Altogether about 11,000 square metres of débris were cleared from the Birâbi site and, of course, many miscellaneous antiquities were brought to light in the course of the excavation. On the débris and rubbish that had collected above the ruins of the ‘Valley’-Temple were many vaulted graves, built of mud bricks; these, however, proved to have been plundered without exception. Under their floors were generally placed one or more amphorae which had been used for storing grain, water, and cakes, no doubt for the welfare of the deceased. One vase was sealed with clay and contained two well-preserved Demotic papyri, comprising deeds of sale, executed under Ptolemy Epiphanes; these documents, and a hoard of copper coins of Ptolemies III and IV, also found here, enable us to date the vaulted tombs to the Ptolemaic period.
Below these graves on the north-west corner of the site, and on the same level as the upper court of the ‘Valley’-Temple, we unearthed paving slabs bearing marks of columns, with, beneath the corner of these substructures, a foundation deposit of Rameses IV. This, fortunately, enabled us to differentiate the building from the earlier temple; but we have as yet no further clue as to its nature, except that it was of stone quarried from the Dêr el Bahari temple of the Queen.[4]
The third site which we worked was along the northern slope between the north-eastern foot hills of the Dêr el Bahari valley and the Queen’s temple.