DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4194#0013
THE MASTABA OF PTAHHETEP AND AKHETHETEP.
2. Accordingly, the necessary permit was
asked for and obtained from the Department of
Antiquities of Egypt, and I began work at
Saqqareh, December 1st, 1898. The excava-
tions soon made it clear that Mariette's summary
description of the mastaba (Voyage, p. 41), and
the plan of it given in his Mastabas, p. 359,
were equally inadequate and misleading. A
T-shaped chamber, of which no hint had ever
been given, was found to open out of the
central hall on its west side. Further, the
Avhole of this chamber and a part of the
corridor of the mastaba were decorated and
inscribed in honour of a certain Akhethetep.
Yet Mariette's former reis, who still survives,
certainly excavated the whole tomb, and a
reference to this Akhethetep's titles seems to
be made by De Rouge (Les Six Premieres
Dynasties, p. 101). In all probability, Akhet-
hetep is to be identified with the similarly
named son of Ptahhetep, whose figure appears
on the east wall of his father's chapel. No
other part of the tomb contains any inscription ;
the published chapel is, therefore, the only part
inscribed for Ptahhetep.
These re-discovered sculptures, added to the
hieroglyphs of Ptahhetep's chamber, together
Avith the work of photographing, surveying and
the like, afforded me occupation for the whole
winter, so that the mastaba was not finally
reburied under the sands until May, 1899.
3. The general description of the tomb, and
the discussion of all matters relating to Akhet-
hetep, will be reserved for the succeeding
memoir. But as a general plan of the mastaba
has been included among the plates, in order
that the relation of the chapel of Ptahhetep to
the other chambers may be seen, a few Avorcls
must be devoted to it.
The entrance of the mastaba is on the north,
and leads into a corridor, which in the direct
line has a rather peculiar termination. The
visitor passes from it by a doorway on the
right into a square hall, the ceiling of which
is carried by four pillars. A doorway directly
opposite leads from this central hall into the
chapel of Akhethetep, Avhile another on the left
hand conducts doAvn through a short passage to
the chapel of Ptahhetep. The other chambers
of the tomb are subsidiary.
It should perhaps be stated, in explanation
of the somewhat incomplete state of the plans
on Pis. i. and ii., that the excavations necessary
for a professionally complete survey of the
mastaba, hoAvever desirable this might be, Avere
not considered to come Avithin the strict pro-
vince of the Archaeological Survey, although
it was hoped that very useful plans might be
constructed Avithout too large an expenditure
of time or funds. As Avill be seen, the mastaba
proved to be extensive and of intricate con-
struction. Its outline on tAvo sides is lost in
adjoining buildings, and part of it at least Avas
deeply buried. Consequently, although the
original proposals were strained to meet the
case, it Avas quite impossible, especially under
the conditions of labour at Saqqareh, to under-
take the removal of such quantities of material
as a complete clearance and reburial of the
mastaba Avould have involved. In addition, the
danger of serious damage to the structure, or
of accidents to the Avorkmen, obliged me to
refrain from excavation in several places. The
extent of my clearances can be ascertained from
the plans and text, taken in conjunction; so
that no unjustified conclusions need be draAvn.
A detailed explanation of the plans here given
and of others will be furnished in the second
volume. What they contain will, I venture
to hope, prove some atonement for their
apparently gratuitous incompleteness in some
particulars.
4. The selection of material for this volume
has been directed by the intention that it
should supplement and complete previous pub-
lications as far as possible. The copies of the
sculptures made by Miss R. F. E. Paget and
Miss A. A. Pirie, and published in Quibeli's
, the P^e
* -*!
fore larg^ d
^l0 On th
i 0 ^eria
which t
^dthe better
^dbavemadep
to its prede
t the first wo
v* cases been
ito tH whil-
|:,tktwotogeth
:, publication of
reservation, ho1
promise is to
<.|w, Outline ch-
are tat a poor
in relief;
iter exhibits
and freedoi
at its oleic:
picture the chapel
fresh, a most
* bright blue, re
the mdd
and the
ffine-vat wo
^ by the dull
a togethei
^ the ma
. Ionthefals
Otitis
'roach.
is of
no
!%sthe
4-
f,J1' tho J6y'
1E!' are 2
e gener
uera
^ has \
2. Accordingly, the necessary permit was
asked for and obtained from the Department of
Antiquities of Egypt, and I began work at
Saqqareh, December 1st, 1898. The excava-
tions soon made it clear that Mariette's summary
description of the mastaba (Voyage, p. 41), and
the plan of it given in his Mastabas, p. 359,
were equally inadequate and misleading. A
T-shaped chamber, of which no hint had ever
been given, was found to open out of the
central hall on its west side. Further, the
Avhole of this chamber and a part of the
corridor of the mastaba were decorated and
inscribed in honour of a certain Akhethetep.
Yet Mariette's former reis, who still survives,
certainly excavated the whole tomb, and a
reference to this Akhethetep's titles seems to
be made by De Rouge (Les Six Premieres
Dynasties, p. 101). In all probability, Akhet-
hetep is to be identified with the similarly
named son of Ptahhetep, whose figure appears
on the east wall of his father's chapel. No
other part of the tomb contains any inscription ;
the published chapel is, therefore, the only part
inscribed for Ptahhetep.
These re-discovered sculptures, added to the
hieroglyphs of Ptahhetep's chamber, together
Avith the work of photographing, surveying and
the like, afforded me occupation for the whole
winter, so that the mastaba was not finally
reburied under the sands until May, 1899.
3. The general description of the tomb, and
the discussion of all matters relating to Akhet-
hetep, will be reserved for the succeeding
memoir. But as a general plan of the mastaba
has been included among the plates, in order
that the relation of the chapel of Ptahhetep to
the other chambers may be seen, a few Avorcls
must be devoted to it.
The entrance of the mastaba is on the north,
and leads into a corridor, which in the direct
line has a rather peculiar termination. The
visitor passes from it by a doorway on the
right into a square hall, the ceiling of which
is carried by four pillars. A doorway directly
opposite leads from this central hall into the
chapel of Akhethetep, Avhile another on the left
hand conducts doAvn through a short passage to
the chapel of Ptahhetep. The other chambers
of the tomb are subsidiary.
It should perhaps be stated, in explanation
of the somewhat incomplete state of the plans
on Pis. i. and ii., that the excavations necessary
for a professionally complete survey of the
mastaba, hoAvever desirable this might be, Avere
not considered to come Avithin the strict pro-
vince of the Archaeological Survey, although
it was hoped that very useful plans might be
constructed Avithout too large an expenditure
of time or funds. As Avill be seen, the mastaba
proved to be extensive and of intricate con-
struction. Its outline on tAvo sides is lost in
adjoining buildings, and part of it at least Avas
deeply buried. Consequently, although the
original proposals were strained to meet the
case, it Avas quite impossible, especially under
the conditions of labour at Saqqareh, to under-
take the removal of such quantities of material
as a complete clearance and reburial of the
mastaba Avould have involved. In addition, the
danger of serious damage to the structure, or
of accidents to the Avorkmen, obliged me to
refrain from excavation in several places. The
extent of my clearances can be ascertained from
the plans and text, taken in conjunction; so
that no unjustified conclusions need be draAvn.
A detailed explanation of the plans here given
and of others will be furnished in the second
volume. What they contain will, I venture
to hope, prove some atonement for their
apparently gratuitous incompleteness in some
particulars.
4. The selection of material for this volume
has been directed by the intention that it
should supplement and complete previous pub-
lications as far as possible. The copies of the
sculptures made by Miss R. F. E. Paget and
Miss A. A. Pirie, and published in Quibeli's
, the P^e
* -*!
fore larg^ d
^l0 On th
i 0 ^eria
which t
^dthe better
^dbavemadep
to its prede
t the first wo
v* cases been
ito tH whil-
|:,tktwotogeth
:, publication of
reservation, ho1
promise is to
<.|w, Outline ch-
are tat a poor
in relief;
iter exhibits
and freedoi
at its oleic:
picture the chapel
fresh, a most
* bright blue, re
the mdd
and the
ffine-vat wo
^ by the dull
a togethei
^ the ma
. Ionthefals
Otitis
'roach.
is of
no
!%sthe
4-
f,J1' tho J6y'
1E!' are 2
e gener
uera
^ has \