The tomb of Nefer is another of the group of mastabas to the south of
the Unas causeway. Nefer's titles were 'Supervisor of Artisans' and
'Director of Choir Singers' during early Dynasty V. The deceased
shared his tomb with eight other family members, including his father,
Kaha, who held the same title of 'Director of Singers' and his mother
Mertietes who was a Priestess of Hathor.
Nefer's tomb consists of a long offering hall with a serdab chamber at
the southern end and depicts the classic colourful reliefs of the
period. The left-hand (eastern) wall of the offering hall shows five
registers of scenes with Kaha and his wife and daughter and a dog at
either end. Many of the scenes are agricultural, or depict daily life.
A herdsman tends his goats which are grazing on the leaves of a tree
and men can be seen gathering papyrus, used to build a reed boat,
while birds hover over the thicket. Below, there are scenes of netting
fish and tending to cattle with depictions of food preparation. The
fourth register shows treading of grapes and a wine-press where a
baboon is working alongside the men. Two pairs of dwarfs are portrayed
in their craft of jewellery-making and female clappers and dancers
take part in the general entertainment. Below this are more
agricultural scenes as well as pictures of boatmen jousting in the
marshes and boats sailing south on the Nile with their sails billowing
in the wind.
A niche opens at the south-eastern end of the tomb and the reliefs
carry on similar themes. Goats are browsing and a wooden cargo boat is
being constructed and launched. Carpentry techniques are shown in the
felling of trees, sawing and dressing logs and furniture making.
Below, men are tending the inevitable cattle and fowl.
On the end wall of the tomb, at the left-hand side, Nefer is shown in
an offering scene in which he is seated with his wife squatting beside
him while scribes and a dwarf record the offerings. On the right-hand
side of the wall there were three apertures to the serdab and above
these, painted but uncarved, Nefer is shown seated at a table before a
list offerings. On the lower part of the wall the deceased is shown
this time leaning on his staff and overseeing more offering-bringers
and musicians. Nefer's brothers Seniotef, Ihi and Werbau are also
depicted.
The western wall has a series of six false doors. Beginning at the
south are the false doors of (1) Nefer; (2) his son Khenu; (3) his
father Khaha and (4) his mother Merietes; (5) Nefer's brother Werbau
with his wife Khentkawes; and (6) his brother Seniotef with his wife
Khnemt. The second false door stela dedicated to Werbau has a
palace-façade decoration and Werbau is depicted on the lintel
in a symbolic opening of the door. Nefer is once more depicted on the
entrance wall in paint only with his wife and children.
The tomb contains nine burial shafts and in one, a perfectly preserved
mummy was found, but it is unclear whether this was the body of Nefer.
A wooden box was also found in a burial shaft containing a cursive
account of linen in the year of the sixth census. Other finds include
an offering basin of Kaha and a wooden model boat. |
