© Griffith Institute, Oxford OX1 2LG
Concept and direction: Jaromir Malek
Transcript: Sue Hutchison
Editing: Ana I. Navajas Jimenez and Jaromir Malek
Scanning: Hana Navrátilová
Image editing: Jenni Navratil
The journal has been scanned with the financial support of the Manchester Ancient Egypt Society
[Note: all dates have been standardized.]
The transcript presented here has been only very slightly edited, for example by correcting misspellings and eliminating duplication or omission of words. For easier reading, such cases are not marked but scans of the pages of these diaries may be consulted for details.
Remained the day at the Winter Palace.
Called upon Tewfik Eff. Boulos the present Insp. in Chief of the Antiquity Depart.
Called upon the Bey the Marmur of Luxor.
We crossed over to Gurna 11am.
Called on Lythgoe.
We found the Tomb to be covered with about 50 c/ms of rubbish. The kiosk and material removed and placed before the entrance of the Akh.en.Aten Cache, that we used for a dark-room.
We found the entrance of the laboratory (tomb No. 15) covered with a construction of a kind of lattice-work completely plastered over with white plaster. I trust the painted sculpture of the door-jambs of the tomb has not been damaged by the plaster.
We found that beautiful linen pall that covered the King's grave, and for which I brought out Dr Alexander Scott, Mr and Mrs Newberry from England especially to preserve it and had made a special lining for it, left out in the open unprotected from the sun and wind. It is ruined! They had removed the carpenters' kiosk and placed it on the pall.
The magazine (No. 4) from all outward appearances seems to be alright. In the place of my locks (broken) a pad-lock was fixed upon the door. A wooden sun-screen was erected before half of the entrance.
Baraize began clearing the entrance of the Tomb at about 11.15am. and completed it at 4pm.
H.E. the Mudir of Keneh accompanied by the Bey the Marmur of Luxor called 12.45, just as we were leaving to meet him at Luxor. We lunched together at the Winter Palace.
Merzbach was informed by phone or wire from Cairo that the official handing over of the Tomb and laboratory, etc., would take place on Sunday (25th) 10am.
Went into Luxor 3.30pm. when I handed the above message to Merzbach and informed the Mudir of Keneh.
Returned with Callender in the evening.
M.E. Abd el Hamid Bedawi Pasha, Conseiller Royale.
H.E. Osman Bey the Mudir of Keneh.
Mohamed Riad Bey of the Legal Depart. P.W. Ministry.
The Bey the Marmur of Luxor.
Two representatives of the Police.
Tewfik Effendi Boulos, Insp. in Chief Up. Eg. of the Ant. Dept.
Ibrehim Effendi Habbeeb, Insp. of Antiquities, Luxor.
Mr. J.E. Quibell, of the Cairo Museum. Conseiller Services des
Antiquités.
M. Lefebvre, of the Cairo Museum. (G. Lefebvre, Conservateur-Adjoint)
M. Baraize, of the Cairo Museum. Dir. de travaux. S des A.
Maitre G. Merzbach and Mr. A.R. Callender were present.
Everything was found to be in order, with the exception of the pall which was ruined, it having been left out in the open exposed to the summer heat and wind.
A heavy wooden construction had been erected in the antechamber of the tomb for visitors.
This will have to be removed before we can do any work there.
We all returned to Luxor for lunch at the Winter Palace. I remained in Luxor that night having to attend a dinner given by H.E. the Mudir of Keneh.
Went with Callender to the Tomb and inspected the great coffin of the King.
Attended to various correspondence during the afternoon.
Sir Hamar and Lady Greenwood (introduced by Lord Allenby)
Princess Mounira Hamdi and suite (Ministry permit)
Dr Munthe (introduced by Mr Carter).
Tewfik Effendi Boulos came, and we discussed the question of visitors to tomb. It was decided that no visitor should be allowed to enter or visit the tomb, whether Government invite or otherwise, except on Tuesdays, unless there be some exceptional reason or some exceptional case, when I am to refer it to the Chief Inspector who will refuse entry if he has not received special instructions from the Government.
With regard to the latter point, i.e., exceptional cases, Tewfik Effendi is writing for instructions.
Arranged with Burton with regard to photographing the royal coffin on Thursday next.
General Haking and Admiral Jellicoe together with party visited the tomb - they being introduced by H.E. the Min. P.W.D.
Callender sorted and arranged the timber and various materials that had been removed by the Antiquity Depart. The mass of the timber has been rendered useless, it being warped from careless stacking.
Shaban Effendi, the Museum delegate, endeavoured to get me to show his friends the tomb today - though they hadn't any permits.
For the first time we had a quiet morning's work without being disturbed by visitors.
A good many tools, left in the antechamber, are missing.
Merzbach came about 10.30am. when I signed the new concession - one for the Government, the other for us. Showed Madame Merzbach the Tomb. They returned to Luxor 12.15.
Callender completed the sorting of materials etc., and prepared the magazine No. 4. for lunching in as formerly.
Callender continued clearing and putting to rights the magazine, and also prepared a platform beside the sarcophagus for Burton to photo from.
Merzbach and his wife left for Cairo.
Lacau arrived at Luxor. It is reported that he will go on southwards tomorrow.
Lucas arrived and commenced the reparation of the black resinous goose.
Lacau visited Deir el Bahari.
Admitted to Tomb Baronne de Szilassy, Comte André de Contades, as well as some Government guests.
No work in the afternoon.
Provisional cleaning though it was, under somewhat difficult circumstances, it well repaid for the trouble. The inlay shows up splendidly and one is now able to realize the beauty of the work, especially the uraeus upon the forehead which is really a magnificent piece of work.
I examined the shrouds or linen sheets that covered the coffin. They were two in number, one, a very large one, had been folded in two, which made us believe last year when we raised the lid of the sarcophagus that there were three. The upper and smaller sheet is of close weaving, while the underneath sheet, folded in two, is of very open material - after the nature of coarse muslin. The first sheet bore a linen mark, unfortunately very illegible but appears to be merely the name and title of the King in black ink which has eaten away the fabric.
Completed the series of bows and arrows etc. found between the shrines in the sepulchral-chamber. Recorded them, and they are now ready for final photographing and packing for Cairo.
Tewfik Eff. paid me a visit this morning.
Preserved and indexed the seals from the two inner shrines. The seals and cord were in good condition, but for safety I saturated them with celluloid dissolved in amyl acetate.
Commenced treating the cosmetic vase no. 211. It was badly stained by the fatty or oily substance it contained, which was still soft to a certain degree. Unfortunately it has eaten the aragonite in places, but by careful soaking in benzine I hope to get it in fair good order.
It is a very interesting and good piece of workmanship.
Dr Munthe paid us a visit and lunched with us in the Valley.
Commenced experimenting on the large calcite vase 210, with caryatid figures - Nile gods HAPI. The problem here is how best to dissolve the content which has caused the frail neck to burst in many pieces.
It is interesting to note that the mace found in the tomb chamber and in the long box in the antechamber prove really to be trumpets. The wood core in them being merely for their protection - the wooden cores being elaborately decorated which would hardly be the case if they were intended to be maces.
Mrs Armstrong came over and had lunch with us.
Mr Lucas has got quite interesting results from a reed I found in the Tomb-Chamber at the back of the shrine. When I found it I suspected that it might have something to do with lighting material. Mr Lucas on examining it found that the hollow of the reed had been filled with a resinous and fat material and was probably used as an improvised candle.
THOUERIS is one of a number of male and female demon deities, who may almost be compared to the satyrs of the Greeks. She is a combination of animals - here partly hippopotamus partly crocodile and from her legs and feet partly feline. It would seem from the emblem she holds that her duty was PROTECTION. She was the wife of BES, whose duty was to amuse either in music or dancing or to tend divine children; his wife, THOUERIS, particularly in the New Empire, was one of the foremost favourites of the people, her name signified THE GREAT ONE.
Thus, we have, in the set of the three ceremonial couches found in the Antechamber, THE TERRIBLE GODDESS OF THE CHASE in the shape of the lion or perhaps to be more accurate the cheetah couch; the goddess of pleasure and love, THE ABODE OF HORUS, in the form of the HATHOR or cow couch; and that of PROTECTION, on earth as well as in the heavens, in the shape of the THOUERIS couch.
On the 27th. of last month Ziwa Pasha, the P.M., paid us a visit. He seemed very pleased with the discovery and the results of our discovery in general.
The cases, 19 in all, of antiquities were sent per steamer to Cairo on the 31st March - and on the same day both the laboratory and the tomb were closed for the season.
(December 17, 2010)