The pyramids at Lisht are surrounded by the remains of numerous large
mastaba tombs of high officials of the royal courts.
On the south-west corner of Amenemhet's pyramid enclosure is the large
mastaba of the Vizier Antefoker, who also had an earlier tomb in
Thebes (TT60). In his Theban tomb he is named as 'Governor of the Town
and Vizier'. A stela from his Lisht tomb relating to his Nubian
campaigns was found during Czech excavations in the 1960s.
To the south of Amenemhet's pyramid are tombs dating to the Old
Kingdom. Further south on the edge of the cultivation there is also a
Graeco-Roman cemetery, near the modern village of el-Lisht. |
Senwosret I also had many private mastabas associated with his pyramid
complex. Among the most important is the mastaba of Senwosret-ankh,
'High Priest of Ptah', located about 200m to the north-east of the
enclosure wall. Senwosret-ankh whose well preserved decoration in the
burial chamber included painted reliefs with extracts from the Pyramid
Texts. His burial chamber also contained a beautifully decorated
sarcophagus.
The mastaba of the Vizier Mentuhotep, 'High Priest of Heliopolis' is
another impressive tomb close to Senwosret's complex, as was the
mastaba of Imhotep, another 'High Priest of Heliopolis'.
The area surrounding Senwosret's outer enclosure contains many other
structures of archaeological interest, including priests' dwellings,
and buildings such as granaries connected with the construction and
maintenance of the mortuary complex. Many small objects have been
found in this area. A mudbrick boat pit has also been found outside
the pyramid perimeter wall. |