|
|
|
 |
|
Giza Eastern Cemetery |
|
| |
This group of tombs is located immediately to the east of Khufu's
queens' pyramids and arranged roughly into seven rows. The largest
mastaba in this cemetery belongs to Prince Ankh-haf (G7510) which is
in the north-east corner, while at the other end of the row, near her
pyramid, is the burial shaft of Queen Hetepheres (G7000x) where her
wonderful funerary treasures were discovered by Reisner. |
| |
| |
| Tomb of Qar (G7101) |
| |
 |
| |
The mastaba of Qar lies to the east of the pyramid belonging to Queen
Hetepheres and next to her tomb-shaft. This official, also known as
Meryrenefer, or Kar, was 'Overseer of the Pyramid Towns of Khufu and
Menkaure', 'Inspector of wab-priests of the Pyramid of Khafre' and
'Tenant of the Pyramid of Pepy I', probably during the Dynasty VI
reign of Pepy I or II. His wife Gefi, a 'Prophetess of Hathor', is
known from tomb inscriptions.
The tomb entrance is down a flight of steps which lead into a passage
which in turn opens up into a hall with pillars supporting an
architrave, richly worked in incised hieroglyphs. On the faces of the
pillars the tomb-owner is shown in various stages of his life. The
wall to the right of the entrance depicts the funerary rites, with Qar
seated at a table to receive offerings. He is shown in a similar
manner with his wife on the western wall, with offering lists and
illustrations of the funeral procession - the purification tent and
embalming-house are the focus of the ceremonies. On the southern wall,
statues of the deceased and his family, including his young son are
sculpted in high relief and another statue of Qar sits in a niche on
the eastern wall, where there are more offerings.
An offering chamber is entered from the western wall and here there
are more offering scenes and texts. In the doorway there are more
reliefs of the deceased. The false door of Qar is set into the western
wall of the offering chamber with offerings and offering-bringers to
either side. |
| |
| |
| Tomb of Idu (G7102) |
| |
 |
| |
Idu is thought to have been the father (or son?) of Qar, and his
smaller mastaba is adjacent to the previous one. He also held the
title of 'Tenant of the Pyramid of Pepy I' as well as 'Overseer of
Scribes of the mrt (royal documents?)', 'Inspector of wab-priests of
the Pyramids of Khufu and Khafre' during the reign of Pepy I. The
relationship mentioned in his tomb with Meryrenefer (Qar) and Gefi is
uncertain.
A staircase descends to a large vestibule and to a passage into the
single long rectangular offering chapel. On either side of the doorway
are depictions of mourners at Idu's house, the purification tent and
the funeral procession. On the long western wall there are five large
niches containing statues of Idu plus a smaller one on the left of his
son, Qar, with their names and titles in beautifully carved
hieroglyphs. At the end of the western wall there is a scene depicting
men and cattle returning from the marshes. Idu is shown seated on a
palanquin on the northern wall, watching scenes of activities
including children's games, dancers and musicians and the preparation
of food and drink. In the centre of the east wall is a false door
stela, painted to simulate granite. In the bottom half of the false
door Idu's statue eerily rises out of the ground to receive his
offerings and in a panel above, the deceased and his wife are shown
sitting opposite each other at an offering table. Near the floor an
offering bench is placed in front of this wall, which depicts
offerings to be given to the tomb owner and his wife. |
| |
| |
| Tomb of Queen Meresankh III (G7530-7540) |
| |
The large and beautiful double-mastaba of Queen Meresankh III is
situated just to the south of the huge tomb of Prince Ankh-haf
(G7510). She is named as a 'Daughter of the King', the daughter of
Kawab (a son of Khufu) and her mother was Hetepheres II. She was
married to Khafre (Dynasty IV) who was in fact her half-brother.
The entrance stairway leads down into the large main chamber of the
tomb, which contains two square pillars and its walls are decorated
with many beautiful and colourful reliefs of daily life in the Old
Kingdom. Texts near the doorway give her name and titles with the date
of her death and funeral. On the left hand side of the doorway, two
sculptors whose names are given as Re'hay and Inkaf (identified by
Reisner but now almost illegible), carve and paint statues of the
Queen, while below other men are shown carving the funerary
sarcophagus and false door. Goldworkers are also shown smelting gold
and making a palanquin. On the southern wall, three niches contain six
statues of men who are not identified but are thought to be scribes or
priests. An incomplete false door stela on the western wall shows
Meresankh seated at a table.
The walls of this chamber show many interesting scenes of various
industries - fowling, mat-making, furniture-making and agricultural
and hunting scenes. Meresankh is shown with her mother Hetepheres
gathering lotus flowers and catching birds. On the pillars of the main
hall, the deceased Meresankh is depicted facing into the tomb and
dressed in an elegant white robe. Her two sons, Niussere (later
pharaoh) and Duaenre stand at her feet. The northern wall is a
rock-cut extension to the large chamber which contains a group of ten
statues varying in size. They are unidentified but are thought to
represent the deceased four times, her mother three times and three
daughters.
The second chamber is smaller than the first and has two large
openings leading into it. The left-hand wall is decorated with
funerary scenes, offering lists and scribes bringing accounts of the
estate. The small portion of wall between the doorways shows scenes of
agriculture, and on the northern wall, food and wine is being prepared
for the banquet, while musicians, singers and dancers entertain
Meresankh who sits above holding a lotus flower and watching over the
proceedings. These reliefs are unpainted. Two more niches on the
western wall contain statues, probably of Meresankh and her mother
with a false door between them.
In 1927, in the second chamber, Reisner found a large burial shaft
whose chamber contained Meresankh's black granite sarcophagus complete
with the mummy of the queen (now in Cairo Museum). The sarcophagus has
a palace-façade decoration and was presented to Meresankh by
her mother Hetepheres.
Photography is no longer allowed inside any of the tombs. |
| |
| Top |
|