Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-21
A PYRAMIDS HEART.
CUTTING AN ENTRANCE IN THE sspUI-
cHRAL CHAMBER.
Yhe Work OF xr rstrie, the Celebrated
yxpiorsr-xspy Interesting
Secrets disclosed.
New YORK Timesl

an entrance INTO the etpulChiu CHoW'ri
ri Amencmhat III. bat in searching
every accessible part of the structure.
lie has thus turned every fallen block
and cleaned away the sand and mud ac-
cumulstod during many centuries. The
aost secrets OF the monument have, IN
fact. been brought 70 light.
In tho sepulchrsl chamber had been
found two empty sarcophagi. The
smaller Of those Sir. Feirie at first con-
,ec,area 10 have been made for the
Kings son END successor, Amenemhat
". or possibly Tor the Kings daughter,
Sehskucfru. who succeeded her brother,
Amcnc.nlst ~, and ended the twelfth
dynasty. l'ut Il now proves, says the
writer in the London ItDieS, - have
been uaie for another daughter,
Princes rtahnefru. VINO probably died
nbou, the same time SIS her father, or
nj all events previous 10 the closing OF
lis pyramid. This Princess Is new to
history her name. Ptahnefru, or "the
YeriectiOns of ltah.' being composed
IN the same lines as thot Of her surviving
sister. Scbakneiru, or "the projections
pf Sebak.' A large alabaster vessel,
raryed IN the shape Of half trussed
rluck. and engraved with hieroglvphic
subscription signliving {" the royal daugh-
Ger Piahnefru, was found in one of tho
passages dav or two after tho opening
~ pyramid, aud with it three similar
Sessels. smaller and quite plain.
Two days later. as the work Of clear
hnce vent on. snperb alaDaster table
al offerings. surrounded 10y the broken
fragr ents Of nine more asbaster duck
vases. was unearthed from beneath the
Fubmsh in kind OF ante room adjoining
fhe sepulcbral chamber This beautiful
WORK of ancient art IS described by Mr..
pstric as cd RECTANGULAR block measuring
o. inches in length 10y II IN breadth
and % iu thickness II IS bOrdered
AL round hy n Itinerary invocation OF
The ordinary type. praying for obla-
tions o.. food and drink for the ia
Of the ROYAL daughter Ptahnciru; the
enclosed surface being carved IN low re-
llef with 80 representations OF mluia-
furo vases, bowls, cups, plates, lo2ves.
Slhes. birds. fruits, AMI the Ike. Zach
object has Its name engraved beside or
above it, thus giving q list OF between
seventy hul eighty varieties of wines,
poultry. cakes. &c. and placing u IN
Yos-ession Of the complete HcHW OF a
T0yal Itinerary feast cfrcG Is. {. 26OO.
oddly enough the ducks, geese, and
other birds shown in this interesting
list are represented without leRs-proba-
llv Tor economy of space. Mr.. Petrie
saws:
There is flake off one corner Of the
block bu, it is otherwise as perfect as
The day when 1t WAS first engraved. IT
isa lovely monument. new IN It's details,
nnd new rs 10 the Princess whom 1t
commentaries. 1t also shows that
Inhnefru must have been the daughter
Of Amenemhat III. and sister OF Sebak-
nciru. We had hard Job to got 1t ont
q the pyramid, as it weighed 400 pounds
aud had 70 be- hauled Up all sorts of
slopes and holes and twisted round all
sorts Of corners. Being alahaster not a
rub or knock could be allowed upon 1t. -"
"Ihe mummies OF the Great Pharaoh
ami bis daughter were burned to ashes
l,v the original spoilers Of the pyramid.
who shall say how many centuries ago
mir. Petrie carefully cleared out the two
sarcophagi with his own hands (DOth
being under water, and found at the
bottom Of each nothing but a deposit OF
charcoal mixed with grains OF quartz
snd 2 quantity of scales of mics. The
charcoal showed that the wooden
mummy cases and their occupants had
been burned, but the quartz grains and
INCA scales puzzled him sorely. The
discovery Of p fnoi lapis-lazui inlay
carved N the form OF false beard OF
ihc kind represented on the chins OF
gods and Pharaohs, explained the mys-
t,ry day or Two later. Ii showed that
On. destrOyed mummy cases had been
decorated with Mosaic ornameDtahon In
fne stones. which, when calcined, would
have produced precisely the resideum
found IN the charcoal.
he scattered fragments of some six or
tgtt alabaster bowls and vases were also
recovered from the rubbish on the food
al floor oi the sepulchral chamber.
These represent the Itinerary vessels OF
tre great Fharnoh himself, whose throne
Name was found on q fragment tshed out
ot the water when the chamber WAS first
opened. The uewly-discoyered pieces
IRE mostly inscribed, and a. they are APP
pAuutiv ncndable their legends may
once more i've read. and Will possibly be
H. historical interest. These fragments.
4 together with an extraordinary number
= broken amphOre Of Roman date, com
at, the brioi list of objects discovered
inside tins pyramid, which Il has costthe
explorer go much times and labor 10 open.
"ilo sepu'chrai chamber OF Amenen-
lst IN. proves TO have had no door aud
r1 entrance. The largest sarcophagus
iu,t have been placed IN position and
fte smaller one constructed before the
whole Of the roofing were laid on,
tIe exit having been closed when the
ilnerary-Iites were ended by cropping
tie last slab into its place. AS these
fsts weigh from forty to fifty tons each,
-..e security oil the dead might well be
emed eternal. The presence OF the
iomau amphorsa shows, however. that
te passage from the labyrinth Was open
81 the time OF the Csesais and 1t is posi-
Die that the pyramid msy have renamed
l-Noiate up to that period.
How many centuries may have elapsed
between the raid OF the last plunderer
s,i the systematic siege carried on by
t.s. letre Is beyond the reach OF con
lecture hut it may safely be predicted
iaat the last rostlng-plsce OF the Lazy
ninth Pharaoh u not likely 10 be Invaded
- many future travellers. It's last tres-
bures being removed. the spoiler will no
longer be tempted. It's problem being
solved it oilers no enterprise 10 the man
OF science Neither will it long remain
accessible % the mere tourist. The
passage from the labyrinth will soon be
choked again, and its place will be fer
gotten, and Mr. Petrie's tunnel, which
was never very safe and is now very
Gsueero1s viii shortly cave in. if it has
not done so Slresdy.
IN the mean while Mr.. Petrie, whose
appetite for pyramids seems 30 grow by
what It leeds upon, has removed 70 lila
Naan. 1. 81 thAar4