DOI Heft:
Egypt
DOI Artikel:Kuraszkiewicz, Kamil O.: More remarks on late old kingdom Mastabas west of the step pyramid
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42092#0168
SAQQARA
EGYPT
MORE REMARKS
ON LATE OLD KINGDOM MASTABAS
WEST OF THE STEP PYRAMID
Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz
BURIAL SHAFT ARCHITECTURE
The 2006 campaign was devoted, among
others, to studies and documentation of the
late Old Kingdom necropolis extending
between the enclosure wall of the Step
Pyramid complex and the tombs of
Merefnebef (Mysliwiec et alii 2004) and
Nyankhnefertem (Mysliwiec 2005b: 197-
211; Kuraszlciewicz 2004: 123-125), in
preparation for publishing the fourth
volume of the Saqqara series. During the
previous ten campaigns of excavation, over
100 shafts have been identified; these are
being consecutively explored, studied and
documented.
The preserved remains of super-
structures demonstrate that the area was
occupied by a group of brick mastabas with
cult places on their east side, in some cases
provided with limestone elements: false
doors, offering tables, etc. A typical mastaba
contained at least one shaft where the body
of the deceased was buried and, occasionally,
also a ritual shaft, without a burial (Rzeuska
2002: 377-402).
As the mastabas were destroyed
(probably on more than one occasion), it is
difficult to attribute most of the shafts to
particular funerary complexes. However,
certain groups of shafts are arranged in
longitudinal lines with other groups
initerspersed between them. This suggests
that the tombs were originally built (as
should be expected) in roughly parallel
rows; in time they were extended and
additional shafts were hewn into the cores of
the mastabas.
Due to the poor state of preservation of
the superstructures, it is often impossible to
establish the relative dating of the mastabas
or even of the shafts. Because of lack of
relevant textual and iconographic dating
criteria, the more precise and absolute
dating of these structures depends mainly
on ceramological data (Rzeuska 2006: esp.
380-384; Kuraszkiewicz 2007: 169-175). It
should be kept in mind, however, that
pottery as well as small objects could have
been displaced as a result of robberies and
natural processes (see part B, below).
The present paper discusses some aspects
of the best preserved parts of the funerary
structures discovered so far, namely their
burial shafts.
SHAFTS
Most of the burial shafts are hewn in
bedrock [Fig. 1} (exceptions discussed
below). The uppermost parts of the shafts,
165
EGYPT
MORE REMARKS
ON LATE OLD KINGDOM MASTABAS
WEST OF THE STEP PYRAMID
Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz
BURIAL SHAFT ARCHITECTURE
The 2006 campaign was devoted, among
others, to studies and documentation of the
late Old Kingdom necropolis extending
between the enclosure wall of the Step
Pyramid complex and the tombs of
Merefnebef (Mysliwiec et alii 2004) and
Nyankhnefertem (Mysliwiec 2005b: 197-
211; Kuraszlciewicz 2004: 123-125), in
preparation for publishing the fourth
volume of the Saqqara series. During the
previous ten campaigns of excavation, over
100 shafts have been identified; these are
being consecutively explored, studied and
documented.
The preserved remains of super-
structures demonstrate that the area was
occupied by a group of brick mastabas with
cult places on their east side, in some cases
provided with limestone elements: false
doors, offering tables, etc. A typical mastaba
contained at least one shaft where the body
of the deceased was buried and, occasionally,
also a ritual shaft, without a burial (Rzeuska
2002: 377-402).
As the mastabas were destroyed
(probably on more than one occasion), it is
difficult to attribute most of the shafts to
particular funerary complexes. However,
certain groups of shafts are arranged in
longitudinal lines with other groups
initerspersed between them. This suggests
that the tombs were originally built (as
should be expected) in roughly parallel
rows; in time they were extended and
additional shafts were hewn into the cores of
the mastabas.
Due to the poor state of preservation of
the superstructures, it is often impossible to
establish the relative dating of the mastabas
or even of the shafts. Because of lack of
relevant textual and iconographic dating
criteria, the more precise and absolute
dating of these structures depends mainly
on ceramological data (Rzeuska 2006: esp.
380-384; Kuraszkiewicz 2007: 169-175). It
should be kept in mind, however, that
pottery as well as small objects could have
been displaced as a result of robberies and
natural processes (see part B, below).
The present paper discusses some aspects
of the best preserved parts of the funerary
structures discovered so far, namely their
burial shafts.
SHAFTS
Most of the burial shafts are hewn in
bedrock [Fig. 1} (exceptions discussed
below). The uppermost parts of the shafts,
165