Littell's Living Age/Volume 66/Issue 842/Egyptian Monuments

M. Mariette, assistant keeper of the Louvre, the remarkable success of whose antiquarian researches in Egypt have obtained much attention in this country as well as in France, dated last year from the Serapeum, discovered by himself at Memphis, a letter to a friend, in which he details pleasantly the result of his clearings and excavations of the temples of Edfou, Karnac, and Abydos. In the temple of Karnac M. Mariette—according to a translation of his letter given in the Critic—

"Made some pleasing discoveries, one of which is a granite stelë, having engraved on it a long poem in honor of the conquests of Thothmosis III. On the newly cleared walls I found fragments of the famous numerical wall hitherto unknown, and in front of the great obelisk I discovered a small porch upon which are figured as many as two hundred and thirty Asiatic tribes conquered by Thothmosis III. The most interesting objects found during this clearing belong to the twelfth and thirteenth dynasties. At Abydos I commenced only very lately. It is a terrible piece of work. The excavations are carried on only at Memphis, Abydos, Thebes, and Elephantina. I shall soon commence some others. There has been nothing particular found at Elephantina, where the souvenirs of the sixth dynasty abound. My centre of operations is at Thebes, where, besides some other fine things, I found a splendid statue of Queen Ammeritis, and the tomb, hitherto inviolate, of Queen Aahhotep, of the eighteenth dynasty. In this last tomb I discovered some fifty fine jewels, all bearing the name of Amosis and other kings of the seventeenth dynasty. I believe this Queen Aahhotep to be the mother of Amosis, and wife of a certain king named Kames. Among the curiosities in this royal tomb was a barque worked in massive gold, with twelve rowers all in silver, and the whole mounted on a chariot of silver with four wheels. The pilot, the singer, and a third individual of whose functions I am ignorant, are wrought in gold. Much has been saidof the treasure of Ferlini, but I believe it to be exceeded by that of Gournah."

M. Mariette describes himself as "Director of the Historical Monuments of Egypt, with the permission of H.M. the emperor." and defines his official duty as being "to guard against any possible injury the ancient monuments, and at the same time to form a museum for his highness the viceroy."