Discoveries in Saqqara
Dr Naguib Kanawati of Macquarie University in Sydney has found a unique double statue in a tomb in Saqqara.
Dr Kanawati's team was exploring the Saqqara necropolis near the ruined pyramid of Tei when they discovered a mud-brick tomb from the Old Kingdom period. The tomb belonged to a certain Ka-Hay, scribe and keeper of the divine records, who was buried along with his wife Spri-Ankh.
To ensure the continuance of their kas, Ka-Hay and wife placed statues in their tomb. Even if something should happen to their mummies, the statues would, by magic, serve as substitute bodies and enable the ka to continue to exist. Ka-Hey had four life-size statues of himself made and placed in the tomb.
Unfortunately the salary of a scribe, even a keeper of the divine records, was not munificent, and Ka-Hay and Mrs had to make do with wooden statues rather than the longer-lasting stone ones - and that is what is unique about Dr Kanawati's find, for double-statues are normally made of stone.
Those who think that archaeologists spend their time rushing from one golden treasure trove to another might like to consider the record of the Leiden National Museum's team of excavators at Saqqara.
There are few places in Egypt more richly provided with tombs, pyramids, chapels and shrines than Saqqara. On the Diggings tour we usually tramp around the Step Pyramid of Djoser, venture into one of the pyramids (either Unas or Teti, depending on which is open), explore a couple of painted mastabas and then dive underground to the dark corridors of the Serapeum - and even then we have barely scratched the surface of what is known at Saqqara.
The Leiden team have been excavating at Saqqara for 33 years and have just anounced a new discovery - their twelfth tomb!
The new tomb dates from the Amarna period and is decorated in that unique style. The owner of the tomb, Ptahemwia, was the royal butler and must have used his position to good effect, for his tomb is a splendid affair with a small temple above ground and a deep shaft leading to a burial chamber and no fewer than three chapels below ground.
Reliefs, both above and below ground, show Ptahemwia and his wife, Maia, surrounded by an entourage of musicians, officials, priests and - one trusts - cooks and caterers, engaged in the activities of their daily lives.
Meanwhile a Japanese team at Saqqara has disovered four well-preserved sarcophagii, two of which date to the Middle Kingdom. This is a somewhat rare discovery, as the Saqqara necropolis is predominantly from the Old Kingdom. However the find is doubly pleasing for the Japanese as the aim of their expedition was to find Middle Kingdom remains.
One of the sarcophagii, whose owner was Sabak-Hatab, was inlaid with black glass, which must have given it a rather distinctive appearance. Is this the first recorded instance of funereal black?
<© Kendall K. Down 2009
