Vol.13.p.281

Diary Transcription:

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Sunday, March 8, 1925 (continued)

(3) G 7000 X (continued)
had already been found at the north. Some shapeless mud was also pushed into interstices at the east side of this blocking. The gyps (= gypsum) used was very fine and hard. [Also later was found the bone of a bird].
At 11:10 a.m. Rowe first looked through the wide hole made by the clearing, using reflected sunlight from above. The others in the pit looked in afterwards.
Towards the east side of the chamber (which was under south-north then east-west) stood a perfect and large alabaster sarcophagus of good stone and cutting. No inscription was visible upon this.
Upon the sarcophagus a number of wooden(?) staves or maces with heads of gold or (?) in some cases of copper or bronze lay side by side. Decayed wood from these had trickled over the lid of the sarcophagus. All these were sheathed in gold.
Beyond, to the east, on the floor was a good deal of gold in strips which seemed to bear some embossed design.
Upon the sarcophagus also is what seems to be a mat (?) of gold lacery wherein the name [GLYPHS] [Snefru] is clearly legible from the door beside the vulture of the title "Nbty". This may belong to a bed or canopy of which the "staves" above are posts.
The whole space west of the coffin and to the south is packed with the deposit of royal furniture. There are a great number of vessels of the rarer stones, a large alabaster bowl is very prominent towards the south-west corner. Near the center of this space are a fine copper or bronze ewer and basin. Two golden head-rest supports stand beyond these. There is a great deal of gold (much of it in strips) laid out all over the area.

Immediately upon having ascertained the character of the discovery Rowe sent a code cablegram to Dr. Reisner announcing the simple facts about it.
He then telephoned to Mr. Quibell and was assured that the Director General [M. Lacau] and himself would be at the works at 3 p.m.
During the afternoon Mr. Engelbach inspected the chamber from the level platform we have left, perhaps 2 meters or less above the floor, and his visit was followed by that of M. Lacau and of Mr. Quibell, and later of Hakim Effendi, Inspector of the Service at Giza, and several archaeologists connected with the government Service.
In accordance with a request from the Director General arrangements were made with Russell Pasha, who was present, for the posting of a permanent police guard over the tomb for as

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