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Diary Transcription:

microfilm: begin page 304

Monday, April 6, 1925

work on:
Street G 7000

Street G 7000
A small party of men are breaking up a few stones which still encumber the south end of this street, and thus doing here as has already been done in other streets.

Professor Capart and three pupils came this afternoon and were shown around. He kindly reminded me that [TRANSLITERATION] [Hordjedef], owner of G 7220, is well known though not from the monuments. It was he who in the Westcar Papyrus recommended the magician to the King who could replace decapitated heads. [But this reads GLYPHS [Hordjedef] -- T.R.D.G] In the same Papyrus mention is made of another son of Khufu named [TRANSLITERATION] [Khufukhaf I] (see Mariette's "Mastabas" 562 (Petrie). A fragment bearing the name came from G 7130 X early in the present season (see vol. I, page 106).

This morning there was found the name of Snefru among the titles of the owner of G 7710 [Iby].
[The entrance to the tomb of Iby (G 7710) is on the south side of the forecourt of Lepsius 71; to the west of this entrance (also on the south side of the court) is the entrance to the tomb of Sensnefru (unnumbered tomb); on the north side of the court is the entrance to the tomb of Itisen (unnumbered tomb).]
The text [from the tomb of Sensnefru not Iby] was not all visible in the light then available but as far as at present read it as follows:
[tomb of Sensnefru]: [GLYPHS] [sHD qdw xrp qdw smsw pr snsnfrw "inspector of builders, director of builders, elder of the domain Sensnefru"].
[tomb of Itisen]: Elsewhere the owner bears the title of [GLYPHS] [jmj-r Hmw-kA "overseer of ka-priests"]. The date of this tomb from its style may be adjudged early Old Kingdom. The name may be [GLYPHS] [Itisen] on another wall.
[G 7710 tomb of Iby]: At the more southerly part of the great tomb there is a second chamber on the north door jamb leading to which is a portrait of a lady whose inscription ends [GLYPHS] [rxt nswt mrtnbtj "royal acquaintance Meretnebti"]. The government is said to have dated this tomb to the reign of Khafre.

There seems a slight possibility that the fragments of a fine alabaster statue with hawk perched behind the royal head found in court of G 7102 and near G 7102 C may belong to the temple of G 7000 X (There is no such temple. GAR) and not to Khufu's pyramid temple. (Compare diary page 151 etc.) (Certainly from a statue of Khufu or of Khafre, almost certainly of Khufu. GAR).

Greenlees spent part of the morning and early afternoon in Cairo trying to arrange for a sailing for Europe on Friday 10.

The occurrence of the name of Snefru on a fragment from G 7510 (page 221) may be noted.

The continuation of the "lintel" on page 257 is here given.
[ILLUSTRATION/GLYPHS] [jmAxw xr nb=f mAa-xrw]
[25-2-1002, lintel in two fragments, inscribed for Maakheru found in G 7521 A, originally from G 7512]

A second lintel in two fragments and out of the same pit G 7521 A bears
[GLYPHS] [sHD xntjw-S pr-aA n[j]HtpptH]
[25-2-1036, drum lintel in two fragments, inscribed for Nihetep-ptah]

Tuesday, April 7, 1925

It is of interest that there were three forefeet bones of an ox buried in the offering shrine in pit G 7000 X. Possibly the fourth was part of the food of the workmen. Bashreis Said tells me that a similar custom is carried out today in Egypt.

News came this evening that a passage had been secured in the "Helouan" sailing for Venice on Friday, April 10th.

microfilm: end page 304

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
    04/06/1925
  • Mentioned on page
    François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette, French, 1821–1881
    Jean Capart, Belgian, 1877–1947
    Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Reis)
    Thomas Richard Duncan Greenlees, British, 1899–
    Hordjedef (G 7210-7220)
    Iby (G 7710)
    Itisen (Itisen)
    Khafre
    Khufu
    Khufukhaf [I] (G 7130-7140)
    Maakheru (G 7512)
    Meretnebti (in G 7710)
    Nihetep-ptah Hepi (G 7521)
    Sensnefru (Sensnefru)
    Snefru
  • Author
    Thomas Richard Duncan Greenlees, British, 1899–

Tombs and Monuments 10

People 16

Ancient People

  • Hordjedef (G 7210-7220)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Hordjedef was buried in G 7220.
  • Iby (G 7710)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Owner of G 7710. Corridor chapel entrance drum lintel and east door jamb (door jamb very worn) inscribed for Iby, identified as [rx nswt sAb sS Hrj-sStA sHD wabw] royal acquaintance, juridicial scribe, secretary, inspector of wab-priests; in situ in G 7710. Two displaced architrave fragments both inscribed for Iby, identified as [sHD wabw Hrj-sStA] inspector of wab-priests, secretary; found in Lepsius 71 court. Two broken but adjoining architrave fragments probably inscribed for Iby (name not preserved), identified as [jmj-r sSw wab nswt Hrj-sStA] overseer of scribes, royal wab-priest, secretary; found displaced north of G 7711.
  • Itisen (Itisen)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Owner of Itisen (unnumbered tomb with rock-cut chapel entrance in north side of Lepsius 71 court). Chapel entrance lintel inscribed for Itisen, identified as [rx nswt jmj-r Hmw-kA] royal acquaintance, overseer of ka-priests; in situ in tomb of Itisen.
  • Khafre

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Fourth king of Dynasty 4. Son of Khufu. Builder of the Second Pyramid at Giza and probably of the Great Sphinx as well. Known two thousand years later by the Greeks as King Khephren. A number of diorite and greywacke statues and statue fragments depicting the king have been discovered in Khafre's valley temple, including Cairo CG 9-17. The fragmentary head of an alabaster royal statue (MFA 21.351 + MFA 33.1113) is attributed to Khafre.
  • 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.
  • Khufukhaf [I] (G 7130-7140)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Son of Khufu and probably Henutsen. He is buried in G 7140.
  • Maakheru (G 7512)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Owner of G 7512. Limestone false door (25-2-508 = MFA 25.2175) and limestone door jamb (25-2-509) inscribed for Maakheru; found in street G 7500 east of G 7512 X (area of G 7512 chapel). Limestone lintel (25-2-1002) inscribed for Maakheru; found displaced in G 7521 A.
  • Meretnebti (in G 7710)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Probable wife of Iby (owner of G 7710). North false door niche inscribed for Meretnebti, identified as [rxt nswt] royal acquaintance; also appears in chapel relief, corridor chapel entrance, east door jamb (standing behind Iby, name not preserved); in situ in G 7710.
  • Nihetep-ptah Hepi (G 7521)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Owner of G 7521. Nihetep-ptah, [rn=f nfr] his good name Hepi. South false door (including displaced fitting fragment of tablet 25-2-1003) inscribed for Nihetep-ptah Hepi, identified as [sHD xntjw-S pr-aA sHD pr-aA] inspector of palace attendants of the Great House, inspector of the Great House; false door in situ in G 7521, fragment found displaced in G 7521 A. Also appears in chapel relief, entrance of chapel vestibule (= room b), east door jamb; in situ in G 7521. Limestone drum lintel (25-2-1036) inscribed for Nihetep-ptah Hepi, identified as [sHD xntjw-S pr-aA] inspector of palace attendants of the Great House; found displaced in G 7521 A.
  • Sensnefru (Sensnefru)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks Owner of Sensnefru (unnumbered tomb with rock-cut chapel entrance on south side of Lepsius 71 court). Chapel entrance architrave inscribed for Sensnefru, identified as [sHD qdw xrp qdw smsw pr] inspector of builders, director of builders, elder of the house; also depicted on north and east face of pillar in chapel entrance; in situ in tomb of Sensnefru.
  • Snefru

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Remarks First king of Dynasty 4. Father of Khufu.

Modern People

  • François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates French, 1821–1881
    • Remarks Pasha; Egyptologist; Professor; Archaeologist of Sphinx Temple. Nationality and life dates from Who was Who in Egyptology.
  • Jean Capart

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates Belgian, 1877–1947
    • Remarks Belgian Egyptologist. Director of the El-Kab excavations from 1937-9 and then 1945.
  • Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Reis)

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates
    • Remarks Head Reis for the Harvard-MFA expedition, 1908–1926. In his "A History of the Giza Necropolis I," George A Reisner described Said Ahmed Said as "the most gifted foreman who ever worked for the expedition." Father of Mohammed Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Head Reis 1936–1939), Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Translator), Ahmed Said Ahmed [Diraz]. Family name, Diraz, was supplied by Said Ahmed Said's grandsons in 2006.
  • Thomas Richard Duncan Greenlees

    • Type Author
    • Nationality & Dates British, 1899–
    • Remarks Thomas Richard Duncan Greenlees, born South Africa, Sivaratri, March 10, 1899. British subject with a Scottish father and an English mother. For a brief period during 1925 he was a staff member of Harvard University--Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, who later joined the Theosophist movement in India. Greenlees received his MA degree in 1922 from Oxford, where he studied Egyptian, Coptic and Arabic. April 2,1925, Greenlees appointed Assistant Curator of Egyptian Art at MFA.
  • Thomas Richard Duncan Greenlees

    • Type Mentioned on page
    • Nationality & Dates British, 1899–
    • Remarks Thomas Richard Duncan Greenlees, born South Africa, Sivaratri, March 10, 1899. British subject with a Scottish father and an English mother. For a brief period during 1925 he was a staff member of Harvard University--Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, who later joined the Theosophist movement in India. Greenlees received his MA degree in 1922 from Oxford, where he studied Egyptian, Coptic and Arabic. April 2,1925, Greenlees appointed Assistant Curator of Egyptian Art at MFA.