Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (13.2001(2002))

WEST SAQQARA

EGYPT

WEST SAQQARA
THE POTTERY, 2001

Teodozja Izabela Rzeuska

Completing the study and documentation
of pottery finds from previous campaigns
was the chief objective of the season.
Concurrent excavation work provided some
POTTERY OF THE
Finds from the area near the enclosure wall
of the mortuary complex of Netjerikheth
included, beside the well-known types (e.g.
beer jars, bread moulds, plates) of the Sixth
Dynasty, also some sherds of vessels dating
to the early Old Kingdom — the first time
that a bigger assemblage of ceramics from
this period has been found in the
necropolis. Unfortunately, the vessels came
from mixed archaeological contexts and
neither their original provenance nor exact
dating is known. Attribution to the Third-
Fourth Dynasties is possible based on paral-
lels. It seems that originally the pottery
came from the step pyramid complex.1 2)
The identifiable repertoire is limited to
three types, i.e., collar beer jar, jar with
modeled rim with internal groove and
bowl with internal ledge below the rim.
The beer jars are handmade of Nile silt B2

interesting material — either new types from
periods that are already well attested or pot-
tery from periods we have not yet recorded
in the West Saqqara necropolis to date.
3RD-4TH DYNASTY
or C. The clay is relatively compact and,
compared to the Sixth Dynasty beer jars,
contains fewer inclusions, such as straw,
lime, mica and sand. Organic inclusions
are also more finely chopped. The surface is
left untreated. The jars are usually fired in
an oxygen atmosphere, so the color is
brown or reddish brown, the hardness is
2-3 on the Mohs scale. The vessels from
West Saqqara represent various types
depending on the shape of the collar, which
can be either shallow or deep with more or
less sharp edges. Nothing can be said about
the bottom as no complete jars have been
found.
Collar beer jars are well attested at the
Memphite necropolis, sometimes in well
dated contexts, e.g. at Saqqara (funerary
complex of Netjerikhet;3) mastabas of the
Fourth Dynasty near the causeway of the

1) For the 2001 excavations, see report by K. Mys'liwiec in this volume.
2) Objects, possibly deriving from the Netjerikhet complex, have been found in the West Saqqara necropolis in the past,
cf. Et. Drioton, J.-Ph. Lauer, “Un groupe de tombes a Saqqarah: Icheti, Nefer-Khouou-Ptah, Sebek-em-Khet et Ankhi”,
ASAE 55 (1957), 220-222.
3) C. M. Firth, J. E. Quibell, The Step Pyramid (Le Caire 1935), pis. 25, 102, nos. 18, 20.

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