DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0435
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE OLD KINGDOM CEMETERY AT SAQQARAH
399
with a panelled east face and a cruciform chapel near the north end, which was partially cleared by Mr. Firth. Towards
the west can be seen the vague outlines of several yellow c.b. mastabas, between the stone mastabas and the Abusir
track. It was the chapel of the second from the east of these which I tested for a stone lining in attempting to check the
identification of Akhet-hetep. The chapel was probably cruciform (although I did not clear the west wall) and lined
with a heavy coating of mud plaster (not stone lined).
The mastabas listed above all lie east of the track that cuts across the cemetery, leading to Abusir. To the west of
this path, which passes between FS 3077 and 3078, are four of the Firth mastabas, FS 3078 and the group 3079-3081.
The first of the Mariette mastabas is No. 35, but as his numbering continues with a group of mastabas lying in the low
ground far out to the west, it seems better to follow his order in this list, giving first a group of mastabas that lies on
a high knoll of ground even farther to the west. There is no trace of these mastabas amongst the debris that covers this
high-lying ground. The positions are taken from the maps of Mariette and DeMorgan.
No. 1: B 5 : Ruwzy: ruined mastaba with modified cruciform chapel; rh nswt.
No. 2: B 10: Ifefy: stone mastaba; on an offering-basin in the Cairo Museum (No. 1359) the owner has the title
wrb of the pyramid of Weserkaf.
No. 3: B 6: Sethuw: ruined mastaba with stela; inscribed drum over the entrance. Two panels of a stela in Copenhagen
probably come from this chapel. Borchardt assigns a jar stand in Cairo (No. 1300) to this tomb, but the title
wr hrpw hmwt does not appear on the other fragments.
No. 4: B 11: Khnum-hetep: ruined mastaba with modified cruciform chapel; not on Mariette’s map; position according
to DeMorgan. Mariette has a cryptic note referring to the bad quality of the rock in this part of the cemetery,
the destruction of the tombs, and the fact that two of the group are of very great antiquity. This should mean that
No. 4 was in the group with Hesy-Ra and Kha-bauw-sokar, and not on the western hill where DeMorgan
places it, but it is impossible to be certain. Borchardt assigns an offering-basin in Cairo, No. 1306, to this tomb.
The mastabas which lie in the low ground along the northern edge of the cemetery, between the western knoll and
the Abusir path, are as follows (from west to east):
No. 19: D 42: Kha-bauw-ptah: position from Mariette’s map; hm ntr of Sahura, Neferirkara, Neferefra, and Neuserra;
imy r; iry sny pr r?. In the Sahura reliefs this man is shown carrying live birds as an offering-bearer.
No. 20: D 41: Ptah-sekhem-ankh: position from Mariette’s map; reliefs from chapel in the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston; titles, sib rd mr nst hntt, &c.
No. 21: D 40: Ankh-ma-ra: position from Mariette’s map; hm ntr imy ht of the pyramids of Neferefra and Menkauw-hor.
No. 22: D 39: Kapuwra: position from Mariette’s map; hm ntr of the pyramid of Isesy; estate name compounded with
that of Isesy. Chapel reliefs in University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia.
. . .: B 15: Weret-ka-ptah: yellow c.b. mastaba; no old number and represented only on DeMorgan’s map; rh nswt, imy
ri snwt.
No. 23: E 5: Qednes: ruined mastaba of yellow bricks; poor stela; position from Mariette.
No. 24: D 38: Ptah-wash: position from Mariette, west of an older mastaba; Mariette found a large stela which is partly
in the Musee National in Copenhagen. Fragments of the sides of an outer niche which perhaps framed this are
in Cairo, Nos. 1673, J7O2> I57°> 1569, 1674. Titles, hsty r tsyty sib My imy r; k;t nbt nt nswt.
No. 25: C 3: Ptah-weser: no longer any trace like the others in this group; position from Mariette’s map: yellow c.b.
mastaba; two niches in east face; rh nswt.
No. 26: D 37: Ma-nefer: stela in east face of a small brick mastaba built against the northern end of an older tomb;
position from Mariette’s map. Squatting granite scribe in Cairo, No. 56, and pair statue in Bibliotheque Nationale
probably from here.
No. 27: D 36: ly-kauw: badly destroyed tomb of which no trace is left visible; position from Mariette’s map; seated
statue in Cairo, No. 25 ; statuette of man, wife, and son, No. 105 ; and a statuette framed in a niche, No. 106.
No. 28: D 35: Rahetep: front of mastaba still partly visible, giving position of entrance doorway; name on standing
statue, Cairo No. 205.
No. 29: D 34: Ptahshepses: black brick mastaba; position from Mariette’s map; probably from here a squatting granite
scribe, Cairo No. 186.
No. 30: D 33: Shepsesy: stone mastaba now buried; position as usual from Mariette’s map; group statue of family in
399
with a panelled east face and a cruciform chapel near the north end, which was partially cleared by Mr. Firth. Towards
the west can be seen the vague outlines of several yellow c.b. mastabas, between the stone mastabas and the Abusir
track. It was the chapel of the second from the east of these which I tested for a stone lining in attempting to check the
identification of Akhet-hetep. The chapel was probably cruciform (although I did not clear the west wall) and lined
with a heavy coating of mud plaster (not stone lined).
The mastabas listed above all lie east of the track that cuts across the cemetery, leading to Abusir. To the west of
this path, which passes between FS 3077 and 3078, are four of the Firth mastabas, FS 3078 and the group 3079-3081.
The first of the Mariette mastabas is No. 35, but as his numbering continues with a group of mastabas lying in the low
ground far out to the west, it seems better to follow his order in this list, giving first a group of mastabas that lies on
a high knoll of ground even farther to the west. There is no trace of these mastabas amongst the debris that covers this
high-lying ground. The positions are taken from the maps of Mariette and DeMorgan.
No. 1: B 5 : Ruwzy: ruined mastaba with modified cruciform chapel; rh nswt.
No. 2: B 10: Ifefy: stone mastaba; on an offering-basin in the Cairo Museum (No. 1359) the owner has the title
wrb of the pyramid of Weserkaf.
No. 3: B 6: Sethuw: ruined mastaba with stela; inscribed drum over the entrance. Two panels of a stela in Copenhagen
probably come from this chapel. Borchardt assigns a jar stand in Cairo (No. 1300) to this tomb, but the title
wr hrpw hmwt does not appear on the other fragments.
No. 4: B 11: Khnum-hetep: ruined mastaba with modified cruciform chapel; not on Mariette’s map; position according
to DeMorgan. Mariette has a cryptic note referring to the bad quality of the rock in this part of the cemetery,
the destruction of the tombs, and the fact that two of the group are of very great antiquity. This should mean that
No. 4 was in the group with Hesy-Ra and Kha-bauw-sokar, and not on the western hill where DeMorgan
places it, but it is impossible to be certain. Borchardt assigns an offering-basin in Cairo, No. 1306, to this tomb.
The mastabas which lie in the low ground along the northern edge of the cemetery, between the western knoll and
the Abusir path, are as follows (from west to east):
No. 19: D 42: Kha-bauw-ptah: position from Mariette’s map; hm ntr of Sahura, Neferirkara, Neferefra, and Neuserra;
imy r; iry sny pr r?. In the Sahura reliefs this man is shown carrying live birds as an offering-bearer.
No. 20: D 41: Ptah-sekhem-ankh: position from Mariette’s map; reliefs from chapel in the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston; titles, sib rd mr nst hntt, &c.
No. 21: D 40: Ankh-ma-ra: position from Mariette’s map; hm ntr imy ht of the pyramids of Neferefra and Menkauw-hor.
No. 22: D 39: Kapuwra: position from Mariette’s map; hm ntr of the pyramid of Isesy; estate name compounded with
that of Isesy. Chapel reliefs in University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia.
. . .: B 15: Weret-ka-ptah: yellow c.b. mastaba; no old number and represented only on DeMorgan’s map; rh nswt, imy
ri snwt.
No. 23: E 5: Qednes: ruined mastaba of yellow bricks; poor stela; position from Mariette.
No. 24: D 38: Ptah-wash: position from Mariette, west of an older mastaba; Mariette found a large stela which is partly
in the Musee National in Copenhagen. Fragments of the sides of an outer niche which perhaps framed this are
in Cairo, Nos. 1673, J7O2> I57°> 1569, 1674. Titles, hsty r tsyty sib My imy r; k;t nbt nt nswt.
No. 25: C 3: Ptah-weser: no longer any trace like the others in this group; position from Mariette’s map: yellow c.b.
mastaba; two niches in east face; rh nswt.
No. 26: D 37: Ma-nefer: stela in east face of a small brick mastaba built against the northern end of an older tomb;
position from Mariette’s map. Squatting granite scribe in Cairo, No. 56, and pair statue in Bibliotheque Nationale
probably from here.
No. 27: D 36: ly-kauw: badly destroyed tomb of which no trace is left visible; position from Mariette’s map; seated
statue in Cairo, No. 25 ; statuette of man, wife, and son, No. 105 ; and a statuette framed in a niche, No. 106.
No. 28: D 35: Rahetep: front of mastaba still partly visible, giving position of entrance doorway; name on standing
statue, Cairo No. 205.
No. 29: D 34: Ptahshepses: black brick mastaba; position from Mariette’s map; probably from here a squatting granite
scribe, Cairo No. 186.
No. 30: D 33: Shepsesy: stone mastaba now buried; position as usual from Mariette’s map; group statue of family in