Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (17.2005(2007))

SAQQARA

EGYPT

ing sherds of beer jars continued to
be present in the western part of the fill.
At 3-m depth, the pottery deposit ran out
altogether, the layer below being homo-
geneous sand with only a trace content of
ceramics.
The top of an entrance to a rock-cut
corridor was discovered at a depth ol
3.60 m. The ceiling of this unit falls back
sharply in a southerly direction. Further
excavations were concentrated in the
northern part of the fill leaving a baulk
0.50 m wide N-S directly in front ol the


Fig. 1. Tbe baulk on the level of the top edge
of the entrance to the corridor with
sloping ceiling (Photo F. Welc)

entrance [Fig. I; cf. also Fig. 8 on p. 164
above]. Level with the top edge of the
entrance, the fill consisted of a homo-
geneous layer of tafl debris with some
animal bones,6 7 fragments of tafl bricks'
and a few intact beer jars. Below it was
a compact layer of fine tafl with the
bottom resting on a concentration of big
pieces of white limestone coated in some
places with mud mortar. A large fragment
of beer jar was found in this context
(0.80 m below the top edge of the
entrance). It was standing and filled with
dried mud [Fig. 2], The surface of the
mud, flat and slightly glossy, suggests that
the vessel must have remained in this
position in standing water for some time.
The compact mass of tafl mixed with
limestone chips observed in the central and
bottom part of the fill also seems to be the
outcome of a humid environment. The
entrance and rock-cut corridor beyond it
must have been left open to the water.
Ideavy rains would have resulted in rainfall
flowing naturally down the gebel slope,
carrying fine rock detritus and small pieces
of pottery right inside the entrance.
Soon the accumulated deposit inside the
entrance must have formed a barrier that
left water standing outside the doorway.
This indicates that the sloping ramp and
the entrance leading to the rock-cut
corridor remained uncovered and at the
mercy of varying weather conditions for
a long but indeterminable time.
Exploration of the top of the fill inside
the corridor beyond the entrance revealed
faunal matter and numerous beer jars with

6 On faunal remains from Polish excavations at Saqqara in previous seasons, cf. S. Ikram, PAAl X, Reports 1998 (1999),
106; id., PAM XU. Reports 2000 (2001), 127-132; id., PAM XV. Reports 2003 (2004), 131-132.
7 The bricks found in the fill of the feature are all of similar size (L. 26-29 cm; W. 11-14 cm; Th. 6-7 cm) and fabric,
which consists of powdered tafl, crushed ceramics, sand and organic substances. This is typical building material used
in the Late Old Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara. Similar bricks were found, for example, in the funerary complex of
Merefnebef, see K. Mysliwiec et ah, The Tomb of Merefnebef, Saqqara I (Warsaw 2004), 53ff.

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