THE
ROCK
TOMBS
OF
EL
AMAENA.
PART
II.
CHAPTER
I.
THE
SITE
OF
THE
NORTHERN
TOMBS.
The
Site.
As
has
been
said
in
the
former
volume,
the
northern
group
of
tombs
at
El
Amarna
lies
on
the
N.E.
side
of
the
desert
plain
(Plate
i.).
The
hills
here
are
cleft
by
a
ravine
which
brings
down
the
waters
of
the
occasional
torrential
rains,
formerly
of
enormously
greater
volume
than
now.
The
range
at
this
point
is
not
lofty,
only
reaching
an
elevation
of
about
280
feet
above
the
level
of
the
plain,
and
dipping
some¬
what
on
both
sides
to
the
wady.
It
affords,
as
usual,
a
more
or
less
abrupt
face
for
the
upper
half
of
its
height,
and
for
the
lower
a
steep
foot-
slope
of
looser
rock
(see
photograph,
Plate
xxiv.).
The
rock-hewn
tombs
naturally
lie
at
the
meet¬
ing
of
the
two,
a
little
more
than
half-way
up
(approximately
150
feet
for
No.
5).
The
lime¬
stone
is
of
bad
quality,
and
contains
enormous
flint-like
boulders,
which,
freed
from
the
rocks
by
denudation,
cover
the
level
heights
above,
like
fallen
fruit.
It
is
in
most
places
very
sub¬
ject
to
weathering,
and
many
of
the
rock
stelae
have
almost
disappeared
under
this
process.
The
stratification
of
the
range
has
a
dip
approaching
the
vertical,
and
the
weakness
thus
given
to
the
surface
of
the
tomb
walls
has
caused
much
injury
to
the
sculptures.
The
Smaller
Tombs.
Tomb
6c.
The
earlier
tombs
of
the
group
are
those
furthest
to
the
east.
We
shall
begin,
therefore,
with
No.
6,
the
tomb
of
Panehesy
(No.
1
of
Lepsius),
leaving
this
and
other
large
tombs
for
separate
notice.
The
cliff
at
this
point
tends
to
a
sheer
face
or
even
overhangs.
Near
No.
6
it
presents
a
curious
appearance
(Plate
xxv.),
for
well
above
and
a
little
to
the
left
of
that
tomb
a
small
rock-chamber,
provided
with
both
doorway
and
window,
has
been
hewn
in
the
unscalable
rock.
As
the
sill
is
24
feet
even
from
the
mounds
below,
it
was
necessary
to
lash
two
ladders
together
to
effect
an
entrance.
A
small
irregular
chamber
some
six
feet
high
was
found,
devoid
of
inscriptions
or
graffiti
(Plate
xliv.).
There
is
nothing
to
prove
that
the
excavation
was
made
for
purposes
of
burial,
but
this
is
probable,
even
if
it
be
of
late
date.
Those
who
afterwards
made
a
dwelling-place
of
it
cut
a
very
neat
and
serviceable
window
with
con¬
verging
sides
and
top.
The
need
for
it
may
have
been
due
to
a
partition
of
the
room,
of
which
there
are
some
traces.
Brick
houses
beneath
perhaps
rendered
this
retreat
more
accessible
than
noAv,
but
it
is
unlikely
that
they
reached
to
the
full
height,
and
holes
which
pierce
the
b
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