q.v.)he began an active career in excavations with the clearance of some of the Giza mastabas in 1929; the excavations carried on by him in this necropolis continued until 1939 by which time a great deal of digging had been achieved, published in 10 parts; he also cleared the Sphinx and its temple, for the first time completely digging out the great amphitheatre around it and ensuring that it would not be buried by send again so easily; he wrote a study on this work and on the temple of Amenhotep II here; in addition the so-called Fourth Pyramid or the palace-façade tomb of Queen Khent-kawes of the Fourth Dynasty was investigated and also the funerary town of the priests associated with it; he later worked on the Unas causeway at Saqqara and at the valley temple of this king, discovering some of the mastabas in this area and two great subterranean tombs dated to the Second Dynasty; his final excavations at Giza were carried out on the east and south faces of the Great Pyramid and at the mortuary temple of King Khufu, 1938-9; he also took part in the campaign to save the monments of Nubia, and wrote a report on this subject; he published about 53 books and articles on Egyptological subjects in English, French, and Arabic, Hymnes religieux du Moyen Empire, 1928; Le Poème dit de Pentaour et Le rapport officiel sur la bataiILe de Qadesh , 1929; Excavations at Giza, 10 pts., 1929-60; The Sphinx. Its History in the Light of recent Excavations, 1949; Report on the Monunents of Nubia,1955Excavations at Saqqara 1937-8, 3 vols., 1975; in Arabic Literature of Ancient Egpt, 2 vols.; Ancient Egypt from Prehistoric Times to the Age of Rameses 11, 6 vols.; he died in Giza, 30 Sept. 1961. AfO 20 (1963), 310 (H. Brunner); Archaeology 14, no, 4 (1961, 293; ASAE 58 (1964), 61- 84 (bibl.) (Dia Abou-Ghazi); Orientalia 31 (1962), 271; Goettinger Miszellen 76 (1984), 78-80; Reid, JAOS 105 (1985), 237, 241-44.

  • 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.