Vol.13.p.309

Display page dates: 04/07/1925

Diary Transcription: microfilm: begin page 309

Immediately in the west of the entrance of G I-e there are substantial traces of brick-work. It is to be noted that the rock foundation for the pyramid has not been faced to take masonry, but left in the rough natural condition. The bricks are now on the west side of the doorway and clearly belong to an entrance construction of the pyramid.

The occurrence of an ascending passage cut in the rock in G I-e, and similar in character to that formed in the masonry of the Great Pyramid G I, tends strongly to confirm Petrie's belief of a single plan for the latter building, as against Borchardt's theory of a subsequent revision of plan, the ascending passage being added later.

Immediately to the north of the cut sloping face for the casing blocks there are rough blocks let into the ground and mortared together. These may be in order to level the ground for the floor of the temple.

With reference to the occurrence of the name of Snefru upon the golden canopy of the tomb G 7000 X it should be noticed that Dr. Fisher in his book "Minor Cemetery of Giza" (pages 157 - 166) describes the early mastaba of Snefru-hotep [Sneferu-hetep], who is described as the "Superior Libation - priest of the Pyramid Kha-Snefru".
On a long lintel (page 163) occurs the title thus:

[GLYPHS] [sHD wabw xa-snfrw (rx) nswt wr mDw Sma]

Clearly, if the inscription of [TRANSLITERATION] [dwAra] at Dahshur which by the way mentions specifically the southern pyramid [[GLYPHS] [jmj-r xa-snfrw Sma] is son of [TRANSLITERATION] [dwAnra]] (almost certainly at Meidum, and not that at Dahshur at all) (see Gauthier "Livre des Rois" I. 62) may be held to prove the existence of a pyramid of this King at Dahshur. This and other tombs already mentioned (G 7510 G 7710, and see page 307 of this Diary) may be claimed as suggesting a Snefru pyramid at Giza. The seventeenth reference to Snefru in Gauthier's catalogue shows, as also so many other references (e.g. page 61 of Gauthier) that offices existed for the supervision of a dual pyramid system [[GLYPHS] [jmj-r xawj-snfrw] are [TRANSLITERATION] [dwAra] and [TRANSLITERATION] [anxmara]] one of which seems clear to have been at Meidum and the second at Dahshur, as seems at least as probable at Giza. (c.f. reference to Maspero on page 307 of this Diary).

Dr. Reisner cleared, to the west of the Great Pyramid, the mastaba G 4240 of the Royal Son Sneferu-seneb [Snefruseneb], dating from Khafre's reign, so that this prince may himself have been son of Snefru, and brother (?) to Khufu.

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End of Diary Transcription