Arabic Diary, Vol.1, p.30

Diary Transcription:

Diary Translation: begin page 30
Sunday, November 16, 1924 (continued)

7 large pottery cups

We also found around the neck of the deceased a necklace of faience beads. This necklace has two carnelian beads. The beads are in situ. We left them for photography. Here is its drawing.

ILLUSTRATION

And also today, Ali Halawa went down to Egypt. We were also roofing the magazine. We were also building a room for Tawfik next to the garage.

Monday, November 17, 1924

The workforce was 90 workmen from the village. We paid them their wages: a total of 2227.7 piasters. Excavation was progressing on (1) Pyramid [G] I-a; (2) Pyramid [G] I-b; (3) Grave 2 of Kafr Ghattati; (4) Grave 5 of Kafr Ghattati; (5) Grave 3 of Kafr Ghattati; (6) grave 4 of Kafr Ghattati.

(1) Pyramid [G] I-a

This afternoon, a crew of workmen resumed removing the debris on the area to the south of this pyramid. The debris is rubble, limestone chips and stone blocks. We were dumping the debris in the depression that is in the pyramid’s core.

(2) Pyramid [G] I-b

A crew of workmen was excavating the area between Pyramid [G] I-b and Pyramid [G] I-a. They were removing debris of limestone chips, rubble and dark soil. They were clearing it on the bedrock. As for the cutting, which was partially uncovered yesterday, we found out that it is a boat pit. We cleared its eastern end. The fill of the boat pit is stone blocks, rubble, limestone chips and potsherds. There is a silo built with stone blocks. It is built on top of the fill of the boat pit. This silo dates to the Roman Period. We also found in the debris of the boat pit:
1 inscribed limestone block
1 inscribed limestone fragment
They also found in the debris right next to the pyramid:
[several] fragments of pottery plates
2 pottery plates, in situ

Then the Director [George Andrew Reisner] came to the site, and told us that we have to remove all the debris between the two pyramids in order to uncover the boat pit. We did start clearing the debris between the two pyramids. We were progressing westward. The debris is limestone chips, rubble, stone blocks, and dark soil. They found in the debris:
1 shawabti, complete
1 shawabti, missing the lower part, inscribed
2 heads of shawabtis
1 fragment of a shawabti
3 small shawabtis
1 lower part of a shawabti
3 flint tools

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