32 
TANIS. 
valley that runs southward from the pylon (pi. xv. 
2). It was standing on end; near it was a head¬ 
less sphinx, like those found with the large tablet; 
hut no more trace of sculpture or stone was found 
in making a wide clearance around that spot. 
Except a part of a very rude figure of Taur in li me- 
stone, which must have been about 22 in. high, 
the tablet represents Ptolemy II., in Egyptian 
dress, offering land to Khem and Arsinoe on one 
side of the scene ; and another figure of Ptolemy 
offering to Har and Uati on the other side. The 
hut is nearly weathered away, and the whole 
tablet is not so clean, is rather smaller, and is in 
worse condition than the large tablet just described, 
which is perfect. 
40. The above were the finest remains of 
Ptolemaic age ; but an important discovery was 
that of the site of the Ptolemaic temple, to 
which I was guided by seeing slag of burnt lime¬ 
stone lying on the ground. In the valley, beyond 
the south side of Pisebkhanu’s great wall, I sank 
several pits; and one of these, about south of 
the sanctuary, came down upon a large block of 
limestone, which bore an inscription and figures of 
a king, of Isis, and of Horus, on one side. That 
the king is a Ptolemy, and probably early, is all 
that I could make out, as the cartouches are much 
weathered. This block rested on some rubbish 
just over a pavement of limestone blocks, and all 
the stuff over it for a depth of some feet consisted 
mainly of chips of limestone. Though I exca¬ 
vated for about 20 feet in three directions from 
it, I found no more blocks, except a square 
block of red granite unsculptured. That this 
is the site of the Ptolemaic temple can hardly be 
doubted, as the pavement proves that some im¬ 
portant building stood here; the block shows that 
it was Ptolemaic, and no Ptolemaic temple is 
known elsewhere at San. 
At some 150 feet or so to the east of this, another 
pit was sunk, which came down in the thick¬ 
ness of a wall of crude brick. Though hard to 
cut, such is excellent ground for shaft-sinking, as 
it is so firm that it can be cut vertically. This 
wall ended at just the level of the pavement 
(within 4 inches, which is as close as I levelled 
it), and hence it seems to be the peribolus wall 
of the temple. If s6, the temple area extended 
for 50 or 100 yards. This must be further exa¬ 
mined in future. I may also say that below this 
Ptolemaic brick wall there was 3 feet of mud, and 
below that 8 feet depth of an older wall, resting 
on the sand island or gezireh, just as the wall of 
Pisebkhanu does. 
41. A house, which seems to belong to the 
early Ptolemaic times, was cleared out at the east 
end of the north Wall of the temple (Find No. 24). 
It was built upon some accumulated mud, against 
the inside of the great wall (f in Plan). The 
best thing found there was an unfinished kneeling 
statue in limestone, holding a table of offerings; it 
has part of the flat side of the block with the 
canon lines remaining on one side ; and the other 
side is almost completed, the toes being worked 
in detail. This is now at Bulak. Near it 
was found a foot in limestone, with sculptor’s 
lines on the base; this never belonged to a 
statue, but was a sculptor’s trial piece, like the 
fine set of figures found by Mariette at San. A 
scarab and wings in red pottery was made by 
merely impressing a carving on the clay, and then 
modelling legs to the scarab. A small piece of 
orange-coloured glass has the anhh and ka com¬ 
bined on it in relief; such is unusual. Of blue 
and green pottery many small articles were found, 
2 lions, 3 eyes, head of Mentu-Ea (almost like 
figures of Eoman age), a cat, Nefertum, and 
Ptah. Also a bit of an eye and another scarab 
in blue glass. A couple of Ptolemaic coins show 
the age of the house, and it is what would be 
expected from the objects; the style of the kneel¬ 
ing figure belongs to Ptolemaic or earlier times ; 
the flat polished sacred eyes, in one piece of 
coloured glass, are found always in the Ptolemaic 
period; and the earlier suggestion of the statue 
is balanced by the late style of the head of Mentu. 
