Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

654 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
and cluster around the curious brick pyramid at Saqqara remained
unopened and unexplored. Even at the time when
Mariette was in charge of the excavations in Egypt, nothing
was done to solve the question as to who were the builders
of these pyramids. Mariette's whole energy seems to have
been concentrated on reclaiming valuable antiquities or
large inscriptions from the desert sands ; and as former examinations
seem to have taught him that neither gold treasures
nor statues nor hieroglyphic inscriptions were to be
found in the pyramids, he never attempted to open those at
Saqqara. He always avoided also the demands of scholars
to examine them. They were — as he firmly believed —
of only minor importance in comparison with the gigantic
structures at Gize. And moreover in all probability they
had been plundered, if not by the Egyptians themselves in
ancient times, certainly at a later period by the early Christians
or the Arabs under the caliphs. And, lastly, he was
convinced that the sepulchral chambers inside would show
no inscriptions, so that for all the trouble the explorer would
not even be rewarded by finding the name of the builder.
This view of the famous and successful archaeologist was not
accepted by his colleagues in Egyptology. When therefore
in 1880 Maspero gained the upper hand in Egyptian excavations,
it was his first thought to insist on the opening of
the pyramids at Saqqara. His endeavors were realized in
the years 1880-81, when it was shown that the five small
pyramids were built by the last king of the Fifth and the
first
four rulers of the Sixth Dynasty, namely, the Pharaohs
Onnos, Othoes, Phiops I., Methusuphis, and Phiops II.
But this first result was superseded by one of much greater
importance ; for the pyramids were not, as Mariette had
thought, " silent," but they spoke by means of thousands
of signs. The chambers within were completely covered
with inscriptions. These texts, represented by over 4000
lines, are the oldest Egvptian literary monuments which we