Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (10.1998(1999))

_ WEST SAQQARA _

EGYPT

FALSE-DOOR STELE OF MEREF-NEBEF
Kamil Omar Kuraszkiewicz

INV. NO. S/97/1.P

In September 1997, the Polish-Egyptian
Archaeological Mission at Saqqara, direct-
ed by Prof. Karol Mysliwiec, working in
the area west of the pyramid of Djeser, dis-
covered a funerary stele of the Old
Kingdom.1'
PROVENANCE: Saqqara, northeastern
corner of the area excavated in 1997,
square I/E, northeast of eastern mud-brick
wall.2'
DIMENSIONS: Height: 88.4 cm; width:
111.2 cm; thickness: 40.8 cm.
MATERIAL: White, slightly yellowish,
fine-grained limestone of compact struc-
ture.
DESCRIPTION: The upper part of the
stele3' is missing, the surface of the lower
part is badly eroded. The upper part of the
preserved fragment is broken off at several
places. The back of the stele is plain.
The main field is framed with a torus,
composed symmetrically, and divided into
three jambs on each side. The inscriptions
and figural representations are carved in

sunk relief, about 5 mm in depth. The
inscription on each of the inner jambs con-
sists of one vertical column of signs (A and
D) . The text on each middle jamb (B and
E) also consists of one vertical column, but
the name of the owner is written horizon-
tally in this case. On each outer jamb,
there are two columns of text (Cl-2 and
Fl-2) and again, the name of Meref-nebef
is written horizontally at the bottom of the
text (C3 and F3).
On each jamb, below the text, a small
figure of the owner of the stele is repre-
sented standing with a stick and a hrp-
scepter. The man wears a long curled wig,
wsh-collar and a knee-long stiff skirt. In
front of the owner's face, the sign * (R9)
is carved, a fact which is difficult to
explain.4'
In the middle part of the stele there is a
door marked, decorated with two wdlt-
eyes. The drum (G) was inscribed with the
name and title of the owner, remains of
which are still visible.

1) Cf. K. Mysliwiec, PAM IX, Reports 1997 (1998), p. 92, fig. 2; Mysliwiec, Nowe oblicza Sakkary (Tuchow 1998), fig.
19, 20. The author hereby would like to express sincere thanks to the Director of the mission, Prof. Karol Mysliwiec, for
permission to publish this stele and for his help during the study of this monument.
2) Cf: K. Mysliwiec, T. Herbich, Polish Research at Saqqara in 1987, ET XVII (1995), pp. 177-203; K. Mysliwiec, PAM
VIII, Reports 1996 (1997), pp. 103-109; Mysliwiec, PAM IX, op. cit., p. 90f.
Concerning this category of monuments: A. Rusch, Die Entwicklung der Grabsteinformen im Alten Reich, ZAS 5 8
(1923), pp. 101-124; A. Badawy, La stele funeraire sous l'Ancien Empire, son origine et son fonctionnement, ASAE 48
(1948), pp. 232-243; S. Wiebach, Die agyptische Scheintur (=HAS 1) (Hamburg 1981).
The usual lecture of the sign R9: bd (natron) does not seem to make sense. One would rather expect a title or name in
this place, but the sign does not occur in any title or name in the inscriptions decorating the tomb itself.

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