10 - 16 May 2001
Issue No.533
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 10 - 16 May 2001 Issue No.533 |
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Dig days
The snake and the canary
In my last column, I wrote about my early days as an archaeologist, my meeting with the Abdel-Rasoul family who found the secret cache at Deir Al-Bahri, and how the mummies were transported to Cairo to the sound of wailing villagers. This week I want to tell you about Sheikh Ali.
It was back in the 1970s and my donkey arrived at a hotel called Al-Marsam on the West Bank of Luxor where Abdel-Fattah El-Sabahi, Inspector of Antiquities at Qurna, welcomed me. "Leave your donkey here," he said, "and let us have tea in the hotel. I want to introduce you to Sheikh Ali." This man, he told me, was about 70 years old. He led me to a figure whose face was deeply lined and whose hair was very white. I sat beside him and shook his hand. He had a large moustache and watched me with deep-set eyes.
He talked with me about his family, particularly his grandfather who had told him many tales about the Pharaohs. Sheikh Ali explained to me that at the hotel, he met many great people who came to visit the tombs. These included Howard Carter in 1922, the year he discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun. I thought it a good opportunity to question an eyewitness about this great archaeological discovery.
Sheikh Ali recalled. "I came to know Carter when he had lunch at our house. He was a great man and a friend of my family. He had searched for the tombs of the ancient kings, particularly the yet undiscovered tomb of Tutankhamun, for a long time without luck, and those financing his expedition threatened to stop the money. Carter was discouraged, but not yet defeated. He felt so near to a great discovery that he was able to persuade Lord Caernarvon to give him additional funds for one last season in the Valley of the Kings. He promised that after that he would ask for no more.
"I well remember the day," said Sheikh Ali. "When Carter arrived in the valley and met the rayis, the overseer of the workmen, he saluted us in Arabic with 'Al-Salamu Alaikum.' He then turned to the rayis and said, 'I have brought from England a unique bird, a canary.' The rayis replied, 'This bird will bring you luck, ya ganab el-mudir (mister director)!
"The excavation started. Hundreds of workmen shifted sand from the Valley. We sang and chanted as we worked. In the evenings I used to go near Carter's house to hear news about the dig. The workmen had excavated their way towards the tomb of Ramses VI, but still they didn't know how close they were to the great discovery. Carter would remain inside a tent and he always wore long boots and a hat. This year, unlike other years, I did not see him smile. All the villagers had heard stories about the discovery of royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, but we had no idea of Carter's hopes and expectations for this expedition. He was immensely frustrated by his lack of success.
"November 4, 1922, proved to be a historic day. A cool breeze was blowing, and the workmen were singing. Carter was writing in his tent; he seemed to have lost all hope of discovering the tomb he sought. Across from where we worked, a young boy was bringing water in large pottery jars on a donkey. The boy took one jar and tried to put it on the ground. He had to dig a hole to accommodate the rounded base so that it would not tip. He dug with his hand in the sand and suddenly his eyes began to widen as he saw something strange appear: a limestone lintel.
"The boy sprinted to Carter in his tent. Carter hurried over to investigate. The limestone lintel was the tomb entrance. Carter was overjoyed, and pressed the workmen to dig faster and faster. He then dashed back to his tent and, feverishly excited, sent a telegram to Lord Caernarvon. As he did, he caught sight of a snake. It was eating his canary. Carter's excitement ran cold and suddenly he began to fear for his future..."
I asked Sheikh Ali the name of the water boy who stumbled on the entrance to the tomb. He replied that it was his cousin, Hussein Abdou El-Rasoul.
I stayed in the valley for two months and heard many different names for this boy. But the villagers all agreed that the boy who discovered the secret of the hidden tomb of King Tut was from the family of Abdou El-Rasoul.
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