Having just submitted a paper about our new discovery of tomb 26 in cemetery SAC5, Sai Island, for Sokar (focusing on the pyramidion of the deputy of Kush Hornakht), I got to review the entire documentation of the excavation of the shaft in March 2015.
As a reminder: the rectangular shaft (2.6 x 1.8 m) of tomb 26 is a bit more than 5.2 m deep – it has several interesting features and revealed some significant finds. I would like to share some of them in the following photographic time line:
![March 3: The outline of the shaft is discovered, hurray!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_4896-200x300.jpg)
March 3: The outline of the shaft is discovered, hurray!
![March 4: First foot holes appear on the lateral sides! Current depth: 1.7 m!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_4965-300x200.jpg)
March 4: First foot holes appear on the lateral sides! Current depth: 1.7 m!
![March 5: Down at 2 m! Work gets more difficult!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5020-200x300.jpg)
March 5: Down at 2 m! Work gets more difficult!
![March 5: A schist slab appears along the southern side.](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5039-300x200.jpg)
March 5: A schist slab appears along the southern side.
![March 5: Martin Fera documents the situation with the fully exposed schist slab with SFM – down at 2.5 m.](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5113-200x300.jpg)
March 5: Martin Fera documents the situation with the fully exposed schist slab with SFM – down at 2.5 m.
![March 5: Getting ready to get the slab out…](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5122a-300x200.jpg)
March 5: Getting ready to get the slab out…
![March 5: Done – mabrouk to all involved!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5164-300x200.jpg)
March 5: Done – mabrouk to all!
![March 5, afternoon: Uuuups… really a challenge to measure this deep shaft…](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5172-300x200.jpg)
March 5, afternoon: Uuuups… really a challenge to measure this deep shaft…
![March 7: Work continues, worked stone blocks appear!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/R0120214-300x198.jpg)
March 7: Work continues, worked stone blocks appear!
![March 7: Space is limited down at the shaft, but the foot holes are perfect for climbing up and down.](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/R0120234-300x198.jpg)
March 7: Space is limited down at the shaft, but the foot holes are perfect for climbing up and down.
![March 7: Standing safely in the foot holes, I could shoot photos in both directions.](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5239-300x200.jpg)
March 7: Standing safely in the foot holes, I could shoot photos in both directions.
![March 8: The entrance of the burial chamber appears on the northern side!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/R0120313-198x300.jpg)
March 8: The entrance of the burial chamber appears on the northern side!
![March 8: Together with other worked stone, sitting on complete pottery vessels, the pyramidion of Hornakht is discovered and cleaned!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/R0120354-300x198.jpg)
March 8: Together with other worked stone, sitting on complete pottery vessels, the pyramidion of Hornakht is discovered and cleaned!
![March 9: The situation below the pyramidion – lots of nice pots!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/R0120412-300x198.jpg)
March 9: The situation below the pyramidion – lots of nice pots!
![March 10: Shaft base reached, entrance of burial chamber cleared!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/R0120473-198x300.jpg)
March 10: Shaft base reached, entrance of burial chamber cleared!
![March 10: Martin using the ancient foot holes during the final SFM documentation.](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5604-300x200.jpg)
March 10: Martin using the ancient foot holes during the final SFM documentation.
![March 11: Shaft backfilled again – secure to wait for the 2016 season!](https://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_5678-300x200.jpg)
March 11: Shaft backfilled again – secure to wait for the 2016 season!