The Golden Falcon

by David C. Clark

  There were other women buried in the king’s necropolis. Pharaoh Amenhotep III built a tomb for the parents of his great wife, Queen Tiy. Her mother, Tjuyu, was buried with her husband, Yuya but, as they were commoners, their tomb is not venerated and no devotional shrine adorns its gravel filled entrance. We passed this lonely grave cut into the middle level of a hill just after we entered the valley. Upon noticing its almost obscure entrance I questioned the high priest, who related the story.

  “A little way from the tomb of Thutmosis III there is another tomb that remains a mystery to us. The inscription on the portal says that it is the crypt of his wife, Queen Hatshepsut Meryetre. The seals in the plaster confirm the identity of the owner, the queen. Our problem is that in the necropolis for the royal wives, there is a second tomb which also bears her name and inscriptions and it is also sealed in the same manner as the one here. We have no idea just where Queen Hatshepsut Meryetre is actually buried because there are no records in our archives. She might be here or in the other tomb.”

  “Personally, I do not agree with the practice of burying any other than a pharaoh in the valley. The thought that there are the ba birds of seven others who were not rulers in intimate association with the heavenly spirits of the kings is almost a blasphemy. Would you believe there are three small crypts holding the preserved bodies of pets belonging to the household of Amenhotep II?”

  Having heard seven, I asked “You have mentioned Yuya and Tjuyu – who are the others?”

  He replied with distaste evident in his voice “The valley, this Great Place of Kings, has the tombs of Userhet, an Overseer of Temple Estates at the time of Tuthmosis IV, someone by the name of Mahirpra, who appears to have been a Nubian royal fan bearer of the same Tuthmosis, Tiaa, the great wife of Amenhotep II, Amenemopet, a Governor of Thebes during the same reign and the most offensive of all, Sit-Re, the royal nurse to Queen Hatshepsut!”

  He was clearly offended by the presence of these non-royal bodies and we spoke no more of it. I wondered what he thought about having the children of Ramesses buried in the proposed mausoleum. I imagine any objections he might raise with the king would be the subject of a short, terse conversation. Whilst the role of high priest was a position of great power and authority the priests clearly understand a decision of a pharaoh carried more weight than their opinions. Akhenaten had emphatically shown the priestly class that if a king wanted to overthrow the established religion of the country, he would succeed no matter how strong the protests from those who ministered to our gods.

  I returned from my musings. “My Lord, I will make the necessary arrangements to meet with the queen but surely it will not be a pleasant task to talk with one so young and full of life, about her death?”

  “Have no concern, my friend. The queen is a lot more hard-headed than you give her credit for. If I should die before my eldest son reaches maturity I have designated Nefertari as Royal Regent rather than my other wife, Isetnofret, who prefers life in the Delta to the rigours of Thebes. I share more than my couch with Nefertari. She is my closest confidant and friend, I can trust her before all others and her intuition is excellent. You should be pleased as she holds you in very high regard and asks why we do not see you and your wife at our table.” The smile again played across his face.

  “I am deeply honoured, Master. My wife and I would happily look forward to joining you at table but how is it the queen knows of my humble presence amongst the thousands who attend you?”

  He chuckled. “Obviously, some mischievous person has whispered in her ear of your deep irreverence, sloth and questioning of the desires of the divine and mighty pharaoh. Perhaps, she wishes to meet a mere mortal who does not shrivel at a glance from his harsh eye, sits unbidden in his presence and walks at his side with head erect. Possibly, she is curious to meet the wife of a lowly servant of the crown who is unable to teach her husband how to behave correctly when in the royal presence. When I catch this troublesome informant, I shall deal with him harshly.”

  The royal barque reached the other side of the river before I could comment and we went our separate ways – mine back to my office and my mounting responsibilities and the king to begin his travel northwards to Pi-Ramess where he would spend an increasing amount of his time on military matters. I looked towards the north but could see nothing of the gathering war clouds.

  Chapter 11 – LESSONS, SACRED AND SECULAR

  Egypt – 1275 BC

  Now that Ramesses had chosen his tomb site, I moved quickly. Before quarrying could commence, I considered an assessment of the limestone formation necessary as there was evidence of several unsuccessful tomb commencements in the necropolis. I would look rather foolish if the king’s now pristine hill was honeycombed with openings like a sand mouse burrow.

  As a result of our recent tour of the royal valley, I was able to create a map showing the placement of earlier tombs and, as none were close to the chosen site, there was little risk of accidentally quarrying into one. My wife’s father told me of his horror, when he drove a cutting straight into the crypt of a princess in the Memphis necropolis. His face still reddened with embarrassment when recounting the tale of the ensuing furore. Though there were no plans of royal tombs at my disposal, I was acquainted with basic tomb design from my days as an apprentice and the recent visit to the three royal tombs augmented my knowledge. Still, I had many questions about the internal layout.

  There was some concern in my mind about the suitability of the stone we would break into, as the majority of the existing tombs were clustered towards the southern part of the valley, whereas we would work at its extreme northern end and we would be working in an area of new, untested limestone. I noted, with some dismay, that the exposed slopes of the chosen site showed multiple fractures with no formation free of fault. However, my Master had taught me that you worked with the tools you were given and the king’s choice was irrevocable.

  I sent for the foremen working the great limestone quarries on the eastern side of the Nile. These men, familiar as they were with with Theban hills, could bring to my attention the obstacles we might encounter. From them, I learnt the rock differed little throughout the entire plateau with both vertical and horizontal fractures present everywhere. They also warned me about the possibility of water flows from the terrace above the escarpment walls. This surprised me, as a thick layer of fine stone fragments lay all around, strongly suggestive of rain not having fallen in the ravine for many, many years.

  When asked how they knew about the effects of rainwater, the leading quarryman merely said “Look about you. None of us have ever heard of rain anywhere near Thebes yet all the rock faces show signs of water erosion. Another matter. Be aware that beneath the limestone layer there is a broad band of shale. You do not want to get yourself mixed up with that rubbish. Don’t quarry down too deeply.”

  “How deep is too deep?” I queried.

  “I don’t know this part of the Hills well enough to answer. Unfortunately, there is little transition between the limestone and shale, so you can’t see it developing as you excavate. One day you are in solid limestone, the next you are in rock with the same consistency and strength of dried cow shit.” Not having made any comparative tests between dried dung and limestone, I took him at his word.

  Satisfied the rock mass was suitable, I asked the high priest to consecrate the site. This involved a small ceremony. Masons dug four pits near the proposed entrance into which went models of builder’s tools, amulets, calcite and faience plaques, miniature vessels in alabaster and granite and some representative offerings of food. The priest offered up a benediction for the success of the construction and the protection of its builders.

  Quarrying commenced with gangs clearing away sand and loose stone so they would not be troubled with material falling into the entrance. Starting at the bare bedrock, I designed a short, shallow rising slope leading to the entrance and the first descending flight of stairs with a central stone ramp that would be the pathway for t
he heavy sarcophagus and royal coffins when they were lowered into the tomb.

  My plan was the outcome of the meeting with the high priest and Meketre. I brought with me a model maker, who carried a box containing moist clay, miniature bricks and small pieces of cedar wood, a scribe skilled in drawing and the foreman. This man,Wahibre, had worked under Meketre, who spoke highly of his ability to manage men under the difficult circumstances of tomb making. He was short, broad and muscular. His skin bore a close resemblance to sandal leather, his hands were badly scarred and his hair a closely fitted cap upon a ponderous head. The foreman carried himself with the terse manner of a man well used to having his orders obeyed.

  For Wahibre, the honour of supervising the commission carried great prestige amongst his fellow villagers and an increase in his personal worth. That task was always an opportunity for some private enrichment if he could avoid the scrutiny of the scribes charged with the financial supervision of my works. Without doubt,Wahibre would pocket a benefit in some form or other from every man who worked on the mausoleum.

  The commission would take years to complete and the work demanding. Though my clerical staff scrutinised accounts with a careful eye, I instructed them to allow a certain amount of informal payment to accrue to the foreman’s purse. Tomb making is hazardous and I expected the death of several men during the currency of the commission. Wahibre had to spend a considerable amount of time underground to ensure that the dimensions and alignment of the tomb were exactly as planned. One look at his hands told me he was not afraid to getting personally involved as this was not a job for a man who enjoyed sitting in the shade drinking cool wine.

  Quarrying was not for the faint hearted. Illumination, inadequate at the best of times, is provided by small pottery oil lamps, which made the air hot and foetid. Rock falls were frequent. The valley was home to scorpions, snakes, wasps and rock spiders so a foreman’s assistant was always busy treating poisonous bites, stings and injuries traditionally found in stone working. No matter how carefully I placed my feet when on building sites, some nasty little insect sooner or later found the prospect of inflicting pain on my body too tempting and I would make my way to the foreman’s pavilion to be treated for the excruciating distress caused by a beast’s sting.

  Once, after being stung again by a scorpion, I belaboured the high priest with an anguished enquiry. Why, I asked, had Atum, the creator of all matter, seen the necessity of giving life to such a range of stinging and biting creatures? He merely smiled with inner wisdom and said ‘a little suffering was good for the soul’. My response had reddened his cheeks.

  “Royal architect,” said Meketre as Nebwenenef and I sat down at the drafting table “I would like to offer my services for the duration of this commission, if this is agreeable to you? I know of your works in Pi-Ramess, you labour to complete the late king’s additions to the great temple and the vast extension at Luxor advances with determination. Ramesses’ mortuary temple grows immense by the day. Your responsibilities are already heavy so I speak for us both in saying we do not wish to hear of your premature demise. From personal experience, I know there is only so much one man can manage. Wahibre brings skills not available elsewhere in the kingdom and he is familiar with my ways. I have a number of noble’s tombs now in progress but as they are near the royal valley, I will be able to assist you in this task.”

  Meketre was a man to admire. He was in his middle years, well regarded and a capable architect. I considered him strong enough to stand up to Ramesses where required for it was not unknown for a king to over-rule his architect and this had led to a few spectacular structural failures in the past. I extended my hand in warm assent to his generous offer.

  “You have been sent with the blessings of Thoth himself. I must warn you though, the king is a demanding man and we can expect many royal visits to the site. If you are prepared to meet this challenge, I gladly welcome you back to the rigours of tomb construction.” Meketre took my hand with evident enthusiasm. “Sennefer, I worked under the taxing demands of Seti and he commanded an inscription of praise be carved onto my tomb in recognition of my labours. You bestow upon me the considerable honour of serving, under your guidance, his son.”

  “Gentlemen, let us about our work. Nebwenenef, pray advise me about the design and religious aspects of a royal tomb. In your discourse, it is safe to assume I am a novice. My scribe will draft some rough outlines as we talk and the model maker will attempt to capture, with his materials, the result of the discussion.”

  “Thank you, but first may I have a private moment with you and Meketre?”

  Nebwenenef was attended by two priests carrying a wooden chest closed with leather thongs from which hung a clay seal bearing his insignia. He ordered the priests to place the chest on the table and withdraw. Then, he asked me to excuse the foreman, model maker and scribe for a moment. Once they were out of the room, he cut the thongs and took several rolled papyri from the box and spread them out on the table.

  “No-one save I know of these documents. Meketre, you would have attended a similar meeting with my predecessor before you started the tomb of Seti?” Meketre nodded in agreement.

  “I release you from the vow of silence demanded of you when you completed Seti’s tomb. You are at liberty to freely discuss certain matters with Sennefer but no other. At the temple, we have many responsibilities for the present and the future though we also officiate over the past to ensure the lives of earlier rulers are perpetuated. It is a closely guarded secret that a royal tomb was illegally entered in the recent past by those who showed scant regard to the sanctity of the tomb and its occupant. Happily, the reforms introduced by Horemheb have proved to be effective and the temple guards are vigilant in protecting the necropolis from sacrilegious scum.” A look I took to be one of horror briefly darkened the high priest’s face.

  “Horemheb ordered the restoration of the tomb of Tuthmosis IV after its desecration by thieves,who may have illicitly entered it during the upheaval caused by Akhenaten’s reign. The punishment for breaching a royal tomb is to have the impious impaled upon a sharpened stake whilst he lives.” A trace of relish tinged his voice. “I ask you not to reveal this information to anyone on pain of eternal damnation.” At the time, the high priest’s admission that a tomb had been breached, was a matter of minor interest. Little did I know then what was in store for me in the future.

  “Let me show you how the design of tombs has changed since the time of Amenhotep II.” He selected, from the unfurled rolls, drawings of the tombs of Amenhotep and Tuthmosis IV. Each showed, with minor variations, the entrance portal, stairs leading to a corridor, a second flight of stairs, another corridor ending at a deep shaft, then a pillared hall, more stairs, always descending and finally, a large pillared chamber with steps down into the burial chamber itself. A sarcophagus was positioned in the centre of the chamber, with several smaller rooms extending from the sides of the crypt.

  The drawings indicated a task of increasing difficulty for the masons as the tombs always went deeper and grew larger as the architectural style matured. Neither of the tombs had been built in a straight line. When the first corridors, gates and stairs came to the shaft, the section following diverted ninety degrees to the right, and in the tomb of Tuthmosis, the burial chamber itself was at ninety degrees to the end of the corridor descending from the pillared chamber. Not the easiest of designs and from a functional point of view, unnecessarily complex. With a flourish, Nebwenenef then drew out of the box a much larger papyrus.

  “This is the plan for the tomb of Seti. Not even Ramesses has seen this drawing. Seti consulted my predecessor, who had advised the architect commissioned to build the tomb of King Horemheb. Meketre knows of this plan. You will notice certain similarities? It is almost quarried along a straight line, although it is more elaborate than the tombs of their predecessors. The increased length permitted more decorative surfaces and the cutting of a greater number of chambers.”

  The tomb had two long
corridors down from the entrance, a shaft, a first pillared hall and then more stairways leading into three elaborate, pillared burial chambers. There was a suite of store rooms off the burial chamber behind which lay another set of chambers. Behind and below the crypt, lay a steep, narrow corridor ending at the edge of the roll.

  “What is that?” I asked Nebwenenef, pointing to the corridor.

  “Have patience, we shall come to it in due course. Please let me explain the meaning of the various sections, as each part has an important role in the pharaoh achieving his divine future. Perhaps, architect, we may break at this point for some refreshments. Would you ask the foreman and the others to re-join us?”

  Whilst cool wine and fruit was served, the priest said “There is no greater service for me to provide than the preparation of a king for his passage to the Second Life. It has been the most sacred duty of every high priest to ensure each ruler is sent to the next life well prepared for the perils of the journey ahead of him.”

  “The keys to unlocking the gates behind which hide the mysteries of death are contained in a set of sacred papyri held in the Amun Temple. The Books of Life, Gates, the Dead, Secret Chamber, the Heavens and, with The Litany of Re, chronicle the incantations necessary to ease the king’s path through the trials he must face before attaining the throne of Osiris. Should he pass these tests and successfully thread his way through the way stations on his voyage and his soul not found blemished by fault, he will be granted life eternal. All worshippers of Amun will receive eternal life if they faithfully observe the rituals of death but for a king, his passage from this life into the next is more onerous and, accordingly, his rewards are greater. We are all judged but the audit of the king is more intense as his responsibilities are greater than the sum of all his subjects.”