Jan.9] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.
narrowpasswith severalsmallalabasterworkings,whichare how
everuninscribed,and finally reacha sort of basin in the hills with
an outlet on its western side leading into the great Darb-el-Amarani,
the principal passin the hills here.
The Xllth dynastyquarryis situated in the S.W. cornerof this
basin,and will be described a little furtheron.
The quarries are connected withthe Nile Valley by two carefully
chosenroads; the main one passes the great quarry 50 yards or so
to the east, and goes on a little furtherinto the desert, whereit dis
appears; its junction withthe cutting is not clearly defined.
Theseroads,and especially whatwe may call the lower one, are
excellentlyengineered,the contours are followed as far as possible
to give easy gradients, and where the neck of a valley is crossed the
roadis carefully bankedup with boulders;the largest embankment
is 15 feet high or more, and is built witha proper batteron the face;
it is partly destroyednow by the rains, but looks as if it had been
enlargedat some timeor other, as there are two finished batters,one
withinthe other.
The Bedouin knowtheseroads,and call them the " Darb-el-agl,"
or the pass of the wheel, to this day.
The main roadwindsalongfor three hours'journeytill it reaches
the edge of the Tell-el-Amarna plain,and a great slope,now much
ruined,led down fromthe hills to the plain ; the road crossesthe
plainin the direction of Hadj Kandel,whichperhapsmarksthe site
of the ancient riverport.
Theroads certainlymeritthe praise bestowedon them in the
inscriptionof Tehuti-hotepbeforementioned.
§ IV. Let us now return to the small quarry. It is entered by
a long low opening, the roof gradually risingin height, till it forms a
kindof dome. Herethe whole area was roofed, the work being
entirelysubterranean,but a large partin the centre of the roof has
fallenin, and brought withit such a mass of dtbristhat it and the oc
casionalrainshavefilledup the interior almosthalf its original depth.
The stete are all round the walls, andnumberover28. They
are nearly all painted or written in black ink, but there is one well
cut one on the eastern wall representing UsertasenIII seated before
a table of offerings, and his four dogs. He is called the " Royal
son,"not king, so it must be a monument madebeforehe was called
to share his father's throne. Thetabletwas cut for or by a man
namedAmeni,whosetitle is not very clear.
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