DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0421
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ARCHAIC CEMETERY AT SAQQARAH
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Immediately west of 3043 is a partially excavated c.b. mastaba with a cruciform chapel at the south end of the east face.
About 12 metres west of this is a second cruciform chapel. It is impossible to estimate the sizes of these mastabas.
At a distance of about 20 metres south-west of FS 3042, on the westward point, lie three other mastabas, FS 3039 (?),
3040, and 3044. These three are obviously not of Dyn. II and will be referred to later.
About 18 metres behind FS 3030 lies the mastaba QS 2498, and this brings us to a consideration of Cemetery
QS 2400. The group is dominated by the great mastaba 2407, with an orientation parallel to 3035. Parallel to this
large mastaba, QS 2406 lies to the west and 2429 to the south. In front of this group of three lie two mastabas, QS 2498
and 2452, which have a different orientation, and as they lie to the east are probably earlier in date. On the west of the
group, with its axis pointed farther west, lies the large mastaba of Hesy-ra dated to the reign of Zoser and obviously
later than the group in question. It may be concluded that the group begins in Dyn. II on the east and extends to the
first reign of Dyn. Ill on the west. I place the large tombs tentatively in the following order:
(1) QS 2452: two-niched mastaba; type IV A (1); with 2 magazines in stair; Dyn. II (?).
(2) QS 2498: two-niched mastaba; type IV A (1); stairway from south; turns west; 7 tank magazines in mastaba;
Dyn. II, Netery-muw (?).
(3) QS 2407: twin mastaba; southern cruciform chapel, connected with exterior multiple-roomed chapel and corridor;
probably subsidiary niche, and a deep compound niche probably also with subsidiary niche; type IV B (1) on
the south, and IV B (1) on the north; Dyn. II (?).
(4) QS 2406: two-niched mastaba with exterior three-room chapel on south and corridor; type IV A (1); Dyn. II (?).
(5) QS 2429: two-niched mastaba; type IV B (1); Dyn. II (?).
The rest of the Archaic Cemetery which lies west of the tombs already mentioned has been excavated in skeleton
only by Mr. Firth. He has cleared five areas of tombs, as follows:
(a) FS 3039 (?), 3040, and 3044 on the western projection of the northern end of the cemetery, about 20 m. south-west
of FS 3042; 3 tombs.
(/>) FS 3050 to 3063, on ridge to the south-west of group (a), an extension of the plateau on a lower level than
group (a); about 60 m. north-west of group (c).
(c) FS 3001 to 3022, on the plateau about 60 m. south-east of group (6); immediately west of Hesy-ra and continuing
the Cemetery QS 2400.
(d) FS 3070 to 3076, a group of large mastabas, beginning with 3070, about 15 m. west of the southern end of the nearest
excavated portion of group (c) and extending south-westward from that point; this includes the mastaba of
Kha-bauw-sokar.
(e) FS 3077 to 3081, an irregular group of mastabas to the south-west of group (d) and about 70 m. away.
To these are to be added a number of stone and c.b. mastabas perhaps partly excavated by Mariette, lying south and
south-west of Groups D and E. For the connexion between this cemetery and the Old Kingdom Cemetery,
see Appendix C by W. S. Smith. These mastabas are of Dyn. HI and IV with possibly some examples (stone
mastabas) as late as Dyn. V.
Group (a) presents three mastabas, FS 3039 (?) and directly behind it FS 3040, with 3044 immediately west of 3040.
By position 3039 (?) would seem to be earlier, but the type of its substructure is later than that of 3040, as is the type
of the substructure of 3044.
(1) FS 3040: on south, rudimentary palace-facade chapel; probably northern subsidiary niche; exterior room around
southern chapel, connected with corridor along face of mastaba to north and with entrance on south; sub-
structure type IV A; stairway from east with magazine cut in rock on south; turns south; portcullis groove; large
chamber with burial recess and magazines; west of this, unfinished substructure of stairway type; Dyn. HI.
(2) FS 3044: immediately west of 3040; rudimentary palace-facade chapel on south; two-room exterior corridor chapel;
substructure, anomalous shaft type; great shaft, 5x3 m. with burial corridor 17 m. long on its south side at
bottom; Dyn. Ill (?).
(3) FS 3°39: identification uncertain; mastaba apparently without chapel but details now obscure; according to
Firth’s notes, unfinished shaft with groove on south, and, on north, shaft with groove and several chambers;
probably stairway+shaft.
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385
Immediately west of 3043 is a partially excavated c.b. mastaba with a cruciform chapel at the south end of the east face.
About 12 metres west of this is a second cruciform chapel. It is impossible to estimate the sizes of these mastabas.
At a distance of about 20 metres south-west of FS 3042, on the westward point, lie three other mastabas, FS 3039 (?),
3040, and 3044. These three are obviously not of Dyn. II and will be referred to later.
About 18 metres behind FS 3030 lies the mastaba QS 2498, and this brings us to a consideration of Cemetery
QS 2400. The group is dominated by the great mastaba 2407, with an orientation parallel to 3035. Parallel to this
large mastaba, QS 2406 lies to the west and 2429 to the south. In front of this group of three lie two mastabas, QS 2498
and 2452, which have a different orientation, and as they lie to the east are probably earlier in date. On the west of the
group, with its axis pointed farther west, lies the large mastaba of Hesy-ra dated to the reign of Zoser and obviously
later than the group in question. It may be concluded that the group begins in Dyn. II on the east and extends to the
first reign of Dyn. Ill on the west. I place the large tombs tentatively in the following order:
(1) QS 2452: two-niched mastaba; type IV A (1); with 2 magazines in stair; Dyn. II (?).
(2) QS 2498: two-niched mastaba; type IV A (1); stairway from south; turns west; 7 tank magazines in mastaba;
Dyn. II, Netery-muw (?).
(3) QS 2407: twin mastaba; southern cruciform chapel, connected with exterior multiple-roomed chapel and corridor;
probably subsidiary niche, and a deep compound niche probably also with subsidiary niche; type IV B (1) on
the south, and IV B (1) on the north; Dyn. II (?).
(4) QS 2406: two-niched mastaba with exterior three-room chapel on south and corridor; type IV A (1); Dyn. II (?).
(5) QS 2429: two-niched mastaba; type IV B (1); Dyn. II (?).
The rest of the Archaic Cemetery which lies west of the tombs already mentioned has been excavated in skeleton
only by Mr. Firth. He has cleared five areas of tombs, as follows:
(a) FS 3039 (?), 3040, and 3044 on the western projection of the northern end of the cemetery, about 20 m. south-west
of FS 3042; 3 tombs.
(/>) FS 3050 to 3063, on ridge to the south-west of group (a), an extension of the plateau on a lower level than
group (a); about 60 m. north-west of group (c).
(c) FS 3001 to 3022, on the plateau about 60 m. south-east of group (6); immediately west of Hesy-ra and continuing
the Cemetery QS 2400.
(d) FS 3070 to 3076, a group of large mastabas, beginning with 3070, about 15 m. west of the southern end of the nearest
excavated portion of group (c) and extending south-westward from that point; this includes the mastaba of
Kha-bauw-sokar.
(e) FS 3077 to 3081, an irregular group of mastabas to the south-west of group (d) and about 70 m. away.
To these are to be added a number of stone and c.b. mastabas perhaps partly excavated by Mariette, lying south and
south-west of Groups D and E. For the connexion between this cemetery and the Old Kingdom Cemetery,
see Appendix C by W. S. Smith. These mastabas are of Dyn. HI and IV with possibly some examples (stone
mastabas) as late as Dyn. V.
Group (a) presents three mastabas, FS 3039 (?) and directly behind it FS 3040, with 3044 immediately west of 3040.
By position 3039 (?) would seem to be earlier, but the type of its substructure is later than that of 3040, as is the type
of the substructure of 3044.
(1) FS 3040: on south, rudimentary palace-facade chapel; probably northern subsidiary niche; exterior room around
southern chapel, connected with corridor along face of mastaba to north and with entrance on south; sub-
structure type IV A; stairway from east with magazine cut in rock on south; turns south; portcullis groove; large
chamber with burial recess and magazines; west of this, unfinished substructure of stairway type; Dyn. HI.
(2) FS 3044: immediately west of 3040; rudimentary palace-facade chapel on south; two-room exterior corridor chapel;
substructure, anomalous shaft type; great shaft, 5x3 m. with burial corridor 17 m. long on its south side at
bottom; Dyn. Ill (?).
(3) FS 3°39: identification uncertain; mastaba apparently without chapel but details now obscure; according to
Firth’s notes, unfinished shaft with groove on south, and, on north, shaft with groove and several chambers;
probably stairway+shaft.
3D