Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (17.2005(2007))

SAQQARA

EGYPT

EXPLORATION OF AN ARCHAIC (?)
FUNERARY STRUCTURE IN SECTOR 2002

Fabian Welc

The eastern boundary of Sector 2002 is
formed by the wall of the funerary complex
of Netjerykhet's step pyramid. A passage in
the rock, cut to a width of c. 1.80 m and
following a north-south course, was un-
covered in the western part of the sector in
2004 and about 4.50 m of its length
excavated at the time.1 A shaft (no. 70) was
discovered under a layer of bricks in the
northern part of the passage, built into its
structure in late Old Kingdom times. The
south and west walls of the shaft were
constructed of mud-brick, while the other
two sides were constituted by the rock-cut
walls of the passage. The excavators then
enlarged the trench to the south, leaving
a baulk by the outer face of the south shaft
wall. Explorations desisted at a depth of
2.60 m below the top edge of the passage
when the southward sloping rock floor was
achieved. Further sections of the passage
were uncovered in the 2005 season.2 It
turned out that a mere 2 m further to the
south the structure terminated in a vertical
rock wall [cf. Figs 8, 9 on pp. 164-165
above]. A section of the fill directly in
front of this rock face, 1.77 m E-W by

1.55 m N-S, was explored with the purpose
of verifying stratigraphical evidence and the
relative chronology and function of the
passage.
The topsoil in this area consisted of sand
with mud and ashes, minor chips of
limestone mixed with potsherds, tafl3 and
loose pebbles. About 1.60 m below the top
edge of the passage at the southern rock
face, irregular blocks of white limestone
and tafl limestone were found. Two of these
bore traces of red paint (stonemasons'
marks?). Some 20 cm further down,
fragments of beer jars appeared together
with less numerous sherds of well-profiled
thin-walled vessels.4
A compact layer of pottery mixed with
tafl chips started 2.40 m below the top edge
of the passage. Many dark concentrations of
ashes combined with beer-jar sherds were
also recorded.5 The layer can be interpreted
as an extensive deposit of offering vessels,
the predominant form among these being
beer jars of red clay. The bottom of the
deposit was recorded at a depth of 2.70 m.
Much less pottery was noted at this level,
but concentrations of ashes and accompany-

1 See K. Mysliwiec, PAM XVI. Reports 2004 (2005), 152.
2 For the present report and a detailed description of this feature , see K. Mysliwiec in this volume.
3 Arabic term for soft, not very solid yellowish-brown rock present everywhere in Saqqara, intercalated with the Eocene
limestone beds predominant in this region. On the geological structure of Saqqara, see Bonnie M. Sampsell, Geology
of Egypt (The American University in Cairo Press: Cairo, New York 2003), 99-100; S. Rushdi, The Geology of Egypt
(Amsterdam - New York 1962), 99, 322.
4 Cf. T.I. Rzeuska's report on the pottery from the Saqqara excavations in this volume.
5 On beer jars filled with ashes from the Saqqara necropolis, cf. T.I. Rzeuska, "Beer jars with ashes from Saqqara.
Preliminary Report", PAM XIV, Reports 2002 (2003), 153.

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