THE DISINTEGRATION OF GRANITE IN EGYPT 



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disintegration manifests itself as the spalling of the corners of the 

 uprights; as the exfoliation to the depth of about i cm. of the walls 

 in the Granite Sanctuary, erected in 313 B.C. by Phillip Arrhidaeus; 

 and as spalling and exfoliation of the lower 6 to 8 ft. of the fluted 

 columns in front of the Sanctuary, and also of the obelisk of Queen 

 Hatshepsut, 1591-1447 B.C. The obelisk of Thotmes I, now lying 

 in pieces on the ground, shows scattered, patchy flaking and under 

 tapping much incipient exfoliation is revealed. At the Temple of 



Fig. 3. — Statue of Rameses II. Entrance to the Great Hypostyle Hall, Karnak, 

 showing in a characteristic manner the exfoliation of the pedestal, feet, and lower legs. 



Medinet Habu, Thebes, disintegration is shown by the granite 

 pillars of the doorway both on the sides which are exposed to the 

 sun and on those which are not. In the Serapeum at Sakkara, 

 on the other hand, the surfaces of the huge sarcophagi, which are 

 hewn out of the coarse Syene red granite, still retain the high per- 

 fection of their original polish and show not the faintest trace of 

 incipient disintegration or exfoliation. The sarcophagi, however, 

 are in dry underground chambers whose temperature, according 

 to Baedecker, remains very constantly at about 8o° F. 



At Gizeh, the granite blocks which formed a part of the facing 

 of the second and third pyramids show for the most part on their 



