Jan.9] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.
Our first proceeding was to secure the hieratic, and the method
employedwas as follows : The generalsurface was too rough to
allow of their beingtracedentirely,so che position of the signs was
indicatedon a narrow stripof tracing paper,and the complete line
or part of a line was then carefullyfilledin by hand. By this means
we were able to secure all the more importanthieraticgraffiti.
The cartouches in the entrance passagewere then traced or
copied; some of them weresqueezed,thoughscarcityof water pre
ventedus doing this in every case. Thenet result was a collection
of hieratic graffiti, seventeen in number, and the cartouches of
Chufu, Meri-ra (Pepi), Nefer-ka-ra (Pepi), Mer-n-ra, and a new
king, Hor-sam-chnum(?), belonging perhaps to the IXth or Xth
dynasty.
§111. Beforeenteringuponthe inscriptions, it may be as well
to describe the place wheretheywerefound.
Thegreat quarry is an immense circularpit, like an English
chalk-pit; it is over 100 feet deep and 40 or 50 yards in diameter.
There is only one entrance, a sloping cuttingwith perpendicular
sidesenteringthe northern side.
Thiscuttingis now encumbered withrubbishto a considerable
depth,and the quarry itselfis very much filledup; a large part of
the latter musthavebeenroofedin, but the rock ceiling has with one
smallexceptionfallenin everywhere. Andit is evident that it fell
in even whenworkwas still going on there, as there is an Xlth or
Xllth dynastyinscription on one fallen mass, anda dated Vlth
dynastyinscription on another. Hence the fall appears to have
takenplacebetweenthe IVth and Vlth dynastytimes. The bottom
of the pit is covered, so that it is impossible to say how deep the
workswereoriginallycarriedwithouta good deal of excavation.
The main collectionof graffiti are on the western side,and have
beenprotectedby the overhanging wall of rock abovethem.
Those of the Vlth dynasty are now only eighteeninchesor so
aboveground, and there are probably others buried; the Xllth
dynastyonesare higher up the wall, showingthat in the intermediate
periodthe level of the ground was raised by successivefalls of debris.
Theeasternside of the quarry is the deepest and clearest, and
nearthe bottom is the dated XllthdynastyinscriptionNo. 4, so
that perhaps this was the latest part worked.
Thesouthern sideis covered up to half the height by a great
slopeof debris. Thecentreis filled withhugefallenmasses, some
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