CHAP. II.—SAN UNDBIt THE EJIPIEE. 
17 
bosses; after that it was re-nsed again for building 
purposes, as is shown by a scrap of mortar in 
a hollow of the stone. The use of this block for 
a threshold we may attribute to Siamen, but the 
later use of it in building most probably is due to 
Pisebkhanu, as there is no trace of the twenty- 
second dynasty in the temple itself. 
In front of the sanctuary stood two pairs of 
obelisks (163, 167, w pair ; 168, one of e pair), 
which had apparently belonged to the old king¬ 
dom and were re-worked by Eamessu II. (§ 14). 
These have been broken up, and very probably 
used for building material. 
23. The front of the sanctuary was, in the 
time of Siamen and his successors, covered with 
a colonnade ; and though that appears to have 
been erected from ruins, yet as the columns are 
as old as Eamessu II., and some even of the 
twelfth dynasty, it seems probable that there 
always was a colonnade in front of the sanctuary. 
Of the twelfth dynasty there remain the 
grouped lotus columns of which the fragments 
are marked on the Plan (181, 184, 185, 223, 
224, 213 and 216), the finest of these (181) 
still retains its original polish. The Karnes- 
side columns are eii'oular, and surrounded with 
groups of figures, representing Eamessu and 
the gods ; the fragments of these are marked on 
the Plan (176, 231, 232, 199, 203, 204, 205, 
206). But no bases remain of any earlier date 
than Siamen, and hence it seems likely that the 
older colonnade had been destroyed (perhaps 
for the sake of some limestone in its construction) 
at the same time as the pylon of Eamessu. 
The bases of Siamen (186, 187), which bear 
his name and titles around them, are made out of 
earlier Kamesside works, as on the under side of 
the northern base is part of an inscription of 
Eamessu II. offering to Shu; and from the size 
of it and thickness of the block, it seems as if 
this had originally been part of the wall of the 
sanctuary. Another base (192), probably to be 
assigned to Siamen, is made out of the base of 
an obelisk, as is shown by the groove on it, which 
always occurs on the bases of obelisks (see 50, 
56, 78, 79, 175, 273, 277). This colonnade 
seems as if it had been partly in ruins again in the 
time of Pisebkhanu, or later, as there are two or 
more unfinished blocks of comice, left with the 
lugs for lifting them still on the faces. 236 
shows these lugs on the sloping edge; and 166 is 
a corner piece, with similar lugs on the sloping 
edges, which meet. These blocks are forty-four 
and forty-nine and a half inches thick. That 
these pieces of cornice are later than Siamen, is 
shown by an inscription of Siamen on the under 
side (which was originally the upper side) of 236, 
which is needlessly cut into by the crab-holes for 
lifting the block : we must therefore attribute this 
second rebuilding more probably to Pisebkhanu (as 
he largely decorated the temple), rather than to the 
pylon-builder, Sheshonk III., whose name is not 
found on any other remains here. The corner of 
the cornice lying close to the axis of the temple 
is remarkable, and, combined with the extra size 
of the two bases on each side of the entrance 
(186, 187), suggests that the colonnade was 
broken, and did not extend across the passage, 
but only in front of the dead-wall of the sanctuary. 
Of the sanctuary itself the remains are so 
scattered that it would be impossible to restore it 
with certainty. It was probably about forty feet 
square, and the individual blocks show that the 
wall was of one piece to a height of 11 feet 
9 inches (No. 169), and varied from 25 to 46 
inches in thickness; the widths of the blocks are 
9 feet 3 inches (No. 169) to a broken edge, and 
more clearly 6 feet 2 inches up to half the scene 
on 213, giving 12 feet 6 inches for the whole 
width. Probably the widths varied according to 
circumstances, but about twelve feet would be 
fairly suitable to the height of nearly the same 
amount. This would give a weight of over twenty 
tons for each block. Some of the blocks (as 
213) show a projecting top on the inner side ; 
that block is 39 inches thick, but at 37 inches 
below the top the thickness increases to 47 inches. 
1) 
