4th March 2015
27c
Ramesside Period Memorial Temple Site - Asasif
27c
Ramesside Period Memorial Temple Site - Asasif
The Guardians will tell you that it is the temple of Tuthmosis IV. The maps show it as a Ramesside Period Memorial Temple. The Hieroglyphs and Cartouches show it as possibly being Ramesses II or a later, perhaps up to VIII.
Just behind and to the East of the Shoshenq Temple and its Tomb TT27 at the Asasif, are hundreds of scattered stone blocks with very good hieroglyphs and Cartouches on them? It is impossible to tell the layout of this temple as nothing remains but these stone blocks. They are scattered wide and are close to the ancient causeway that once lead to the Hatshepsut temple. It is not clear as to whose temple it might have been as the Cartouches are not all complete. It appears to have possibly been started by Ramesses II and re-used by Ramesses IV. There is a sandstone relief depicting the head of Ramesses VI. So it could be any Ramesses.
There is a strange mound of stones in one area that are clearly protecting something within. When I looked through, I could see a coloured relief of Horus as a bird. I wonder what lies inside.
The beginning of the causeway or the docking area has some very nice stone block walls. You can follow the track of this causeway all the way through the Asasif to Hatshepsut’s Temple.
Shoshenq - (Sheshonq, Sheshonk, Shoshenk, Sheshak or Shishak) - 26th Dynasty. TT27 was the last tomb to be built and is the easternmost location at the Asasif.
My friend John Dewey of the RAMASES Egyptology Society in England tells me the following:
Both Carter and Petrie poked about here and found re-used blocks of R II. There seem to have been two temples, as two sets of foundation deposits were found, but both inscribed for R IV. Porter & Moss attribute one to R IV, re-used by later Ramesside pharaohs, but the other is just named "Ramesside unfinished". Lots of the foundation deposits ended up in the MMA, New York, who sponsored some excavations there in the early 1900s and concluded that the R IV one would have been 50% larger than Medinet Habu!! Most of the blocks found were from earlier buildings of Hatshepsut, Tuthmosis III and R II and III. Fascinating!
It looks like a reemployed Limestone block of some ritual building of Hatshepsut, bearing a ramesside inscription.
Cartouches of User-Maat-Ra setep n Ra / Ramessu mery Amun=
Ramses II (whose name can be written with some variations in around 30 different ways)
Ramses II (whose name can be written with some variations in around 30 different ways)
User-Maat-Ra setep en Ra / Ramessu mery Amun
As above.
As above.
These are not royal Cartouches, but a series of ovals representing fortresses or cities conquered by or submitted to the king. The prisoners arms are tied on their backs, the heads (here missing) should represent the features of the people of that land. Syrian, Lybian , Palestinian or Black people from the South.
If you look close, the ovals have little square signs all around, representing the Towers on the city fortification walls. On the very bottom you can see the sign of the three mountains, which means desert or foreign lands. Of course we can read the name of the cities but most of those towns are unknown.
The last one on the right...a strange name Udja-Udja S....
Funny because Udja-Udja is the word for Tribunal !
If you look close, the ovals have little square signs all around, representing the Towers on the city fortification walls. On the very bottom you can see the sign of the three mountains, which means desert or foreign lands. Of course we can read the name of the cities but most of those towns are unknown.
The last one on the right...a strange name Udja-Udja S....
Funny because Udja-Udja is the word for Tribunal !
Half of Cartouche on sandstone. Neb khau (lord of appearances) and only a part of the name : Ra and mery Amon. No doubt it's another Cartouche of Ramses II.
User-Maat-Ra / missing - Ramessu mery Amon - Always Ramses II
Limestone, can read Aset (Isis), but there is no goddess determinative... and "tw", it if was twt would be "image"
Set can also be the word for Place. On the second line you read, Di-s neb = Give her every, or all.
Set can also be the word for Place. On the second line you read, Di-s neb = Give her every, or all.
Damaged Cartouches as above, belonging to Ramses II.
Poorly carved figure, bottom of a Cartouche with a damaged sign N of "setep en Ra"
Followed by Sa Ra, neb khaw and the top of the Cartouche probably Ramessu mery Amon. Always Ramses II.
Followed by Sa Ra, neb khaw and the top of the Cartouche probably Ramessu mery Amon. Always Ramses II.
What is inside this mound of rocks - You can just see a relief of Horus as a bird
Shoshenq Temple
I write this article for prosperity (2015) and include pictures of the stone relief blocks. One day, someone will have all the answers and will identify this temple to one or more Pharaohs. Who knows, may even be able to indicate its layout.
A great thanks to my friend Isabella Soliman for her help with the glyphs.