TAA i.2.4.37

{Dec. 1. 1927, continued}

they leaving the upper part hanging in a very precarious condition, held

only by the tenacity of the plaster. The stones forced in by the thieves

crashed on to and broke the objects immediately beneath the threshold.

As the floor of this chamber was rather more than a metre below that of

the Anteroom, the crushing effect of the falling stones can well be imagined.

<At the very beginning of the déblaiement/<And even to make matters worse> <as our work

progressed> it became obvious that many

objects had been thrown <back> in on top of the débris after the thieves had vacated

it/<the> Room. (Note in particular the Kiosk full of stone figures N^o 337)>

The Chamber is   .   .  .   wide, by   .  .   .   .   long, and    .  .   .  high; the walls

are left unsmoothed without any attempt at finish or decoration.

They leaving the upper part hanging in a very precarious condition,

held only by the tenacity of the plaster. The stones <that were> forced in by the thieves

crashed on to and broke the objects immediately beneath the threshold.

As the floor of this chamber was rather more than a metre below

that of the Anteroom, the crushing effect of the falling stones/<masonry> can

be well be imagined, and to to^sic make matters worse, as our work

progressed, it became evident obvious that many objects had

been thrown back/<in> on top of the débris after the thieves had

vacated the chamber.

The Chamber is   .   .  .   long, by   .  .   .   wide, and   .   .   . high;

the walls are left unsmoothed without any attempt at finish or

decoration: As in the case of the other parts of the tomb, the surfaces of the

walls are spotted with a fungus growth and <shew> much of the same red

discolouration ./<(>see vol. II. pp 164 ff).

Dec. 2.

<Note.

Copper or Bronze adze inscribed (inlaid gold), blade bound with gold bands, blade missing.

This is of heavy metal - [?] Why was it left?

{Dec. 2}

It is possible that a great deal of the damp that <had> set up a heavy humid

atmosphere and condensation in this and other chambers in the tomb, had

been brought about origin[ated][?] from quantities of rain water that had poured

from time to time into a pit-tomb nearby, situated <nearby> on the south side of the

tomb of Ramses VI. The thickness of the rock between that pit-tomb and our <these chambers>

tomb cannot be very great, certainly not more than ... metres. The water

would easily <in time> <wants/works might easily> salinate^sic the rock, and the moisture[?] being almost the <pink> discolouration <pink[?]> of the walls,

and aid aid the growth of the fungus <growth>, and the humid within therefore/<manifestly> caused/<e>

much of the/<of the> deterioration of the among the objects.

In this Annexe the discolouration of both the walls & deposit upon the objects,

particularly the alabaster Jars, was far greater on the No South end of the chamber than

at the north end. In fact on the North end the objects but shew very little trace at all.

This might be due to the string webbing of the bedstead over them absorbing the moisture.>

It is possible that a great deal of the damp which/<that> set up a very

humid atmosphere and condensation in this and other chambers, and

<and> which has been the cause<s> of much deterioration <among> of the objects; as well as

discolouration of the walls <and aided the growth of the fungus,>, had been brought about from the quantities/<y>

of rain water that poured <from time to time> into a pit-tomb situated on the S. side

of the tomb of Ramses VI. The thickness of the rock between that pit-tomb

and this Annexe and Antechamber cannot be very great - <certainly> not more

than   .  .   .   .  .   .    other than this <pit-tomb> there/<we can find> are no traces of water/<other/<external>>

traces of water percolating having percolated through into the tomb.