At Abu Roash and at Giza, at the northern end of the Memphite
necropolis, several expeditions have had considerable success, notably
those of the American Dr. Reisner, assisted by Mr. Mace, who excavated
the royal tombs at Umm el-Ga'ab for Prof. Petrie, those of the
German Drs. Steindorff and Borchardt,--the latter working for the
_Beutsch-Orient Gesellschaft_,--and those of other American excavators.
Until the full publication of the results of these excavations appears,
very little can be said about them. Many mastaba-tombs have, it is
understood, been found, with interesting remains. Nothing of great
historical importance seems to have been discovered, however. It is
otherwise when we come to the discoveries of Messrs. Borchardt and
Schafer at Abusir, south of Giza and north of Sakkara. At this place
results of first-rate historical importance have been attained.
The main group of pyramids at Abusir consists of the tombs of the kings
Sahura, Neferarikara, and Ne-user-Ra, of the Vth Dynasty. The pyramids
themselves are smaller than those of Giza, but larger than those of
Sakkara. In general appearance and effect they resemble those of Giza,
but they are not so imposing, as the desert here is low. Those of Giza,
Sakkara, and Dashur owe much of their impressiveness to the fact that
they are placed at some height above the cultivated land.
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