The Carter Expedition Diaries of Margaret Ellis-Riggs

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After interminable discussion the consensus among the team is that the main chamber is the burial chamber of Seti I. The inscriptions above the door across the lintel and the markings on the sarcophagus finally made it clear. Although there was mention of a high priest, or “one who speaks to the powers”, as we translated some of the inscription, it seems clear now this is the primary chamber of the structure, and the markings indicate the presence of Seti I himself. 

Further, the chamber to the right, which we have dubbed the chamber of wives, can now clearly be seen as containing the remains of his three wives. We are still determining whether they were alive when he was buried and were buried alongside regardless, or if they had simply died previously. Some of the markings seem to suggest the wives were contemporary with time of death. But it has been painstaking work to recover enough of the stele from that room in a readable form.

In the back of the chamber, amidst centuries of dust and what may have been shards of a couple of jars, there was a pile of fragile tablets. We will need to examine them more closely. The pottery shards as well. Could they be canopic vessels? Tomorrow will be a day of simply cataloguing them and beginning to carefully move them so that they can be assessed and hopefully translated. 

I have now learned enough of the hieroglyphs from our resident experts that I am excited to get a first look at them and have some glimpse into what they say without having to wait for the translations. Even by the meagre lamps we are forced to use in the tomb itself there will be much and more I can read from these before handing them upward to more credentialed diggers or Carter himself. I doubt they realise what faculty I have achieved with these ancient markings. Still, I derive my own pleasure from being able to learn more as we discover each tiny fragile thing.

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The high priest’s resting place may have originally been a ritual room of some sort. It shows extended use before being sealed and lies directly behind the Pharoah’s tomb. An odd arrangement if it weren’t used for something more than interring a faithful servant. The dark stone stele I found there was too intriguing to not ferret away to my own tent to examine for a while before revealing it to the rest of the team. It is not complete, but perhaps I can find any remaining shards when I re-enter the ritual room in the morning. Or I could revisit later tonight. The amount of sunlight has little impact on visibility within these deep chambers.

Unfortunately, I am finding the limits of my ability to translate. I think the text on the stele was old when it was buried here. The glyphs are simpler and some of their arrangement seems complex and unfamiliar. I have managed to make some sense of it. It gives praise to Sutekh, though the name is presented a little strangely. Perhaps an earlier form. The ritual describes itself as allowing the anointed to walk the space between worlds, traversing the gate into the realm of gods from the land of long grasses. It seems there is quite a bit of preparation. And the anointed must have already mastered life and death, whatever one can presume that to mean. Or perhaps it says, traversed both life and death. Still, oblique to my understanding. The brevity here clouds some of the meaning. Still, the beliefs shown here are fascinating. And that they may have arisen from an earlier time, is almost beyond understanding.

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Among the small box of finds I was to clean and catalogue today was a scarab near as big as my, admittedly small, fist. Once I cleaned it a little it was clear that it was a rather striking deep crimson. And there are pieces of golden inlay. Particularly in the settings of the ruby eyes, and where the two serpents encircle the body of the scarab itself. The detail of their scales being picked out in gold lines is meticulous work, even for modern times. On the reverse I found two small loops, indicating it was perhaps made to be worn as an amulet, or otherwise attached somewhere. 

I found myself returning to look at this piece again and again today. Partly because it is so distinctive and fascinating. I rather admit it was also party because it seemed to maintain a refreshing coolness to the touch despite the prevailing warmth here. Perhaps the particular stone used takes in the warmth very slowly. Still, hours after I had first picked it up, it still seemed cool when I reached for it again.

It is only after several examinations I noticed that the markings on the serpents are in point of fact a form of Coptic. Difficult to read in this circumstance, I pray for a nice cool desk back at the conservatory. Still, we make do. But as near as I can make out it says “…Seti I here has bound\placed\held a piece\fragment of Apep, there to open\travel the [god gate\gate of the gods]”. Very hard to make out the very last of it. I could be quite wrong. But I swear I could almost hear the words as I tried to decipher them. 

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Another visit from Carnarvon and his troupe of sycophants and servants. Still, I must not complain. Without their patronage our work must needs have already come to a finish, had it ever begun. I rankle most vigorously at the intrusion into the work we already have underway as we must all break from it to explain every little thing and give a tour of each space in which we work. To his credit, Lord Carnarvon does give the impression of being truly interested and committed to us continuing our work. Well, to Howard anyway. Those such as I merely hope we are allowed to continue in our own small part. One more look at my own “treasures” before I must rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.

This morning the Carnarvon whirlwind left us finally. One must remember how important these visits are. It is certainly easier to get things done when the hoi polloi are not here, but impossible without their trickle of funds. Seeing the pasty new arrivals darken so quickly in the sun here in the few days after they arrive is always remarkable. it is harder to see in oneself. Though I expect I seem a very brown and shrivelled date to those from Albion. I wonder how I will seem to my family when I return, I do feel I have grown very accustomed to the environs hereabouts. So much so, I was almost driven to a fury when Carter insisted on going through the pieces, I was working on to find trifles to gift Carnarvon and the other (admittedly minor) investors to take back with them. As if these are trophies they have won through their bold efforts, when it is we study few who have prised them from the sands and vaults with our own sweaty fingers. What galls me most is the loss of the cool red scarab and the ritual stele. Both, I feel are worthy of significant study, but I suppose they will adorn someone’s library shelf as proof of their largesse for many years to come. They might have been better served laying where they did for centuries more.

Worse yet, I had only just started work on the translation of the latter part of the stele, now that the second segment had been found and fitted into place. Still, a few shards were missing, but much of the ritual now seemed to be restored. And a mention of the enigmatic Ke’Tre’Ke in a cartouche near the bottom very much had me intrigued.

Perhaps the new dig site will yield even more interesting items. We have already seen many inscriptions in praise of Amun at the very start of the tunnels. 

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