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

DURING U)Tn CENTURY: EGYPT 689
after a few days a workman had the good fortune to discover
a new rock tomb, which proved to be that of Thothmes
III., the great Egyptian conqueror. A long slanting pit led
over a well down to a hall supported by two pillars, from
which there was a descent by a stairway into a large hall
which measured nearly fifty
by thirty feet, the roof of which
was also supported by two pillars. Here stood the sandstone
sarcophagus, painted red, its lid lying sideways on the
floor. The mummy had been taken out of it thousands of
years ago, and, as we shall see later, buried at another place.
Both halls were entirely covered with sculptures and inscriptions
of a religious nature, representing subjects the knowledge
of which according to Egyptian belief was necessary
for the dead in
the next world.
Shortly after this important discovery Loret found the
tomb of the successor of Thothmes III., Amenophis II.
Its arrangements are similar to those of the tomb just described.
Here also, through a slanting passage, a small hall
was reached, from which a stairway led
to a larger one supported
by six columns, at the back of which was a small crypt.
Here stood the sandstone sarcophagus, also painted red,
and without a lid,
which contained the mummy of Amenophis
II., covered with flowers, the first royal mummy discovered
in this rock valley which had not been displaced.
But this was not the greatest surprise which this tomb offered
its fortunate discoverer. To the right and left of the
great hall of columns were two chambers, in both of which
all sorts of sacrificial offerings were piled up, jugs, embalmed
pieces of meat, and bundles of cloth. In the room to the
right were also found, besides a number of sepulchral figures,
which had been taken out of their wooden coffins, a
woman, a boy of about fifteen years, and a man. The other
chamber, which was enclosed by a wall, contained quite a
storehouse of royal mummies. Here rested, mostly in coffins
not their own, the mortal remains of Thothmes IV.,