This book is the first comprehensive monographic treatment of the New Kingdom (1539–1078 BCE) necropolis at Saqqara, the burial ground of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, and addresses... Show moreThis book is the first comprehensive monographic treatment of the New Kingdom (1539–1078 BCE) necropolis at Saqqara, the burial ground of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, and addresses questions fundamental to understanding the site’s development through time. For example, why were certain areas of the necropolis selected for burial in certain time periods; what were the tombs’ spatial relations to contemporaneous and older monuments; and what effect did earlier structures have on the positioning of tombs and structuring of the necropolis in later times? This study adopts landscape biography as a conceptual tool to study the long-time interaction between people and landscapes. Show less
In the 2019 season, the joint Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara continued work in the area north of thetomb of Maya with the aim of lowering the terrain above the new tomb discovered during the... Show moreIn the 2019 season, the joint Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara continued work in the area north of thetomb of Maya with the aim of lowering the terrain above the new tomb discovered during the 2018 season(V82.1) and to prepare the area for further exploration in 2020. Many layers of deposit situated immediatelyto the north of the new tomb were removed, and – although they mostly originated from previous excavationsin the 1980s and 1990s – systematically investigated. Several dumps of organic material such as linenand wood as well as numerous small finds and relief fragments were identified and recorded. In addition,existing storage facilities on site were renovated and upgraded. In this process, part of the undergroundstructures of the tombs of Horemheb and Meryneith were surveyed by the 3D Survey Group (Politecnico diMilano). Thanks to the cooperation with the same Milanese team, a new documentation method was testedduring the ongoing excavation work. Within a 3D model the different stages of excavation were recorded,allowing the digital reconstruction of the stratigraphy of the whole area and the documentation of all findsin their original contexts. A Digital Surface Model of the entire concession area was also produced, and 3Dmodels of some of the previously excavated monumental tombs were created. Lastly, since heavy rainfallshad damaged many of the earlier excavated monumental tombs open to the public, they were consolidatedand where necessary rebuilt. Show less
This article presents the Saqqara tomb of Ry, an army official who built his funerary monument in the immediate post-Amarna period (temp. Tutankhamun c. 1319–1310 BCE). The Leiden-Turin Expedition... Show moreThis article presents the Saqqara tomb of Ry, an army official who built his funerary monument in the immediate post-Amarna period (temp. Tutankhamun c. 1319–1310 BCE). The Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara excavated this anonymous mud-brick tomb structure in 2013. Recent research revealed that various decorated limestone revetment blocks held in museum collections around the world derive from this tomb. They were removed by early excavators almost 200 years ago and formed part of the antiquities collections of prominent collectors such as Giuseppe Passalacqua and Henry Abbott. The dispersed tomb elements bearing texts and iconography are here contextualised and the funerary monument is analysed in the framework of the development of the Memphite New Kingdom necropolis. Show less
Saqqara, the prime necropolis site of Memphis in the New Kingdom, exists largely in museum collections around the world. The study of its dispersed blocks has enabled Nico Staring to unlock the... Show moreSaqqara, the prime necropolis site of Memphis in the New Kingdom, exists largely in museum collections around the world. The study of its dispersed blocks has enabled Nico Staring to unlock the identify of an anonymous tomb excavated in 2013. Show less
Hoe ontwikkelde de Memphitische dodenstad Sakkara zich gedurende het Nieuwe Rijk? Die vraag wordt beantwoord door de biografieën van individuele grafmonumenten met elkaar te verbinden en te komen... Show moreHoe ontwikkelde de Memphitische dodenstad Sakkara zich gedurende het Nieuwe Rijk? Die vraag wordt beantwoord door de biografieën van individuele grafmonumenten met elkaar te verbinden en te komen tot een biografie van het landschap. Show less
This contribution takes as its point of departure the observation that the relationship between individual tombs in the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara is still poorly understood and that no... Show moreThis contribution takes as its point of departure the observation that the relationship between individual tombs in the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara is still poorly understood and that no coherent internal patterns have been established. The organisation of this vast elite necropolis and the spatial distribution of tombs therein are here studied by analysing the prosopographical data of 448 individuals: the tomb owners. After introducing the prosopographical method and its challenges, in particular as concerning the case study of Saqqara, its research potential will be demonstrated. The distribution of tombs according to the titles (occupational, rank, and honorific) of their owners and the observable changing patterns through time provide a first, tentative indication for the rationale of their distribution. Since the location of amajority of New Kingdom tombs is today lost, knowledge of the rationale underlying tomb placement is pivotal to allow for making statements about the original appearance and development of this necropolis. This research potential is illustrated with selected case studies. Show less
This study is presented in the form of a ‘thesis by publication’ comprising published journal articles and conference proceedings. The articles are thematically linked to the New Kingdom... Show moreThis study is presented in the form of a ‘thesis by publication’ comprising published journal articles and conference proceedings. The articles are thematically linked to the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara and grouped in three interrelated sections. This thesis sets as its main aim the study of the tombs, tomb owners and the use of sacred space in the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara by examining, as a point of departure, the sources pertaining to the early exploration of the necropolis. In the first section, unpublished archival material pertaining to the early, mid-Nineteenth Century exploration of the necropolis is studied. This includes the photographs taken by Théodule Devéria at Saqqara in 1859 capturing monuments that are today “lost”. Investigations into the collection histories of the individual objects enable a reconstruction of the history of dismantling the tombs. The second section examines the inscriptional sources that offer biographical information about the early Nineteenth Dynasty tomb owners. The officials’ titles constitute the main data of research in this section. The rationale of the tombs’ spatial distribution is analysed by combining information pertaining to groups of officials covering a longer period of time and extending over the whole necropolis. The titles are also used to study aspects of the administration of the city, Memphis, and its temples. The final section examines the actual use of the necropolis and the tombs therein. Due to the activities of the early explorers, few archaeological traces pertaining to past activities have remained for us to study in situ. The figural and textual graffiti that were left on the tombs’ stone elements offer the main data for research. Show less
The structure of the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara and the distribution of individual tombs therein have been the subject of a number of studies. It has been suggested that the location of... Show moreThe structure of the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara and the distribution of individual tombs therein have been the subject of a number of studies. It has been suggested that the location of some tombs depended on family relations and professional association. In the area south of the Unas causeway, a notable clustering of tombs constructed for the higher administrative personnel of the Theban Ramesseum can be observed. The title holders include the (Great) Overseers of Cattle, Overseers of the Treasury, and (Chief) Stewards. This paper presents an overview of the archaeological and textual sources from Saqqara pertaining to these officials; it aims to present a prosopography of the Memphite officials who held office at the Ramesseum, and to address the question why these officials were buried not in the Theban necropolis, but at Memphis. Show less
This study is presented in the form of a ‘thesis by publication’ comprising published journal articles and conference proceedings. The articles are thematically linked to the New Kingdom necropolis... Show moreThis study is presented in the form of a ‘thesis by publication’ comprising published journal articles and conference proceedings. The articles are thematically linked to the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara and grouped in three interrelated sections. This thesis sets as its main aim the study of the tombs, tomb owners and the use of sacred space in the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara by examining, as a point of departure, the sources pertaining to the early exploration of the necropolis. In the first section, unpublished archival material pertaining to the early, mid-Nineteenth Century exploration of the necropolis is studied. This includes the photographs taken by Théodule Devéria at Saqqara in 1859 capturing monuments that are today “lost”. Investigations into the collection histories of the individual objects enable a reconstruction of the history of dismantling the tombs. The second section examines the inscriptional sources that offer biographical information about the early Nineteenth Dynasty tomb owners. The officials’ titles constitute the main data of research in this section. The rationale of the tombs’ spatial distribution is analysed by combining information pertaining to groups of officials covering a longer period of time and extending over the whole necropolis. The titles are also used to study aspects of the administration of the city, Memphis, and its temples. The final section examines the actual use of the necropolis and the tombs therein. Due to the activities of the early explorers, few archaeological traces pertaining to past activities have remained for us to study in situ. The figural and textual graffiti that were left on the tombs’ stone elements offer the main data for research. Show less
