DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Rzeuska, Teodozja I.: Saqqara 2006: the pottery
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42092#0186
SAQQARA
EGYPT
The group of vessels made of Mixed
clay P.60 was richly represented this year.
The material includes typical, already well
studied medium- and big-sized tall and
slender jars: forms nos 15 (Rzeuska 2006:
116-117 and 389-391; 2007: 186-187,
Fig. 3), 18-19 (Rzeuska 2006: 122-125
and 391-392, PI. IX,1 and 4), and 22
(Rzeuska 2006: 132-133 and 393-394,
PI. VIII,4; 2007: 186-187, Fig. 3) in the
local typology. Closed forms were once
again in preponderance; open vessels were
quite rare (Rzeuska 2006: 42-44, PI. 3),
bowls meriting particular attention. This
is the second fragment of an open form
made of P.60 clay from the West Saqqara
necropolis5 and it represents a medium-
sized bowl, form 136 (Rzeuska 2006: 234-
235, 411), with a modeled rim (SQ 06-
1734; Dia.rim 20 cm, Dia.max. 24 cm;
Fig. 2). The outer surface has a thin
pinkish-white (7.5 YR 8/2) self-slip, while
the inside is natural red (10 R 5/6). The
difference in the coloring is due most
probably to restricted access of sufficient
oxygen to the inside of the bowl during
firing. The vessel was found in Burial Shaft
18, in a deposit of beer jars from the fourth
phase of the West Saqqara cemetery, that
is, the second half of the reign of Pepy II
and later. It is dated therefore to this
period.
Rare in this material are the sherds of
another jar, namely SQ 06-1747 (Dia.rim
9 cm, Dia.max. 13 cm; Fig. 2). This wheel-
made vessel of Nile B2 has a white-slipped
outer surface (5 YR 8/2 pinkish white, inner
surface 2.5 YR 5/4 reddish brown), which
puts it in a little known group of white-
slipped wares, represented so far by only
a few sherds (Rzeuska 2006: 148-149 and
397). Precise dating is impossible due to the
disturbed context in which it was found.
The small open forms not found before
in material from the necropolis also merit
attention. The small bowl SQ 06-1750
(Dia.rim 11.5 cm, Dia.max. 12 cm,
H. 2.9 cm) has an inner modeled rim,
carinated contour and rounded base. The
vessel is made of Nile Bl, thrown on the
wheel, the base scraped. Both surfaces are
red-slipped (10 R 5/8 red). It was found in
an Old Kingdom period context, the
pottery including particularly beer jars
from phases 111 -1V, but unfortunately
disturbed. Flowever, it can be dated to this
period because of such features as the
gentle angle of the carination and the fact
that the maximum diameter is at mouth
level. The second example is small bowl
SQ 06-1724 (Dia.rim 8.8 cm, Dia.base
5.2 cm, H. 3.8 cm) with simple rim,
straight wall and flat base. It was wheel-
made, too, and the bottom, largely
unpreserved, was most likely smoothed.
The clay is Nile Bl and both surfaces are
red-slipped (outside 10 R 6/4 pale, inside
10 R 5/6 red). A dating more precise than
to the late Old Kingdom is not possible for
this vessel as it was discovered in
a disturbed context with Old Kingdom
pottery in the burial shafts 83 and 88.
The most interesting find was made in
the burial chamber of Shaft 83. It is
a small, red-slipped carinated jar (SQ 06-
1822; Fig. 2), c. 15 cm high, which was
found in situ, between the eastern side of
the sarcophagus and the east wall of the
chamber, even with the head of the
deceased. It was wrapped in a textile and
placed inside a plaited bag with long
handles. The gray coating on the inside
surface of the vessel presumably came from
the substance that had once filled it. While
more studies are needed, it can already be
said that placing the vessel near the face of
5 The first was a sherd from a Meidum bowl (SQ 1679, form 184), cf. Rzeuska 2007: 189.
183
EGYPT
The group of vessels made of Mixed
clay P.60 was richly represented this year.
The material includes typical, already well
studied medium- and big-sized tall and
slender jars: forms nos 15 (Rzeuska 2006:
116-117 and 389-391; 2007: 186-187,
Fig. 3), 18-19 (Rzeuska 2006: 122-125
and 391-392, PI. IX,1 and 4), and 22
(Rzeuska 2006: 132-133 and 393-394,
PI. VIII,4; 2007: 186-187, Fig. 3) in the
local typology. Closed forms were once
again in preponderance; open vessels were
quite rare (Rzeuska 2006: 42-44, PI. 3),
bowls meriting particular attention. This
is the second fragment of an open form
made of P.60 clay from the West Saqqara
necropolis5 and it represents a medium-
sized bowl, form 136 (Rzeuska 2006: 234-
235, 411), with a modeled rim (SQ 06-
1734; Dia.rim 20 cm, Dia.max. 24 cm;
Fig. 2). The outer surface has a thin
pinkish-white (7.5 YR 8/2) self-slip, while
the inside is natural red (10 R 5/6). The
difference in the coloring is due most
probably to restricted access of sufficient
oxygen to the inside of the bowl during
firing. The vessel was found in Burial Shaft
18, in a deposit of beer jars from the fourth
phase of the West Saqqara cemetery, that
is, the second half of the reign of Pepy II
and later. It is dated therefore to this
period.
Rare in this material are the sherds of
another jar, namely SQ 06-1747 (Dia.rim
9 cm, Dia.max. 13 cm; Fig. 2). This wheel-
made vessel of Nile B2 has a white-slipped
outer surface (5 YR 8/2 pinkish white, inner
surface 2.5 YR 5/4 reddish brown), which
puts it in a little known group of white-
slipped wares, represented so far by only
a few sherds (Rzeuska 2006: 148-149 and
397). Precise dating is impossible due to the
disturbed context in which it was found.
The small open forms not found before
in material from the necropolis also merit
attention. The small bowl SQ 06-1750
(Dia.rim 11.5 cm, Dia.max. 12 cm,
H. 2.9 cm) has an inner modeled rim,
carinated contour and rounded base. The
vessel is made of Nile Bl, thrown on the
wheel, the base scraped. Both surfaces are
red-slipped (10 R 5/8 red). It was found in
an Old Kingdom period context, the
pottery including particularly beer jars
from phases 111 -1V, but unfortunately
disturbed. Flowever, it can be dated to this
period because of such features as the
gentle angle of the carination and the fact
that the maximum diameter is at mouth
level. The second example is small bowl
SQ 06-1724 (Dia.rim 8.8 cm, Dia.base
5.2 cm, H. 3.8 cm) with simple rim,
straight wall and flat base. It was wheel-
made, too, and the bottom, largely
unpreserved, was most likely smoothed.
The clay is Nile Bl and both surfaces are
red-slipped (outside 10 R 6/4 pale, inside
10 R 5/6 red). A dating more precise than
to the late Old Kingdom is not possible for
this vessel as it was discovered in
a disturbed context with Old Kingdom
pottery in the burial shafts 83 and 88.
The most interesting find was made in
the burial chamber of Shaft 83. It is
a small, red-slipped carinated jar (SQ 06-
1822; Fig. 2), c. 15 cm high, which was
found in situ, between the eastern side of
the sarcophagus and the east wall of the
chamber, even with the head of the
deceased. It was wrapped in a textile and
placed inside a plaited bag with long
handles. The gray coating on the inside
surface of the vessel presumably came from
the substance that had once filled it. While
more studies are needed, it can already be
said that placing the vessel near the face of
5 The first was a sherd from a Meidum bowl (SQ 1679, form 184), cf. Rzeuska 2007: 189.
183