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"Having arrived at the Ramesside period, it becomes possible to give some connected outline of the architectural arrangements of the great temple... "[Petrie, `Tanis', Ch. II, Sec. 17, p. 12]
The 22nd Dynasty connection with Ramses II at Tanis
Sir Flinders Petrie several times draws conclusions seeming to confirm that Ramses II time preceded that of Sheshonk. How could that be?
Petrie's account
"The present pylon ... was entirely built by Sheshonk III (pl. xv, 1); and the account of the sculptures will be given further on in chronological order (in the second memoir), but we may here note its construction. It appears to have been built largely out of the fragments of the colossus of Ramessu, supplemented with various other blocks appropriated from the earlier buildings, such as an architrave, a sandstone obelisk, and a large historical stele. ... All the blocks I found to lie on the surface of the ground, or what was the surface in early Arab times, and beneath them is a bed of accumulated mud and dust, derived from the disintegration of the wall, such as covered nearly all the temple area ... it was the destruction of the backing of the granite, by plunderers, or by weather, that exposed the granite faces of the passages to ruin; and it was probably as late as Arab times that the walls finally fell into their present dilapidation. The pavement of the pylon, which stretches out about 27 feet in front of it, is composed of earlier blocks, including pieces of the great granite colossus, propped up with the stones of Ramessu II; thus the whole face of the Ramesside pylon must have been stripped away before Sheshonk III. The present pavement is 23 feet above the low Nile, or 7 feet above the limestone pavement nearer the river." [Petrie, `Tanis', Ch. II, Sec. 18, p. 14]
"Beyond the pylon, from about 50 to 150 feet further in, stood an avenue of columns, of which but few remain. These were monoliths, the shaft and capital being all in one piece. They were original works of Ramessu II; and some later king has begun to appropriate them by cutting out the mes-s-su from the second cartouche. As no later king had the name Ra-user-ma sotep-en-ra excepting Sheshonk III, it was probably that king who altered these columns; if so, the Ra in the second cartouche would need to be altered to Bast." [Petrie, `Tanis', Ch. II, Sec. 19, p. 14]
Further, as it relates to changing of names Petrie continues elsewhere in his paper:
"A very curious point about the southern obelisk, is that there are traces of an erased inscription of Ramses II, upon it: portions of a cartouche (Ra ...... sotep .. ra) can be traced, and also of the personal name in the lines of the messu. This is not merely a trial outlining afterwards abandoned, but a deeply-cut inscription which has been wholly cleared away. It shows that the Ramesside rage for alteration even extended to works only just finished." [Petrie, `Tanis', Ch. II, Sec. 31, p. 26]
"The next objects that were placed across the temple were the two colossal sphinxes, originally of the 12th dynasty, and appropriated by the Hyksos (southern one, Plan 51). Ramessu did not deface them further, but placed them as guardians at the entrance of the temple proper, facing each other, with their sides toward the hall and pylon. Then Merenptah cut his cartouches on the sides, facing the pylon; thus placing the name on the right shoulder of one, and on the left of shoulder of the other. Siamen added his name by the side of Merenptah's on the southern sphinx, and finally Sheshonk I appropriated the bases of both the sphinxes."[Petrie, `Tanis', Ch. II, Sec. 20, p. 15]
Discussion
If Ramses II preceded Sheshonk, and he did in the thinking of Sir Petrie, then his interpretation is classical conventional scenario. But if Ramses II reigned after Sheshonk III, then how can we explain his observations?
At this point it may help to contrast what Petrie wrote and rewrite his interpretation with revised chronology in mind to perhaps get a better grip on any significant aspects of his account. How then would it sound in revised view? We start with the blue quotation above and rewrite it in green:
Sheshonk I wrote his name on the bases of both sphinxes, the most prominent, easily read part of the sphinxes not affecting the originally artful carving itself. After him did Merenptah, seeing the prominent place was already taken up by Sheshonk, write his name on the shoulders of them. Later Siamen, seeing that the best writing areas were already taken added his name to the side of one of the sphinxes.
But what about the other remarks by Sir Flinders Petrie as to the sequence from Sheshonk to Ramessu?
It appears that Petrie presents good evidence that Sheshonk changed the name of Ramses for his own purposes. Ramessu's name, `Ra-user-ma sotep-en-ra' or as given by others `User-maat Ra setep-en-Ra' is shared by which other kings? Remember, we need to match only the `Ra ... sotep ... Ra' part of the name in these transliterations:
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