TAA i.2.1.27

Nov. 5 (Continued).

I examined this exposed portion of the sealed doorway and

noticed that the only decipherable impressions of the seals were those

of the well-known Royal Necropolis seal, i.e., l/<A>nubis ,/<(>symbolizing

a king,/<)> over nine foes.

With the evidence of these seals, and the fact that the workmen's

huts, which in all probabilities dated from the time of the construction

of Ramses VI's tomb, were built over the mouth of the Entrance of

this newly discovered tomb without apparently disturbing it, it was

clear that its content would be undisturbed at least since

the XX^th Dyn.

The seal-impressions suggested that it belonged to somebody

of high standing but at that time I had not found any

indications as to whom.

I noticed at the top of the doorway, where some of the cement-

like plaster had fallen away, a heavy wooden lintel. To

assure myself of the method in which the doorway was blocked,

I made a small hole under it/<th>is wooden lintel - the R. hand

corner, about 35 x 15 cms in size. By this hole I was

able to perceive with the aid of an electrical torch that the a

passage beyond h/<w>as completely filled with stones and rubble

up to its ceiling, which was again evidence of something that

had required careful closing. It was a thrilling moment

for an excavate/<o>r, quite alone save his native staff of workmen,

to suddenly find himself, after so many years of toilsome work,

on the verge of what looked like a magnificnt^sic {magnificent} discovery -

an untouched tomb. With certain reluctanct/<ce> I reclosed the

small hole that I had made, and returned to another careful

search among the seals to see if I could not find some indication

that would point to the identity of the owner, but it was of no

avail for the small space bared by my excavation did not

expose any impression sufficiently clear to be made out, other

than that of the Royal Necropolis seal already mentioned.

Though I was satisfied that I was on the verge of perhaps

a magnificent find, probably one of the missing tombs that

I had been seeking for many years, I was much puzzled

by the smallness of this opening in comparison with those

of other Royal tombs in the Valley. Its design was certainly

of the XVIII^th Dyn. Could it be the tomb of a noble, buried

there by Royal consent ? OR was it a Royal cache ? As

far as my investigations had gone there was absolutely nothing

to tell me. Had I known that by digging a few inches deeper I

would have exposed seal impressions showing Tût-ankh-Amen's

insignia distinctly I should would have fervently worked on and set

my mind at rest, but as it was, it was getting late, the night

had fast set in, the full moon had risen high in the eastern

heavens, I refilled the excavation for protection, and with my men

selected for the occasion - they like myself delighted beyond all

expectation ,/<-> I returned home and cabled to Ld. C. (then in England) <the>

following message:  -