DOI Heft:
Egypt
DOI Artikel:Cwiek, Andrzej: The stratigraphy of West Saqqara
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41274#0111
WEST SAQQARA
EGYPT
THE STRATIGRAPHY OF WEST SAQQARA
Preliminary remarks
Andrzej Cwiek
The observations presented in this article
concern the part of the Saqqara necropolis
situated between the temenos wall of
Netjerykhet's complex and the Dry Moat,
a depression running on a north-south axis
about one hundred meters west of it.1}
Discoveries made in sectors I/H, I/I,
I/D+Dl, and I/Fl in the 1999 season have
greatly contributed to our knowledge of
the complicated stratigraphy of the site.2)
Two reservations should be made at the
start. Firstly, the final analysis of site
stratigraphy is dependent on both past and
future data from archaeological and sedi-
mentological research,including labora-
tory analyses. Secondly, a complete geolog-
ical and archaeological profile of the area
will be possible only after the excavations
have reached the temenos wall of the Step
Pyramid enclosure on the east, and after at
least the eastern edge of the Dry Moat has
been traced on the west. These two objec-
tives will be the focus of the coming sea-
son. The present observations are limited
to remarks on the natural processes and
human activity taking place in this area, as
related to the vertical and horizontal
stratigraphy.
13 Cf. N. Swelim, The Dry Moat of the Netjerykhet Complex, in: J. Baines (ed.), Pyramid Studies and Other Essays
Presented to I.E.S. Edwards (London 1988), 13-22.
2> Cf. the report by K. Mysliwiec in this volume. All the subsequent references to numbers and names of various struc-
tures (areas, chapels, shafts etc.) are as on the plan in fig. 2 on p. 91 above.
For the general results of the excavations, which are ongoing since 1987, see the reports by K. Mysliwiec, T. Herbich, with
contribution by A. Niwinski, ET XVII (1995), 179-203; K. Mysliwiec, PAM VIII, Reports 1996 (1997), 103-109; id., PAM
IX, Reports 1997 (1998), 90-99; id., PAM X, Reports 1998 (1999), 81-90.
3) I am much indebted to Prof. Dr. Elzbieta Mycielska-Dowgiallo and Dr. Zbigniew Szafraftski for a discussion of their
earlier research on the subject, and their help in interpreting the new evidence. The results of their studies have been pub-
lished in: E. Mycielska-Dowgiallo, B. Woronko, "Analysis of mineral deposits in the northern wall of Pit I", PAM IX, Reports
1997 (1998), 106-115; earum, "Genetic-climatic interpretation of mineral deposits uncovered in section N and sections per-
pendicular to it", PAM X, Reports 1998 (1999), 107-112; Z. E. Szafraftski, "Observations on Stratigraphy. Northwestern part
of Area I/E-F (former Pit I/E-F)", PAM X, Reports 1998 (1999), 91-97; E. Mycielska-Dowgiallo, Z. E. Szafranski,
B. Woronko, "Reconstruction of morpho-dynamic processes during the last 4700 years period in archaeological site (Area I)
at Saqqara (Egypt)", in: Geoarqueologia i Quaternari litoral. Memorial M. P. Fumanal (Valencia 1999), 167-178.
109
EGYPT
THE STRATIGRAPHY OF WEST SAQQARA
Preliminary remarks
Andrzej Cwiek
The observations presented in this article
concern the part of the Saqqara necropolis
situated between the temenos wall of
Netjerykhet's complex and the Dry Moat,
a depression running on a north-south axis
about one hundred meters west of it.1}
Discoveries made in sectors I/H, I/I,
I/D+Dl, and I/Fl in the 1999 season have
greatly contributed to our knowledge of
the complicated stratigraphy of the site.2)
Two reservations should be made at the
start. Firstly, the final analysis of site
stratigraphy is dependent on both past and
future data from archaeological and sedi-
mentological research,including labora-
tory analyses. Secondly, a complete geolog-
ical and archaeological profile of the area
will be possible only after the excavations
have reached the temenos wall of the Step
Pyramid enclosure on the east, and after at
least the eastern edge of the Dry Moat has
been traced on the west. These two objec-
tives will be the focus of the coming sea-
son. The present observations are limited
to remarks on the natural processes and
human activity taking place in this area, as
related to the vertical and horizontal
stratigraphy.
13 Cf. N. Swelim, The Dry Moat of the Netjerykhet Complex, in: J. Baines (ed.), Pyramid Studies and Other Essays
Presented to I.E.S. Edwards (London 1988), 13-22.
2> Cf. the report by K. Mysliwiec in this volume. All the subsequent references to numbers and names of various struc-
tures (areas, chapels, shafts etc.) are as on the plan in fig. 2 on p. 91 above.
For the general results of the excavations, which are ongoing since 1987, see the reports by K. Mysliwiec, T. Herbich, with
contribution by A. Niwinski, ET XVII (1995), 179-203; K. Mysliwiec, PAM VIII, Reports 1996 (1997), 103-109; id., PAM
IX, Reports 1997 (1998), 90-99; id., PAM X, Reports 1998 (1999), 81-90.
3) I am much indebted to Prof. Dr. Elzbieta Mycielska-Dowgiallo and Dr. Zbigniew Szafraftski for a discussion of their
earlier research on the subject, and their help in interpreting the new evidence. The results of their studies have been pub-
lished in: E. Mycielska-Dowgiallo, B. Woronko, "Analysis of mineral deposits in the northern wall of Pit I", PAM IX, Reports
1997 (1998), 106-115; earum, "Genetic-climatic interpretation of mineral deposits uncovered in section N and sections per-
pendicular to it", PAM X, Reports 1998 (1999), 107-112; Z. E. Szafraftski, "Observations on Stratigraphy. Northwestern part
of Area I/E-F (former Pit I/E-F)", PAM X, Reports 1998 (1999), 91-97; E. Mycielska-Dowgiallo, Z. E. Szafranski,
B. Woronko, "Reconstruction of morpho-dynamic processes during the last 4700 years period in archaeological site (Area I)
at Saqqara (Egypt)", in: Geoarqueologia i Quaternari litoral. Memorial M. P. Fumanal (Valencia 1999), 167-178.
109