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Mastabas in the Vicinity of Unas Pyramid
Associated to Place: AncientWorlds > Egypt > Lower: White Wall > Mennefer > Saqqara > articles -- by * Mirjam Nebet (118 Articles), General Article


From the Pyramid of Unas, all along the Causeway, there are excavated several tombs and mastabas, most of them still have beautiful and informative reliefs, still with original color. Here is a selection of these though the mastaba of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep will have its own article:
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The Tomb of Amen-Tefnakht
This tomb is situated inside the Unas complex, at the northern corner. It is from the 26th Dynasty, the owner was Oversser of the Lifeguards and Chief of the recruits of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt. The tomb is bult in the style of the period; a vaulted chamber with parts from the Pyramid Texts and an offering list inscribesd on the walls. There was a sarcophagus and an anthropoid inner chest fuond in the tomb.

The Tomb of Mehu
The tomb of Mehu is right north of the Mastaba of Shesheset Idut. Its owner was titled 'Chief Justice and Tjatey' and worked in the late 6th Dynasty, under Teti and Pepi I. Meh had three wifes: Ikhu, 'King´s Daughter of His Body', Nefertkawhes and Nebt. Unfortunately the tomb is no longer open for visitors, but here are some of the best reliefs to be found in the whole necropolis.

The entrance lies to the east and depicts Mehu on either side. A short corridor leads to a small room with scenes of hunting and fishing. Here are also scenes with birds in their nests, men preparing food for the birds and mending nets. The corrdor continues on towards west, here are scenes from daily life, with the preparing of food, brewing, baking, harvesting, sailing, metalworking. A doorway to the north leads into a courtyard with two columns in the western part, both show Mehu. other walls depict offering scenes and gardening. There is also a false door, dedicated to Kahotep, Mehu´s son. At the end of the corridor are scenes with fruit-picking and offerings like bulls and oryx. A short passaage leads off the corridor to a small offering room where more reliefs show even more offerings and also musicians like harpers, clappers and dancers.

This offering room opens up to two more rooms to the west and to the north. The room to the north, is a chapel for Mehu and his offerings. Here is his false door, a piece of great workmanship. It is made of limestone, painted dark red to imitate granite and the hieroglyphs are yellow. It has an unusual style of decoration in which the limestone of the stela shows through dark red paint, which was used to simulate granite, highlighting the hieroglyphic text in yellow. This results in a wonderfully detailed piece of craftsmanship. Other walls of this room are painted in greyish blue and depict many more offering scenes. The room leading to the west is a small chapel to Merireankh who was 'Supervisor of Prophets for the Pyramid of Pepi I". It is believed that this was the original owner of this tomb and that Mehy usurped it.

The tomb of Neferherenptah
Neferherenptah was "Head of the Hairdressers of the Great House" in the 5th Dynasty, and had a son named Ptahshepses who was a scribe and a judge. His tomb, from the 5th Dynasty, is not very big, only one rectangular chamber with a false door, unfinished. It is often called the 'The Bird Tomb' as there are depictions of such. It lies some distance to the west of the Mastaba of Mehu, and is accessible by a modern staircase directly below the causeway of Unas. Inside the entrance are registers with depictions of men tending cattle, milking a cow, making food and bringing wine jars as offerings to the ka of Nefernerenptah. Further in there are depictions scetched on the walls, which were meant to be cut as reliefs and painted but this never happened. Here the relifes depict birds being netted and caged, and a bird hunt, with a flock of birds rising out of a papyrus thicket, theerof the name of the tomb. Here are also men picking sycamore figs and fruit and there are scenes of gardening with onions being watered and harvested. There is also a scene of men picking and treading grapes to make wine. There are big round baskets filled with fruits and vegetables being gathered by servants, and a man carries papyrus stalks in his arms.

The tomb of Irukaptah (Khenu)
Irukaptah lived in the early 5th Dynasty and held the titles of 'Master Butcher of the Great House, King´s waeb priest'. He also had the name of Khenu. His tomb is found just on the southern side of the Unas Causeway and the entrance lies to the north. It leads to an offering hall with niches where 14 large statues are standing. There is also a false door. The last one of the statues was never finished but the other ones still carry the original color: reddish-brown skin, black short wigs commonly worn in the Old Kingdom, and yellow kilts with sahses in bright colors. Above the satues are registers with the butchering scenes for which the tomb is famous. Irukaptah is aslo seen setad in fron to offering tables with various offerings.

Further into the tomb there are scenes with Irukaptah and his family hunting fowl with throwing-sticks from a boat. Other men in boats accompany them hunting and fishing.Next, there are four registers of scenes with brightly decorated ships, probably hauling cargo, with sails that bellow in a strong wind. Behind the sails are cabins.

The tomb of Nefer
Nefer lived in the 5th Dynasty in the reign of Niuserre. His titles were 'Supervisor of Artisans' and 'Director of Choir Singers'. All his family members were also buried here. His father Kaha held the same title as he did, 'Director of Singers' and his mother Merietes was a Priestess of HetHert. It is known for its typically Old Kingdom reliefs, which still have the original colors. It´s a simple, rectangular tomb, oriented nort-south with false doors at each end and a serdab opposite the entrance. The walls haver reliefs showing people tending to the fields, handling cattle and gathering papyrus stalks.

The Mastaba of Akhethotep

The mastaba of Akhethotep is located north of the ramp of Unas, near the mastaba of Niankh-Khum and Khum-Hotep. It should not be confused with the double mastaba of Ptah-hotep and Akhet-Hotep which is located west of the step pyramid and north of the Unas´ Complex. Not much is known about this tomb but here are some scenes with dancers with arms raised over the head. It has been searched by a team from the Louvre, France. The chapel of the tomb has been moved to the Louvre, which caused the tomb to be reburied and subsequently lost. Now there´s a search for more information about the site. Apart from these tombs, there is also a boat pit located just south of the upper part of the unas Causeway.


Sources:
Early Dynastic Egypt - Toby A. Wilkinson
Royal Tombs from the Pyramid Period, article in Ägypten Die Welt Der Pharaonen by Rainer Stadelmann
The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt - Richard H. Wilkinson
Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt - John Baines & Jaromir Malek
Two helpful links:
Tour Egypt
Egyptsites

Palace of the Empress of the Known Universe
~ Table of Contents ~
Early Claim
Thessalonike The Tragic Queen
Icelandic History
The Althingi
Byzantium before Constantine: The Greco-Roman City, 658 BCE - 330 CE
Odin's lament
A FATEFUL CHARIOT RACE: The STORY of PELOPS and OENOMAUS
The Thanatos from Ephesus
The Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
The Unas Pyramid and Surroundings.
Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep - Royal Manicurists and Prophets of Re.
Horemheb and His Contemporaries
Pepi I and His Consorts
Pepi II - an Unusually Long Reign
The Last Royal Tombs of the Old Kingdom
Northern Saqqara - The Pyramids of Teti and Queens
Northern Saqqara - The Mastaba of Mereruka, His Wife & Son
Northern Saqqara - The Mastaba of Kagemni
Benu of Iunu - The Prototype Phoenix
The Ennead of Iunu I: Where Gods Were Born
The Ennead of Iunu II: The Foundation for Religious Life
History of Devon
Northern Saqqara III: The Tomb of Ankhmahor
Northern Saqqara IV: The Tomb of Akhethotep & Ptahotep
Northern Saqqara V: The Mastaba of Ti
Northern Saqqara VI: Early Dynastic & 3rd Dynastic Tombs
Northern Saqqara VII: The Serapeum
Northern Saqqara VII: Other Animal Burials
Styles of Houses in Ancient Egypt I
Lady of Philae, Lady of Abaton
Styles of House in Ancient Egypt II
Styles of Houses in Ancient Egypt III
Aset in Festival
Calendar of Festivals of Aset
Posted Apr 4, 2006 - 12:18 , Last Edited: Apr 4, 2006 - 12:57











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