Giza South Field is located to the south of Khufu's pyramid and contains cemetery . In antiquity the desert fringe from Abû Rawash in the north to Dahshûr and beyond in the south was an extended cemetery, varying in depth, embracing also the sites now known as, Giza, Zâwyet el-‘Aryan, Abû Ghurâb, Abûsîr, and north and south Saqqâra.As the location selected by Khufu, Khafre' and Menkaure' for their mortuary complexes it is ineluctably associated with the rulers of the IVth Dyn., and with the royal family and officials of this and subsequent dynasties of the Old Kingdom who were interred in the associated mastaba-fields.
This cemetery included 39 mastabas or tombs of which 38 are noted on the map the sites lack an identifying number as the systematic numbering system was a later development. The cemetery is divided into four sections; section 1 consists of Covington's tomb which was excavated by Lorenzo Dow Covington (1862-1935) of the First Dynasty and two others, No2 & 3.
Section 2 consisted of tombs 4-10, 11, 15, 23, 27-28 and 32. Tomb No 11 is dated to the third Dynasty
Section 3 consisted of tombs 12-14, 18-19, 24, 26, 29-31 and 33-38
Section 4 contained Tombs 16 and 17 are shown north-west and east respectively of Section 3. Tombs 20-22 and 25 are south of Section 2. Tomb 39 is not marked and its location is unknown
Tombs 1-3 are situated on knolls, with extensive views over the surrounding landscape. The site of Tomb 11, one of the monuments singled out for special mention on the map, is not in such a favoured position. One wonders how many funerary monuments of the early periods were demolished by the architects and masons of Khufu and his successors, further north in the necropolis.
Tomb No 1: This mudbrick tomb, also called Mastaba T is best known under the name “Covington’s Tomb”. Covington’s excavation of it over two seasons (1902- 1903)
stepped in. Covington does not assign a precise date to the tomb in his report, but seems to favour the Ist Dyn.18 on the basis of a comparison of part of the east façade of the Gîza monument with the south chapel of a tomb excavated at Saqqâra by Manette and dated by him to that period. No inscriptions or sealings were found by Covington to corroborate his early date. Although Covington does not specify the Saqqâra tomb in question it is undoubtedly that of Kha'bausokar, to which Manette assigned a Ist Dyn. date.19 Later research has shown that it should be dated to Dyn. III,20 which is more in accord with the probable date of Covington’s mastaba, which architecturally fits better into the end of the IInd or the beginning of the IIIrd Dyn. His comparison was therefore apt. Covington’s laudable account gives the impression that his team fully excavated Tomb l.21 Flinders Petrie, who had a penchant for profitably re-clearing monuments already allegedly “worked” spent some time there in 1906-1907, and found much additional material.22 After drawing attention to the similarity of the panelling to that of early Ist Dyn. mastabas at Naqâda and elsewhere at Gîza, Petrie nevertheless opts for a date “nearly contemporary with the beginning of the IIIrd dynasty”.23 The tradition of panelled façades of the “Covington Tomb”-type therefore had a long history.
Tomb No 2
Covington notes it24 as "... a large bluish- grey stone mastaba (about 28 metres x 12 metres) excavated by Manette”, and refers to it again25 as "... the interesting ruins of a large mastaba
Tomb No 3
Also seen by me in 1995. It is constructed of mudbrick and stone, and is the best- preserved monument of the group. There is a large shaft adjacent to the west, and additional structures are attached on the east. Presumably Covington did some work here, but this tomb is undoubtedly the mastaba excavated by an Austrian mission directed by Dr Karl Kromer in 1981-1983.27 It situation as marked on the map published by the expeditions 28 does not however correspond precisely with the site of Tomb 3 as marked on fig. 1.29 The mastaba, dated by the Austrian excavator probably to the late IIIrd Dyn., was enlarged soon after its construction. A smaller tomb, dated by fragments of a wooden coffin found in its substructure, was attached to the south on its east façade during Dyn. IV or V. Yet another structure with four shafts and a serdab was built onto the east façade of the main mastaba, northwards of the first addition, during Dyn. V.30 A final addition was made on the west façade of the original structure. It is dated to Dyn. IV-V on imported pottery evidence. The complex was completely and efficiently excavated by the Austrian archaeologists, apart from the central tomb-chamber which was not reached owing to the presence of large stones encumbering the passage.
Tomb No 4
Petrie’s IInd Dyn. Tomb. PM III2, pt 1, 294. Petrie’s description of the location of this important monument is vague: "On the top of the south end of the ridge facing the cultivation, looking down on the site of thetomb of the Ist dynasty, we found the remains of a tomb of the IInd dynasty”.31 It was covered by the debris of a Late Period monument. An earlier reference by Petrie 32 to the tomb may be misleading: “The Und Dynasty was also represented by a rock tomb containing sealings of king Neteren”. The term “rock tomb” is usually descriptive of tombs cut into a rock escarpment or cliff face. There are innumerable examples of such monuments dating from the Old Kingdom and later periods in Gîza, many provincial sites, and to a certain extent in Saqqâra. Covington mentions that he investigated eight examples of “cave tombs” in the area of the “Mastaba Mount” excavations.33 A rock- tomb as such would be unprecedented for the Archaic Peri od.34 It is virtually certain that the Dyn. I tomb mentioned by Petrie refers not to “Covington’s Tomb”, which Petrie dated to the late Second or early IIIrd Dyn. (see above) but to the large and important mastaba, undoubtedly of Ist Dyn. date, found by Barsanti in 1904 and excavated by Daressy and subsequently by Petrie. This tomb35 lies somewhere in the area between South Gîza and Zâwyet el-‘Aryân, but does not seem to be pinpointed precisely on any map. Petrie says 36 that it lies “in the plain about a mile and a half SSE of the Great Pyramid
Tomb No 11
On the plan of Covi ngton’s area published here [fig. 1] Tomb 11 is shown as a monument of some consequence, to judge from its dotted outline and central shaft(?). It is unclear why it is labelled “3rd Dynasty” It is east of “Covington’s Tomb”, though whether it can be said to be “on the top of the south end of the ridge facing the cultivation” is arguable. At any rate its situation affords a view looking towa rds the site of Barsanti’s Ist Dyn. mastaba. With due reservations I identify Tomb 11 with Petrie’s IInd Dyn. mastaba. Material from Petrie's IInd Dyn. Tomb [= Tomb 11?] (references are to Petrie's monograph) Stone vessel fragments in “alabaster”, gypsum, limestone, and pink “marble” (p. 7 [14-15]) Mud seal impressions of Ninetjer (Neteren) (p. 7 [14]). See also PM III/2, pt. 1, 295 Pottery jar (p. 7 [15]) Apart from the work of the recent Austrian mission it will be noted from the above account that the important antecedents discussed here of the tombs in the great mastaba- fields on the main plateau at Gîza have been excavated and published in a piecemeal and rather unsatisfactory way, although Covington’s efforts in Tomb 1 were praiseworthy. Something can be gleaned about the architecture of these monuments, so comparisons can be made with Archaic and early IIIrd Dyn. tombs at Saqqâra, Mahâsna, Naqâda, Abydos and elsewhere, but the treatment of the objects, not least the pottery and stone vessels, leaves much to be desired. Surprisingly little is known about such material, deriving from the crucial transitional period spanning the Und and early IIIrd Dyn., especially in respect of ceramics.37 It would be a valuable exercise to study all the surviving material in Cairo, Cincinnati, and other locations.38 In this paper it has been possible only to highlight the possibilities.
Petrie: “It is a new view of Gizeh to see that it did not become occupied first by the Pyramid kings, but that it had a continuous history as a cemetery from the beginning of the 1st Dynasty
http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/1999/full/............images of finds http://www.gizapyramids.org/static/pdf%20library/brovarski_fs_simpson1996.pdf
from tenants and priests of the pyramids dated to the 5th dynasty and 6th dynasty.[1]
The East Field consists of the three Queen's pyramids and a number of mastabas labeled Cemetery G 7000. Reisner constructed a timeline for the construction of the East Field. The first two Queen's Pyramids, G 1a and G 1b, were likely started in year 15-17 of King Khufu. Usually Queen's pyramids were constructed to the south of the king's pyramid, but in this instance a quarry was located to the south and the construction of the smaller pyramids was relocated to the east of the main pyramid complex. The earliest part of the cemetery consisted of 12 mastabas which were built as double mastabas. They were laid out in three rows of four tombs:
- G 7110-7120 Kawab and Hetepheres II and G 7130-7140 Khufukhaf I and his wife Nefertkau II
- G 7210-7220 Hordjedef and his wife and G 7230-7240
- G 7310-7320 Baufra and G 7330-7340
The construction of these tombs has been dated to ca year 17-24 of the reign of Khufu. This core was then completed to create a nucleus of eight twin-mastabas by the construction of:
- G 7410-7420 Meresankh II and Horbaef and G 7430-7440 Minkhaf I
The rest of the eastern field was built around this group of eight twin mastabas. Of these the great mastaba G 7510 of king's son and vizier Ankhhaf stands out due to its size. The construction of several other mastabas can be dated to the time of King Khafra. G 7530 + 7540, the tomb of Meresankh III, contains quarry inscriptions dating to year 13 of that king. Mastaba G 7050, belonging to Nefertkau I, was built during the reign of Khafra as well. Further additions date to the end of the 4th, 5th and 6th dynasty and even later.[2]: 70–74
Queen's pyramids
editPyramid G 1a was at first thought to belong to Queen Meritites I but Lehner has shown that the pyramid belonged to Hetepheres I instead. All three pyramids have a square base measuring about 45 – 49 m. on a side. The angle of inclination is about 51° 50‘ for all three.[3]
Pyramid number | Pyramid | Name of owner | Title owner | Time Period | Comments | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G 1a | Hetepheres I
|
King's wife, king's daughter | 4th Dynasty | Wife of Sneferu and mother of Khufu. | ||||||
G 1b | Meritites I
|
King's wife | 4th Dynasty | Wife of Khufu | ||||||
G 1c | Henutsen
|
King's daughter | 4th Dynasty | Said to be a daughter of Khufu on a stela placed in the temple during the 26th dynasty, but more likely to be a wife. |
Shaft tomb:
Cemetery G 7000
editNucleus of Cemetery G 7000
Tomb number | Type | Name of owner | Title owner | Time Period | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
G 7110 +7120 | Double-Mastaba | Kawab and Hetepheres II | Eldest king's son | 4th Dynasty (Khufu) | Son and daughter of Khufu. |
G 7130 +7140 | Double-Mastaba |
Khufukhaf I and his wife Nefertkau | King's Son | 4th Dynasty (Khufu) | Son of Khufu. |
G 7210 +7220 | Double-Mastaba | Hordjedef and his wife | King's son of his body, Count, Keeper of Nekhen, etc. | 4th dynasty (time of Khufu) | Son of Khufu. |
G 7230 +7240 | Double-Mastaba | 4th dynasty (time of Khufu) | |||
G 7310 +7320 | Double Mastaba | Bauefre/Babaef | King's son | 4th dynasty | Son of Khufu. It is possible that Bauefre and Babaef are one and the same person. Some texts attribute the tomb to Bauefre, others to Babaef. |
G 7330 +7340 | Double-Mastaba | Middle or late 4th Dynasty | |||
G 7430 +7440 (LG 61) | Double-Mastaba | Minkhaf I | Kining's son and Vizier | 4th dynasty | Minkhaf was a son of Khufu. |
G 7410 +7420 | Double-Mastaba | Meresankh II and Horbaef | Meresankh: King's daughter, King's wife; Horbaef: King's Son | End of 4th dynasty | A daughter Nebtitepites is mentioned in the chapel. |
The later additions to the cemetery:
Tomb number | Type | Name of owner | Title owner | Time Period | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
G 7011 | Stone-Mastaba | Khnumwer | |||
G 7050 | Stone-Mastaba | Nefertkau I | King's daughter | 4th dynasty | Daughter of Sneferu. Mother of Nefermaat II and grandmother of Sneferukhaf. |
G 7060 (LG 57) | Stone-Mastaba | Nefermaat II | King's Son and Vizier | 4th Dynasty (Khafre) | Son of Nefertkau I. |
G 7070 (LG 56) | Stone-Mastaba | Sneferukhaf | Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, Herdsman of Apis, etc. | Mid 4th to 5th dynasty | Son of Nefermaat II. |
G 7101 | Stone-Mastaba | Merirenefer called Kar | Overseer of all works, he who is at the head of the king, true royal document scribe in the presence, etc. | 6th dynasty (Pepi I or later) | |
G 7102 | Stone-Mastaba | Idu | Overseer of the great chapel, overseer of scribes of the meret-serfs, etc. | 6th dynasty (Pepi I or later) | |
G 7111 | Stone-Mastaba | Late 4th to early 5th dynasty | |||
G 7112 | Mud-brick mastaba | 5th dynasty (reign of Niuserre) | |||
G 7121 | Stone-Mastaba | 4th dynasty? | Ushabti fragments inscribed for the High Priest of Ptah in Memphis, named Pahemnetjer, were found. | ||
G 7133 | Stone-Mastaba | Minankh | Royal acquaintance | Late 4th dynasty | Khufukhaf I is mentioned in the tomb. |
G 7142 | Mud-brick mastaba | 5th to 6th Dynasty (?) | Names of Nabeni and Nebuka appear on lintel. | ||
G 7145 +7147 | Double-Mastaba | The mastaba had 7 burial shafts. | |||
G 7148 +7149 | Double-Mastaba | The mastaba had 5 burial shafts. | |||
G 7150 | Stone-Mastaba |
Khufukhaf II and his wife Khentkaues | Khentkaues is a King's daughter of his body | 5th dynasty (time of Niuserre) | Possibly a son of Khufukhaf I. |
G 7152 | Stone-Mastaba | Sekhemankhptah | Late 5th or 6th dynasty | ||
G 7211 | Stone-Mastaba | There are 16 burial shafts. Attested are Mereru and Ipty (on a lintel reused in roofing of shaft G 7214 B) and Inkaf (judge, inspector of scribes shaft G 7214 A). | |||
G 7214 | Stone and brick Mastaba | Kaemankh | Late Dynasty 5 or Dynasty 6 | ||
G 7215 | Rock-cut tomb | Bendjet? | 6th dynasty? | Bendjet is the daughter of Idu (G 7102) and likely the sister of Qar (G 7101). Nebit, wife of Qar is attested on a doorjamb. The names of Nebenheb, Nedjfu are inscribed on a headrests. Mentioned in inscriptions are Nefrethakhufu (named Sherit?) and Wabha. | |
G 7244 +7246 | Double-Mastaba | Khuenptah | 5th Dynasty | Khuenptah's mother Intkaes and wife Khenut are mentioned. | |
G 7248 | Stone and rubble mastaba | Mestju ? | ka-priest | Dynasty 5 or Dynasty 6 | Mestju may not be the actual owner. He is the owner of a false door which depicts him with his wife Nebuhetep and a daughter Khenut. |
G 7249 | Stone and brick Mastaba | Menib | 4th or 5th dynasty | ||
G 7331 +7332 | Double-Mastaba | ||||
G 7350 | Stone-Mastaba | Hetepheres II(?) | End of 4th dynasty | Kawab, Djedefre and Hetepheres II are mentioned in inscriptions. | |
G 7391 | Stone-Mastaba | Iteti and his wife Senetankh | 5th dynasty | Mentioned in the tomb are Iteti's sons Washkakhafre, Iteti, and Werkaukhafre, and a daughter named Autib. Also shown are his brother Khafreankh and sister Rudj. | |
G 7411 | Stone-Mastaba | Kaemtjenent and his wife Hathornefer | 5th dynasty | ||
G 7413 | Rock-cut tomb, stone casing | Niankh-Khufu | |||
G 7432 | Stone-Mastaba | Qar | Late 5th dynasty | ||
G 7509 | Shafts only | Meresankh Isi | |||
G 7510 | Stone-Mastaba | Ankhhaf and wife Hetepheres | Ankhaf: King's Son and Vizier | 4th dynasty | Hetepheres was a daughter of Sneferu and Hetepheres I. |
G 7511 | Stone-Mastaba | Ptolemaic Period | Shabtis inscribed for Djedhor and Isetreshet. | ||
G 7512 | Mud-brick mastaba | Maakheru | 5th - 6th dynasty | ||
G 7521 | Mud-brick mastaba | Nihetep-ptah Hepi | Inspector of palace attendants of the Great House | Wife: Imty, sisters: Inty, Teti and Meresankh. Sons: Sesiheryib, Sesikhemetnu, Sesiwer. Daughters: Wehemre, Shefetnet, Henenti and Nebet. | |
G 7523 | Stone-Mastaba | Sedaf Iby | Overseer of the Two Houses, director of the broad hall | 5th - 6th dynasty | |
G 7524 | Stone-Mastaba | Kay | Judge and administrator, preeminent of place, overseer of commissions | 26th dynasty | |
G 7530 +7540 | Stone-Mastaba | Meresankh III | King's daughter | Late 4th dynasty | Meresanch was a daughter of Kawab and wife of king Khafre. Graffiti with mention of years were found in the tomb.[4]: 119, Fig. 7 |
G 7550 (LG 58) | Stone-Mastaba | Duaenhor | King's son | 4th dynasty | |
G 7560 | Stone-Mastaba | Middle or late Dynasty 4 | |||
G 7631 | Stone Mastaba | Ninefer | 5th - 6th dynasty | ||
G 7632 | Stone-Mastaba | Late Period | People attested in the tomb are: Nesiptah, Tashamsha, Wahibre, Ahmose, Ankhenes-(?), Hetepef-hesu-(?), Psamtik-seneb, Wadjetirdis, Ankhtef, and Isiskhebit. | ||
G 7650 | Stone-Mastaba | Akhethotep and his wife Meritites II | Akhethotep: director of the palace Meritites: King's daughter of his body | 4th dynasty | Meritites was a daughter of Khufu. |
G 7660 (LG 59) | Stone-Mastaba | Kaemsekhem | King's Son | Late 4th dynasty | Son of Kawab. |
G 7690 | Stone-Mastaba | Iui | Inspector of ka-priests | Old Kingdom | |
G 7710 | Rock-cut tomb, Stone casing | Iby | Royal acquaintance, juridical scribe, secretary, etc. | 5th - 6th dynasty | |
G 7711 | Rock-cut tomb | Khnumdjedef | King's son | 5th - 6th dynasty | |
G 7721 | Rock-cut tomb | Kakherptah | 5th dynasty | ||
G 7750 | Stone-Mastaba | Mid to late 4th dynasty | Sons of the owner named Khenuka and Kamenekh are mentioned. | ||
G 7757 | Stone-Mastaba | Kheperre | General (Overseer of the army) | Ptolemaic Period | His mother Tashereteniset was buried here as well. The sarcophagus is now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.[5] |
G 7760 (LG 60) | Stone-Mastaba | Mindjedef | King's Son | 4th dynasty | Mindjedef is a son of Kawab. |
G 7772 | Stone-Mastaba | 5th dynasty | |||
G 7788 | Stone-Mastaba | 18th dynasty | |||
G 7792 | Stone-Mastaba | 26th dynasty | Ushabtis were found with names: Wahibre, Denitptah, Denitenkhonsu, Tasheri-ihet, and Patjenef. A statue of Osiris is now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.[6] | ||
G 7803 | Rock-cut tomb | 5th - 6th dynasty | Graffiti mentioning dates were found in the tomb.[4]: 120, Fig. 7, 128 | ||
G 7809 | Mud-brick, rubble mastaba | Reti | royal acquaintance, overseer of ka-priests | 5th Dynastie | |
G 7810 | Stone-Mastaba | Djati | King's son | Late 4th or early 5th dynasty | |
G 7814 | Rock-cut tomb | Kaaper | 5th - 6th dynasty | ||
G 7815 | Rock-cut tomb | Hapennebti | 5th - 6th dynasty | ||
G 7820 | Stone-Mastaba | Nefertkau III and her husband Iynefer | Late 4th or early 5th dynasty | Nefertkau may be a daughter of Meresankh II. | |
G 7821 | Rock-cut tomb | Neferseshemptah Sheshi and his wife Meresankh | royal acquaintance, steward of the Great Estate | 5th - 6th dynasty | |
G 7822 | Rock-cut tomb | Mesu and his wife Neferdjes | 5th - 6th dynasty | ||
G 7836 | Rock-cut tomb | Nebtyherkaus | 5th dynasty | ||
G 7837 +7843 | Rock-cut tomb | Ankhmare | First half of 5th dynasty | Two separate mastabas were combined into one.[2]: 238–239 : 314 | |
G 7851 | Rock-cut tomb | Wermeru and his wife Isutkau | Royal wab-priest, priest of Heka, priest of Snefru, priest of Khafre | Late 5th - 6th dynasty | |
G 7911 | Mud-brick mastaba | Nikhasutnisut | Scribe, ka-priest | 5th - 6th dynasty | |
G 7946 | Mud-brick mastaba | Nefu and his wife Khenmetsetju | 5th - 6th dynasty | ||
G 7948 (LG 75) | Rock-cut tomb | Khafreankh and his wife Nikahor | Dynasty 5 or later |
External links
edit- The Giza Archives Website maintained by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Quote: "This website is a comprehensive resource for research on Giza. It contains photographs and other documentation from the original Harvard University - Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition (1904 to 1947), from recent MFA fieldwork, and from other expeditions, museums, and universities around the world.".
References
edit- ^ Porter, Bertha and Moss, Rosalind L. B., Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings. Volume III. Memphis. Part I. Abû Rawâsh to Abûṣîr. 2nd edition, revised and augmented by Jaromír Málek, The Clarendon Press, Oxford 1974. PDF from The Giza Archives, 29,5 MB Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Reisner, George Andrew, A History of the Giza Necropolis Volume I. Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1942, pp 70–74, 238–239, 318. PDF from The Giza Archives, 249 MB Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ Verner, Miroslav, The Pyramids. The Mystery, Culture, and Science of Egypt's Great Monuments. Atlantic, London 2001, ISBN 0-8021-3935-3, pp 210–212, 462.
- ^ a b Smith, William Stevenson, Inscriptional Evidence for the History of the Fourth Dynasty. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Volume XI, University of Chicago Press, Chicago No. 2, April 1952, pp 119–120, 128, Fig. 7–8. PDF from The Giza Archives, 2,53 MB Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ Dunham, Dows, Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts. Volume XXX, Boston 1932, S. 90.
- ^ Dunham, Dows, The Late Egyptian Gallery Rearranged. Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Volume XXIX, No. 172, Boston 1931, S. 26. PDF from The Giza Archives, 338 KB Retrieved February 10, 2017.
29°34′49″N 31°04′51″E / 29.5803°N 31.0807°E
Category:Giza Plateau Category:Archaeological sites in Egypt Category:Ancient Egypt