DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Welc, Fabian: Some remarks on the early old kingdom structures adjoining on the west enclosure wall of the Netjerykhet funerary complex
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42092#0179
SAQQARA
EGYPT
ristic grayish-green coloring. Testing under
the Netjerykhet enclosure wall proved that
these two layers continued eastward for at
least 0.50 m (extent of test pit); their
northward continuation is suggested by
their presence in the north cross section of
the excavation area.
On the south, these strata were cut off
by a mud-brick wall, uncovered about
a meter away from the southern (E-W)
cross-section which is the border of the
mud-brick platform (Fig. 4). The brick
wall stands on these two layers, separated
from them by a few-centimeter thick layer
of compacted tail. The test pit dug
eastward along this structure indicated
that it extended at least 0.40 m in that
direction, running directly below the
lowermost blocks of the foundation of the
step pyramid enclosure wall. The dimen-
sions of the uncovered section of the wall
are: 0.72 m long, 0.35 m wide, 0.20 m
surviving height (made up of three courses
of bricks, some broken mud bricks on the
south side of the wall indicating that it was
higher once). The bricks were all: 23 cm
long, 11 cm wide, 7-8 cm thick. They were
made of Nile silt mixed with plant temper,
the latter observed on the sides of the
bricks as actual remains and voids.
The bond in these three surviving courses
consisted of one course of stretchers
alternately with a course of two headers
and two stretchers {Figs 5, 6}. Bonding
the bricks was a tail-mud mortar. The c. 2-
3 cm thick layer of this mortar preserved
Fig. 4· Stone foundation of the Netjerykhet enclosure wall and remains of the brick wall below it (east
cross section). 1 — mortar between blocks of foundation; 2 — so-called “red layers” (upper and
lower divided by a layer here marked as no. 3); 3 — sand mixed with fine limestone debris;
4 — crushed mud brick; 3 — crushed local limestone mixed with insignificant amounts of
grayish sand and the layer above it, conglomerate of crushed mud brick, sand, limestone grits
and small stones (Drawing and interpretation F. Welc)
17 6
EGYPT
ristic grayish-green coloring. Testing under
the Netjerykhet enclosure wall proved that
these two layers continued eastward for at
least 0.50 m (extent of test pit); their
northward continuation is suggested by
their presence in the north cross section of
the excavation area.
On the south, these strata were cut off
by a mud-brick wall, uncovered about
a meter away from the southern (E-W)
cross-section which is the border of the
mud-brick platform (Fig. 4). The brick
wall stands on these two layers, separated
from them by a few-centimeter thick layer
of compacted tail. The test pit dug
eastward along this structure indicated
that it extended at least 0.40 m in that
direction, running directly below the
lowermost blocks of the foundation of the
step pyramid enclosure wall. The dimen-
sions of the uncovered section of the wall
are: 0.72 m long, 0.35 m wide, 0.20 m
surviving height (made up of three courses
of bricks, some broken mud bricks on the
south side of the wall indicating that it was
higher once). The bricks were all: 23 cm
long, 11 cm wide, 7-8 cm thick. They were
made of Nile silt mixed with plant temper,
the latter observed on the sides of the
bricks as actual remains and voids.
The bond in these three surviving courses
consisted of one course of stretchers
alternately with a course of two headers
and two stretchers {Figs 5, 6}. Bonding
the bricks was a tail-mud mortar. The c. 2-
3 cm thick layer of this mortar preserved
Fig. 4· Stone foundation of the Netjerykhet enclosure wall and remains of the brick wall below it (east
cross section). 1 — mortar between blocks of foundation; 2 — so-called “red layers” (upper and
lower divided by a layer here marked as no. 3); 3 — sand mixed with fine limestone debris;
4 — crushed mud brick; 3 — crushed local limestone mixed with insignificant amounts of
grayish sand and the layer above it, conglomerate of crushed mud brick, sand, limestone grits
and small stones (Drawing and interpretation F. Welc)
17 6