22nd, 23rd & 24th November 2013
Mountain Ridges and Wadis - West Bank
I have had three wonderful days climbing and exploring the mountains ridges and wadis looking for tombs.
Although I go to these Wadis on my own by motorbike, it is quite safe. The distance from Habu to the wadis is about two kilometres of flat open desert. I always keep looking back to see if anyone is following me. I take the rout of a tract that leads me through the grounds of St. Tawdos Monastery, so if anyone is looking, they will think I am visiting the Monastery but instead, I drive through the grounds and out at the back. I am then far enough away for anyone to think I am a tourist. Once I get to the Wadi I make a final look back to make sure that I am on my own. Then I am safe to lock the bike up with the alarm on and start climbing. I always carry a wrist alarm.
Up at the top of the mountain and below on the other side are several white painted markings on the rock faces. Perhaps some of you might be able to help me identify them as to what they mean or read; I would love to know as they fascinate me.
I took a long walk around the top and along the ledge looking for tombs. I found several areas with all the tell tale signs of pottery below ledges that has washed out of the tombs by flash flooding back in ancient times. Some of the pottery was quite nice and looking at it I pondered as to the age of it and who’s tomb it came from. There were a few long flood gullies that came down the mountains from these areas with evidence of pottery in them. I looked at it all and it was immense. Looking down I wondered if I might just find a shabti or something really nice but alas, no.
Some of the climbing to get to these possible cliff tomb sites was very hazardous and great care was needed. I don’t like heights but my excitement of finding tombs spurred me on. I don’t know if it was harder going up or coming down. I am quite sure that there is a better way to approach these tomb sites but for now I just took what looked like the obvious rout.
The views from the top of the mountains are simply stunning. It is beautifully quite with only the odd bird flying. It was great to sit down to take a rest and a drink and admire the scenery.
After further investigation I had made my mind up that I was not in the right wadi or place to find the Three Princesses Tombs. I was looking at a Howard Carter’s drawing of a map showing these tombs and clearly I was not going to find them where I was. So I wonder whose tombs sites I had visited; perhaps some day I will find out.
Many thanks to my friend Richard Dick Sellicks who has been to the tombs and was kind enough to give me the rout he took to the Hatshepsut and three Princesses tombs. I am quite sure I will have plenty to write about and along with some good photos after my next visit there.
We now seem to be having a heat wave for this period, so when it gets cooler, I will be off again to visit these tombs of Hatshepsut and the Three Princesses.
Mountain Ridges and Wadis - West Bank
I have had three wonderful days climbing and exploring the mountains ridges and wadis looking for tombs.
Although I go to these Wadis on my own by motorbike, it is quite safe. The distance from Habu to the wadis is about two kilometres of flat open desert. I always keep looking back to see if anyone is following me. I take the rout of a tract that leads me through the grounds of St. Tawdos Monastery, so if anyone is looking, they will think I am visiting the Monastery but instead, I drive through the grounds and out at the back. I am then far enough away for anyone to think I am a tourist. Once I get to the Wadi I make a final look back to make sure that I am on my own. Then I am safe to lock the bike up with the alarm on and start climbing. I always carry a wrist alarm.
Up at the top of the mountain and below on the other side are several white painted markings on the rock faces. Perhaps some of you might be able to help me identify them as to what they mean or read; I would love to know as they fascinate me.
I took a long walk around the top and along the ledge looking for tombs. I found several areas with all the tell tale signs of pottery below ledges that has washed out of the tombs by flash flooding back in ancient times. Some of the pottery was quite nice and looking at it I pondered as to the age of it and who’s tomb it came from. There were a few long flood gullies that came down the mountains from these areas with evidence of pottery in them. I looked at it all and it was immense. Looking down I wondered if I might just find a shabti or something really nice but alas, no.
Some of the climbing to get to these possible cliff tomb sites was very hazardous and great care was needed. I don’t like heights but my excitement of finding tombs spurred me on. I don’t know if it was harder going up or coming down. I am quite sure that there is a better way to approach these tomb sites but for now I just took what looked like the obvious rout.
The views from the top of the mountains are simply stunning. It is beautifully quite with only the odd bird flying. It was great to sit down to take a rest and a drink and admire the scenery.
After further investigation I had made my mind up that I was not in the right wadi or place to find the Three Princesses Tombs. I was looking at a Howard Carter’s drawing of a map showing these tombs and clearly I was not going to find them where I was. So I wonder whose tombs sites I had visited; perhaps some day I will find out.
Many thanks to my friend Richard Dick Sellicks who has been to the tombs and was kind enough to give me the rout he took to the Hatshepsut and three Princesses tombs. I am quite sure I will have plenty to write about and along with some good photos after my next visit there.
We now seem to be having a heat wave for this period, so when it gets cooler, I will be off again to visit these tombs of Hatshepsut and the Three Princesses.
In these cracks in the rocks are ledges that possibly lead to tombs. At the bottom of these ledges are all the tell tale signs of pottery having been washed out of tombs during flash flooding back in ancient times.
Here you can see the ledge in the crack. Again, a lot of pottery at the bottom of this ledge that suggests it has been washed out from tombs above.
Another crack with pottery washed down from it as seen below.
Looking up from the Wadi.
This is a Flood Gully that has brought down a lot of pottery from the top.