Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the painted picture in one of
the small antechambers of the tomb of Ramses III., at Bab-
el-Molûk.
Even at the present day, the fellah does not pay his contributions except under protest and by compulsion, but the determination not to meet obligations except beneath the stick, was proverbial from ancient times: whoever paid his dues before he had received a merciless beating would be overwhelmed with reproaches by his family, and jeered at without pity by his neighbours. The time when the tax fell due, came upon the nomes as a terrible crisis which affected the whole population. For several days there was nothing to be heard but protestations, threats, beating, cries of pain from the tax-payers, and piercing lamentations from women and children. The performance over, calm was re-established, and the good people, binding up their wounds, resumed their round of daily life until the next tax-gathering.
The towns of this period presented nearly the same confined and mysterious appearance as those of the present day.*
* I have had occasion to make “soundings” or excavations at
various points in very ancient towns and villages, at
Thebes, Abydos and Mataniyeh, and I give here a résumé of
my observations. Professor Petrie has brought to light and
regularly explored several cities of the XIIth and XVIIIth
dynasties, situated at the entrance to the Fayûm. I have
borrowed many points in my description from the various
works which he has published on the subject, Kahun, Gurob
and Hawara, 1890; and Illahun, Kahun and Gurob, 1891.
Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a water-colour by Boussac, Le
Tombeau d’Anna in the Mémoires de la Mission Française.
The house was situated at Thebes, and belonged to the
XVIIIth dynasty. The remains of the houses brought to light
by Mariette at Abydos belong to the same type, and date back
to the XIIth dynasty. By means of these, Mariette was
enabled to reconstruct an ancient Egyptian house at the
Paris Exhibition of 1877. The picture of the tomb of Anna
reproduces in most respects, we may therefore assume, the
appearance of a nobleman’s dwelling at all periods. At the
side of the main building we see two corn granaries with
conical roofs, and a great storehouse for provisions.
They were grouped around one or more temples, each of which was surrounded by its own brick enclosing wall, with its enormous gateways: the gods dwelt there in real castles, or, if this word appears too ambitious, redouts, in which the population could take refuge in cases of sudden attack, and where they could be in safety.