THE EXCAVATIONS AT ABUSIR, EGYPT. 



C71 



The attention of the first scholars who visited the graveyard of 

 Abusir was attracted by the ruins on its northern end, near the open- 

 ing of a shallow desert valley into the arable country. It gave the 

 impression of a pyramid which, from a casual investigation, was 

 ascribed to King Ra-en-user, of the fifth dynasty. Superficial excavii- 

 tions, especially those of Villiers Stuart, the P^nglish member of Par- 

 liament, brought to light temple remains buried underground. Thus 

 matters stood until about 1898, when it was found that Aral)ian antiquity 

 traders had here discovered a series of reliefs, which came to the 

 Museum of Berlin. The subjects and the execution of these reliefs 

 were interesting enough to make scientific excavations on that site 

 desirable before all the antiquities there buried should become the 

 prey of the natives and scattered to all quarters of the compass. The 

 Berlin Museum undertook the work, for which Dr. Freiherr von Biss- 



I'lii. 1. — Kucoii.st ruction of wuu .saiutuai y. (From Borcluirdl. ) 



ing furnisiicd the necessary funds, and during the winters of 1898 to 

 1901 Drs. L. Borchai'dt and H. Schilfer brought the excavation 

 work to a conclusion. There is as 3'et no final ])u])lication giving the 

 completed I'csults of their investigiitions, but fi'om the pr(diminary 

 reports it is possible to obtain an accurat(> survc}' of the essential 

 achievements. 



At the rear end of a rectangular walled inclosure, 75 meters wide 

 and 100 meters long, there rose a pyramid with a blunted top, from 

 the center of which projected an obelisk. (See fig. 1.) Within the 

 court stood an altar constructed of gigantic alabaster blocks, and 

 near it on one side were sunken channels, leading to alabaster basins, 

 evidently to carry off the blood of the victims from the inunediate 

 vicinity of the altar. Behind the channels were numerous storerooms, 

 while the east and south sides were occupied nith passages whose 



