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Diary Transcription:

Diary Translation: begin page 68
Monday, December 15, 1924

The workforce was 137 workmen from the village. We paid them their wages: a total of 3765.5 piasters. Work was progressing on (1) Mastaba 7120; (2) Mastaba 7130; (3) shaft 7130 X [=G 7133 X]; (4) Mastaba 7210; (5) Mastaba 7220; and (6) [Mastaba] 7310.

(1) [Mastaba] 7120

Ali Mahmud, Othman, Attitu and a crew of workmen were on shaft 7120 A. They were removing fill of original limestone chips. They were below the level of the burial chamber. They reached the bottom of the shaft.
The shaft goes ca. 1 m. deeper than the burial chamber level. As for the recess, which we mentioned yesterday, its walls were left rough and irregular. It seems that this recess was used to get the sarcophagus into the burial chamber.
We then removed the rubble, limestone chips and sand that were blocking the entrance of the burial chamber in order to photograph it. This shaft is ca. 5 m. deep.
Then the crew of workmen finally reached the bottom of the shaft where the original filling of the burial chamber began. The total depth of the shaft is 15 meters.

(2) [Mastaba] 7130

A crew of workmen was working on the street of Mastaba 7130 [=Street G 7100]. They were removing debris of limestone chips, rubble, stone blocks and sand.

We uncovered a shaft next to the chamber [i.e. chapel?] and right next to the wall of the mastaba. The fill of this shaft is rubble, limestone chips and stone blocks. The fill is mixed up because of plundering activities. They cleared this shaft to a depth of 130 cm. We called it shaft G 7132 A.

We also uncovered a mud brick wall to the north of this mastaba. Ahmed Masoud and a crew of workmen were on shaft 7130 A. They were removing debris of sand, dark soil, rubble and stone blocks. This debris is mixed because of plundering activities. They cleared this shaft to a depth of ca. 13 m. They found in the fill of the shaft:
1 fragment of a faience shawabti
1 fragment of a faience bowl
1 copper pin [?]
2 fragments of faience bowls
1 torso of a faience shawabti

(3) Shaft 7130 X [=G 7133 X]

Barbary and a crew of workmen were on shaft 7130 X [=G 7133 X]. They were removing debris of limestone chips, rubble and stone blocks. The fill is mixed up because of plundering activities. The workmen cleared this shaft to a depth of 8 m.

(4) Mastaba 7210

A crew of workmen was on the street of Mastaba 7210 [=Street G 7200]. They were also removing debris of limestone chips and rubble. The debris is accumulated as a result of sebakh-digging. Under this debris, there is a layer of dark soil and stone blocks. There are some human bones in the dark soil. They found in this soil:
1 flint tool
1 pottery jar
1 bottom of a pottery jug

End of Page 68

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
    12/15/1924