Merefnebef
The monument is a rock-hewn structure with a mud brick
superstructure, located in a cliff ledge which runs north-south approx.
120m west of surrounding wall of the step pyramid of king
Netjerykhet-Djoser. It belongs to a character, until now unknown, a
vizier from the beginning of the 6th Dynasty (2350-2160 B.C.), which
carried the names of Merefnebef, Fefi and Unasankh. It will be seen that
the history of the monument is complex, with the later changes due to
family and political problems.
The mastaba, which is very fragile, is and will remain closed to the public.
LOCATION AND ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT OF THE TOMB
The monument is located in the western part of the vast necropolis of
Saqqara, a zone which for a long time was ignored by archaeologists.
And in fact, a vast practically virgin zone spreads on the map between
the pyramid and the combined mastaba of Akhethotep and Ptahotep.
Nevertheless, the zone between the surrounding wall of the pyramid
of Djoser and the rocky ledge seems literally crammed with burials of a
variable age
Just below the surface is, buried under the sand, a vast necropolis
essentially dating from the Ptolemaic period, with elements which could
go back on one hand to the Old Kingdom, and to extend on the other
hand to the Roman period. Thus, it is more than 500 burials which
were brought to light by 2008. In most cases, these represent mummies
beautifully enclosed in cartonnage, but also simply bones in the sand,
or modest anthropoid coffins of wood or terracotta Many bodies were
also directly placed in the sand, with or without matting.
The lower layers relate to structures of the Old Kingdom (and could also be from the First Intermediate Period). Many
monuments are found there, either in mud brick, or dug into the cliff.
All have been plundered, probably soon after their construction, because
objects of later periods are not found. One special case (which will
be the subject of a publication in 2009) is that of a mastaba
discovered in 2003, to the north of that of Merefnebef, which belongs to
a funerary priest by the name of Niankhnefertum (Temi), attached to the
pyramids of Teti and Unas. He seems to have lived shortly after
Merefnebef, and was inspired by Nefernebef’s chapel for his own tomb.
Merefnebef’s mud brick mastaba and the funerary well shaft of
the tomb of Merefnebef are located on a rocky outcrop of the plateau,
which overhangs the area where his decorated chapel and forecourts were
created. In its final stage of construction, the complex included two
cult areas. The first, to the west (and lower than the other), is the
chapel carved into the rock. The other, to the east (and on a higher
level), is a smaller construction which was added later. The funerary
complex was never finished, as will be discussed later.
THE CONSERVATION WORK
The archaeological activity is accompanied systematically by
restoration work . In the case of the tomb of Merefnebef, this takes
place after various physical, chemical and petrographic analyses, which
is done in laboratories in Poland. To protect the monument and its
unique paintings, it is necessary to consolidate the climatic
conditions in the tomb. For this, a protective shelter was firstly
erected, which entirely covered the tomb. The methods of conservation
are chosen while taking into account various factors, particular annual
observations, as well as results recorded by a device which stays
permanently in position when the mission is not there. In order to
control the decay of the reliefs, the poor quality of the rock and the
high degree of salinity make permanent care necessary. This is
entrusted to a team of conservators who perform this task for a period
of two months each year.
THE TOMB OWNER
His names
Three are attested in the tomb. Each of these is in most cases
specified with one of the epithets “great” (wr or aA) or “beautiful”
(nfr).
Merefnebef.
This name is very rare, since it is mentioned only once in the archives
of Neferirkare. Its translation is not obvious, but must probably be
read “He loves (him, namely) his Lord”, or “His Lord loves (him) “.
Unas-ankh = ” (the king) Unas lives”, a name which is attested sporadically at the end of the Old Kingdom.
Fefi, name of obscure significance, attested at the end of the Old Kingdom and during the First Intermediate Period.
His titles
He held a total of 34 :
Gracious of arm. (The meaning of this title is not clear)
Overseer
of the scribes of the royal records. One of the most important
administrative titles, during the 6th Dynasty it was held almost
exclusively by viziers.
Overseer of linen.
Under-supervisor of the Great House.
Under-supervisor of the god’s servants of the Meret-Teti temple.
Hereditary prince.
Keeper of the linen of the Great House.
Keeper of the headdress. The holders of this title were in charge of royal wigs.
True keeper of the headdress. The addition of “true” is characteristic of the early 6th Dynasty.
Administrator of the “Seba-Hor-Khenty-pet” estate.
Count.
God’s servant.
Privy
to secrets. Merefnebef bore several titles composed with the element
“privy to secrets” some of these seem to be variants of one title.
Privy to secrets of command.
Privy to secrets of every command.
Privy to secrets of the command of the king.
Privy to secrets of every command of the king.
Privy
to secrets of the House of the Morning. This was the most important
and highest title of the “privy to secrets” group; the holders of this
title probably assisted the king in preparations for divine rituals.
Privy
to secrets of the king in his cult-place. This and the following form
of the title are not known from other sources, although it seems
possible that both are variants (perhaps only graphic) of the title
“privy to secrets of the king”.
Privy to secrets of the king in his every cult-place.
Chief of Nekheb. (El-Kab)
Guardian
of the pyramid of Teti “The places-of-Teti-are-enduring”. It has been
proved that the original interpretation of the title “tenant of the
land”, is not adequate, considering the responsibilities of its holders
in the earthly as well as religious service of the king.
Director
of the palace. The decreasing importance of this title can be observed
after the 4th Dynasty, and it almost completely disappeared in the
early 6th Dynasty, thus being another factor which contributes to the
dating of the tomb of Merefnebef.
Director of the two thrones in the House of Life.
Lector priest.
Chief lector priest.
Scribe.
Companion.
Sole
companion. This title, very important and exclusive in the previous
period, during the 6th Dynasty was only a “ranking title”?
True sole companion.
Inspector of the artisans workshop of the Great House.
Inspector of the Great House.
Chief justice (literally: “He of the curtain” and of high status).
Vizier.
His family
The members of the family of Merefnebef, with the exception of
his sons, are named and their relationship to the family specified, but
without any additional titles.
a) – His mother was called Tjeset. She is represented twice in the tomb (scenes 25 and 26).
b) – His wives or concubines: Iret, Metjut, Nebet, Sesheshet.
The status of the lady Meresankh, represented only once (at the
entrance), is not clear.
c) – His three sons : * Manefer, “the eldest” son. His representations, names and titles, have been chiselled out in most places in the tomb. * Mem, “the elder” (?). has everything that relates him been chiselled out. * Merefnebef
/ Fefi (II) : this son, having inherited his father’s two names, is the
only one whose representations have been preserved everywhere. He also
carries the titles associated with these names, and there is every
reason to believe that he was the one who erased the names of his
brothers. The wife of this son (named Hemi) also appears with him on the
east wall of the chapel (full details as to why will be revealed
later). Notice that no daughter is mentioned among the vizier’s descendants.
EAST PART OF THE COMPLEX
The mastaba
This had been constructed in mud brick, on a layer of rubble 2.40m
thick which had accumulated on the rocky terrace. In order to stabilise
this foundation, a retaining wall was constructed at the edge of the
rock shelf. When the retaining wall collapsed, at the end of the Old
Kingdom, the bricks and remnants of the mastaba and foundations filled
the court of the underlying chapel (N°1), and blocked its entry
The original mud brick mastaba, which sat at the higher level
of the east chapel, had the form of a rectangle bordered with thick
(approx. 1 metre) mud brick walls. The inner core consisted of stone
chips mixed with gravel and sand. The external surfaces of the walls
were covered with several thin layers of mud and mortar, then possibly
painted white. The main mastaba structure was about 7.8m wide (N-S), but
due to the destruction of its western part, it is impossible to
ascertain its precise E-W dimension, but it seems that the original plan
of the mastaba was close to square. It seems that the mastaba of
Merefnebef resembled that of Meri, situated east of the mastaba of
Ptahhotep in Saqqara. As the calculated height of the false door and
lintel of the eastern chapel would suggest, the mastaba must have been
at least 2.40m high.
The main funeral well shaft (N°1) is located against the north wall
of the mastaba, thus within the body of the mastaba itself.
The east chapel
This small cult chapel, which is of a later date than the mastaba,
was built into its eastern wall, near its north-eastern corner – and is
greatly destroyed today, preserved only to a height of approx. 0.30m.
The chapel measured 1.20m (E-W) and 3.50m (N-S) and was surrounded by
mud brick walls. It adjoined a niche of 1.65m wide by 0.45m deep in the
eastern wall of the mastaba. The mud floor had several layers of white
material – The offering place of the chapel consisted of three limestone
elements: an uninscribed offering table, a false door and a lintel, all
of them decorated in relief. Representations of Merefnebef are on the
false door in sunken relief.The lintel – measures 3.20m in length; it is
carved in poor quality local limestone. Its front face is engraved in
sunken relief with eight representations of the deceased, symmetrical in
relation to the central axis and facing toward it. All are identical:
Merefnebef is represented walking with a staff and a xrp-sceptre. He
wears a long wig, an usekh necklace, and a knee-length triangular kilt.
In front of every figure is a column of text: it represents ‘htp di
nesu’ formulae, associated with the titles of the
THE LOWER (WEST) PART OF THE COMPLEX
Situated below the rocky ledge on which the mastaba stood, the
western section consists of the main (west) chapel, flanked to the south
by a second unfinished one. Both have in front of them, on two
different levels, a courtyard.
The two courtyards
The lower courtyard N°1 is immediately in front of the chapels. This
too is divided in two parts (1a and 1b) by a wall which runs
east-west, created from the natural rock at the time of creating the
courtyard . However the wall doesn’t reach the rock face containing the
facades of the chapels, from which it remains separated by about sixty
centimetres. The two halves of this courtyard are also at different
levels, the lower northern one is directly in front of the main facade,
and the upper southern one is in front of the incomplete south chapel.
Courtyard N°1a, to the north of the wall, measures 7.60 x 3.00m. On
the other side of the wall, courtyard N°1b measures 2.20 x 3.00m; two
irregular steps connect the two areas. Behind (west) and 1.70 and 1.35m above courtyard N°1 spreads courtyard N°2, which measures 10.25 x 3.25m. Remarkably,
the two courtyards are only connected by a flight of five irregular
steps located in the southwest corner of courtyard N°1b, whereas one
would have expected a straightforward and direct communication.
The incomplete chapel
To the south of the chapel of Merefnebef is the partly cut
entrance of a second chapel, which faces courtyard N°1b. In its present
state, the opening measures 1.80m wide by 0.51m of depth; if it had been
completed it would have been 2.13m high. The work of excavation is very
incomplete, and no decoration or text has been applied. It is likely
that this chapel was destined for the funerary cult of the vizier or one
of his family members.
The main chapel
This was excavated into the west facing cliff, its floor being situated 5.80m below that of the mastaba area which overhangs it. A
narrow opening is situated the middle of the wall and gives entry to a
transverse chapel with a north-south axis, whose walls are decorated
entirely with painted reliefs. It is this chamber which is going to be described in details in what follows.
THE (EAST) FACADE
The facade of the chapel presents itself as an inset rectangular
niche, 5.89m long, 2.96m high and with a depth varying from 0.76 to
1.15m, cut into the cliff face. The original, now protruding, cliff
face delimits the new rectangular surface. The overhang at the top has
been transformed into an outer lintel, whilst the edges form two
lateral jambs. The ceiling of the niche is painted in dark red, in order
to imitate the prestigious but inaccessible granite
FRAMING OF THE EAST WALL
This is all part of the original cliff face but was still used to support decoration.
F1 : the “outer lintel”
In disrepair, it is decorated of an inscription in sunken relief : “Hereditary
prince, count, chief Nekhbite, privy to secrets of the king in his
every cult-place, sole companion, director of the palace, privy to the
secrets of the House of the Morning, Merefnebef”.
F2 : the south jamb, outer face
This is 1.49m wide in its upper part, and 1.70m at its base,
with a height of 2.12m. The decoration is divided in two parts. At the
top, four columns of inscriptions; below, a representation, badly
preserved, of the vizier walking toward the entry of his chapel.
F3 : the north jamb, outer face
This measures 1.10m wide, with a height of 3.11m. Merefnebef, a
long staff in his left hand, faces the entry. He wears a long streaky
wig which falls onto his shoulders, and a great necklace of which some
parts are visible. The details of the sunken reliefs which have been
preserved, the vizier’s features and the plumage of a bird, reveal the
skill of the craftsmen.
F4 and F5 : the internal faces of the outer jambs
These delimit, to the north and south, the inset wall, creating
the rectangluar niche-like facade. Both have the same decoration which
includes a large representation, in deep sunken relief, of Merefnebef
exiting from the tomb. The naked torso is represented according to the
Egyptian rules of “aspective”, that of being partially face-on and
partly side view. The near arm hangs down, while the far arm is bent at
90° and carries a long staff. This gives an unnatural aspect to the
figure of the north wall, the position of the fingers being reversed. In
both cases the vizier wears a short curly wig, a necklace and
bracelets, and a long skirt fastened high on his stomach. The
accompanying inscription on both walls is also identical and contains
the names and titles of Merefnebef.
THE EAST WALL
Please refer to document for locations. The wall measures 5.75m
long and 2.87m high. It is decorated in its entirety, with reliefs
arranged in three registers, one above (on the long internal lintel)
and two each side of the central entry .
F6 : the “inner lintel”
This is a large rectangle of 5.70m long by 0.46m in height,
occupying the whole upper part of the wall. It includes 4 long lines of
inscription (to be read from south to north), each of which ends with
one of the names of the deceased. At the northern end is a “vignette” of
the deceased, preceded by two vertical columns of text. Traces of a
thick layer of greenish-bluish paint are preserved inside some of the
hieroglyphs. Line 1 : “An offering which the king gives
and an offering which Anubis gives, Foremost-of-the-Divine Booth,
Who-is-in-embalming-place, Who-is-upon-his-hill, Lord of the Sacred Land
and Sepa, that he may be buried in the necropolis in the Western
Desert, after he has become exceedingly old, in peace, in peace by the
great god (as) one who caused peace, one who lived in a state of
reverence, one who spoke that which is good and thought of (his) burial,
the Osiris, who is in the king’s heart in his every place, whose great
name is Merefnebef.” Line 2 : “An offering which the king gives
and Osiris, Lord of Busiris, (namely that) an invocation offering may
come forth for him on the Opening of the Year Festival, on the Festival
of Thot, on the Beginning of the Year Festival, on the Wag Festival, on
the Great Festival, on the (Festival of) Burning, on the Beginning of
the Month and the Beginning of Half Month Festival, on the Sadj
Festival, on every festival, every day, in eternity, for the the great
god, by Ptah Who-is-south-of-his-wall, and by Sokaris, whose beautiful
name is Fefi.” Line 3 : “As for all people who will enter
this tomb in a state of impurity- after they have eaten the abominations
which the glorious spirit who has gone to the necropolis abominates,
without removing their impurity, as they (should) purify themselves for
the temple of god, their impediment which is very evil will be caused by
the great god because of this. Also, all glorious and noble rituals
have been performed for me. His great name is Unas-ankh.” Line 4 : “[…] which are done for the
excellent one who is among the glorious spirits, through the duty of the
excellent lector priest, who knows the rituals truly, truly. Moreover, I
am initiated in secrets of every god. Moreover, I know all the things
through which the glorious spirit who has gone to the necropolis becomes
glorious as honoured one of the great god and by the king. Moreover, I
know all the things through which he ascends to the great god. Sole
companion, privy to the secrets, whose great name is Merefnebef.”
F6 : the “vignette”
Situated on the left (north), this includes a representation of
Merefnebef in the company of a woman whose representation is almost
completely obliterated, and of his son Manefer, whose figure seems to
have been chiselled out deliberately. In front of the characters are two
vertical lines of inscription containing some of the deceased’s
titles : Line 1 : “Under-supervisor of the god’s
servants of the Meret-Teti temple, honoured by Ptah
Who-is-south-of-his-wall, whose great name is sole companion
Merefnebef.” Line 2 : “Guardian of the pyramid of Teti
‘The places-of-Teti-are-enduring’, honoured by the great god, whose fair
name is companion, director of the palace, he who is in the heart of
the king, Fefi.” The signs, which appear to have been originally
blue on a white base, are an imitation (by their form also), of the
texts which can be found in the pyramid of Unas, which is near, and
which had been finished a short time before Merefnebef excavated his
tomb. There is certainly a willingness of the deceased to appropriate a
royal attribute.
F7 A-B : the inscriptions of the middle register
The middle register measures 0.72m high. It is comprised of
inscriptions which extend north and south from the upper part of the
entrance. The decoration is in raised relief on a fine white plaster
layer, but some parts were simply painted directly on the facade. The
inscriptions, initially sketched in red, were polychromatic , on a blue
base (which has since turned to the grey).
1) – the southern inscription (F7A)
This measures 2.575m. Its many colours are nearly lost today. It consists of 26 columns, which read from right of left. ”
(1) I am an effective spirit equipped [with all the things more than
the other effective spirits], (2) revered by the king and venerated by
him. (3) I was a lector priest excellent of knowing all the magic
rituals (lit. all the magic things) (4) more than the other people.
Never was (5) any trustworthy magic hidden from me. The one who was as a
privy to the secrets (6) of the king in all affairs that he loved, […]
who has made (7) success secretly inside and outside the endowment by
means of every command. (8) The one who was as a true privy to the
secrets of the king. (9) Oh! Passing ones, [living ones]! (10) As for
all the people who shall do an evil thing (11) against this tomb,
against the invocation offering of round loaf of bread, beer and tall
loaf of bread, against ka-servant, (12) I will bring for him the end of
this in their presence (13) The fear will not be cast in me in this
(case), so that (14) the survivors may see (it) and may fear the
effective spirits (15), which shall revive in this entire land. (16-26) I
have gone from my town and I have descended from my nome, (after) I had
achieved greatness and had attained old age, (after) I had performed
ma-at which the god loves, (after) I had propitiated [the god] with
(everything) that he loves, by having performed ma-at and the invocation
offering of beer, round and tall loaves of bread for the effective
spirits, (after) I had respected my father and had been amiable to my
mother, (after) I had buried the one who had no son, (after) I had
ferried the one who had no ferry, (after) I had rescued], the weak from
, (after) I had given the property of the father [to the
son. For the people passing by them] should say it: [“Look, the one
loved of the gods is revered with them”].”
2) – the northern inscription (F7B)
This measures 2.608m. and includes 25 columns, The many colours here
have survived a little better -. The text reads from the left of right. ”
(1-8) He is beloved of the king, the one who loves his life, the one
who loves prosperity, the one who loves that he may be on the earth like
Re on the horizon, the one whose servants do not make a burial inside
this tomb, the one who does not bury any people inside this tomb,
neither his children nor his brother nor his ka-servant. (8) As for the
one who will act (badly) in spite of this, I have restrained them from
this as the one living for the king, (10) he is his opponent, he is his
contestant, (11) the one who conspires against him. I will be (12)
judged with him because of this by [the Majesty] of the great god. As
for this tomb for eternity, I have made it on account of being provided
with all the things by the king. The king has namely given me place for
it in a clean area (16) in the sacred land in the district […]
enclosure of Osiris. His Majesty wished I would ascend to the god with
respect to everything. His Majesty wished, I would become effective by
the god with respect to everything, His Majesty wished I would be
ennobled by the great god with respect to everything, because I was
ennobled by the king with respect to everything. As for this tomb for
eternity, I have made it to firm my body in the estate [when I was] as a
king’s dignitary. It is by the scribes that it (the tomb) [was made]
pleasing to his heart, it is by the craftsmen that it was made, [it is
by] the craftsmen that this tomb was made […] good burial for the
courtier, director of the Palace, Mer[efnebef].”
F8 : the lower register
Measuring 1.29m high, it is composed of eight panels, four on each
side of the entry, each showing a representation of the vizier walking
towards the entrance of the chapel.
The constant elements in the representations of each figure
are : a short kilt with a belt sloping towards the front, a broad
necklace and a short rectangular beard, a xrp-sceptre held in the
far hand (passing illogically behind the character on the figures of
the left), and a long staff held in the outstretched near hand. A proof
of the incomplete character of the work of the sculptor and the painter
is in the third character of the sequence of the south side (F9) : the
character has been covered with a thick layer of plaster, whose surface
has been smoothed.
THE ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY
The two sides of the small entry passageway are decorated with 1.69m
high reliefs, leaving a narrow undecorated framing border which was
covered with plaster. Each sides decorated zone is divided in two
panels. The ceiling, like the underside of the outer facade, has been
painted dark red. The floor was originally plastered and painted
white. gives an idea of the state of the passageway at the time of its
discovery.
1) – the top panel
Both sides are identical and measure 1.32m in height. Figures and
inscriptions are in raised relief, then covered in painted plaster. The
deceased is shown leaving the inner chamber towards the outside of the
tomb – He is accompanied by one his wives and two of his sons. The figures and their legends of three of the sons have been deliberately chiselled out, undoubtedly after their father’s death. The
only untouched son has the name Fefi (the same as that of his father’s
“beautiful name”). He is on the south wall, the one standing in front
of his father’s staff, facing him. While nearby, also holding the
staff, but chiselled out, was the “eldest son” (Manefer) – It is
possible to suppose that the young Fefi was responsible for the
destruction of the reliefs depicting his brothers and thus their
eviction from the tomb.
In front of and above the characters are ten columns of text
mentioning their names and titles. Thus, on the north side are,
Merefnebef, Meresankh and the two sons Mem the Elder and Manefer; on the
south, Merefnebef, Sesheshet and the two sons Fefi and Manefer. The two women have a long tripartite wig, and long tight dresses with two broad straps covering the breasts. Sesheshet,
who here has the title of “his wife”, is represented several times in
the tomb. Meresankh, however, is only represented here and only with the
title “Honoured by Anubis”, which probably indicates that she had died
when the scene was created. As everywhere else in the chapel, male
bodies are painted red, and that of females yellow. The clothes of both
males and females are always white. Merefnebef is represented in
the same way as on the facade, in a combination of frontal and lateral
views; his head is shaved, and he doesn’t have an artificial beard. He
wears a long skirt, held by a belt of the same material and fastened at
the front; he wears sandals on his feet. This type of representation
of the vizier is found only here. In contrast, elsewhere in the tomb,
he always wears a wig (either long or short), a beard, and a short
kilt. Why therefore this exception? It could be bound to the location
of the scenes : that of leaving his tomb. Perhaps he wanted to appear
in a special state of purity on his “exit” from the other world.
2) – the bottom panel
At the time of their discovery, the boat scenes were covered
entirely with a thick layer of white plaster, maybe because of their
sacred character, as found in other contexts. In order to uncover the
original reliefs, the conservators have carefully removed the layer of
plaster and reinforced the texture of the underlying stone.
The two craft head toward the east, towards the interior of the
chapel, the rowers are to rest. They are close to landing in front of a
porter, who is overladen with offerings and who waits for them. The
size of the porters of the two walls is considerably larger than that of
the crew, probably emphasising their importance. They may symbolise
the wealth of the estates providing food for the cult of the deceased.
The most interesting scene is on the north wall – concentrated on the
rear cabin, where at least six men face the deceased’s statue. Five
among them are bowing forward and hands raised, probably performing a
cult ritual. A sixth man, who could be a priest, stands next to the
statue. Behind the statue, another character makes a typical gesture of
a mourner. Some features of the statue (bulging figure with
short-shaven hair) suggest that it belongs to the type of funerary
statue (supposed by some scholars to be a genuine “portrait”)
well-known in the Old Kingdom. The location of these scenes of
navigation represents a real innovation, following a recent trend (at
this time!) at the turn of the 5th and the 6th Dynasty. Indeed, until
this time these scenes were placed in the upper register, above or close
to the entry. Perhaps a reminder of the place chosen for genuine boats
in this period’s largest mastabas, which the owners had themselves
borrowed from the king. Here, a semantic continuity exists between
the upper and lower register of every wall. Indeed, the artists having
placed the representations of the master and his family at the top
didn’t judge it necessary to repeat them in the boat below, where only a
cult statue is present. Thus are interwoven, in a very original way,
imagery signifying genuine transportation (the cargo of the boats) and
the religious aspect, since these scenes may even be an echo of the
religious imagery of the day and night journeys of the sun god.
THE INTERIOR OF THE MAIN CHAPEL
The chapel is comprised of a single room, entirely excavated
into the cliff, measuring between 6.27 and 6.42m in length (north-south)
by 2.45m wide. The height to the ceiling is 2.25m.
The enduring iridescent colours are immediately striking, a phenomenon which remains very rare for the tombs of Old Kingdom.
The room is divided by a west-east central axis, running from the
entrance in the west wall to the middle of a double scene on the east
wall. Thus the room is divided into a north and a south part. The
double scene of the east wall can be seen through the entry, although
offset, and is comprised of two large figures of the tomb owner striding
forwards, facing each other
The artist (in conjunction with possibly also the owner) conceived
the decoration as forming six independent “panels” : two on the west
wall (either side of the entry) ; two on the east wall separated by the
virtual axis; one to the south and one on the north. All of the
wall panels are framed at the top and on each side by a border
comprised of alternating rectangles of red, blue, yellow, white, each
edged in black – Under the scenes is a 0.47m high dado area, painted
white, which runs at the bottom of all four walls. The ceiling, like those of the facade and entrance, has been painted in dark red. The following description of the chapel will start with the north side of the west wall and continue in a clockwise direction. West Wall
WEST WALL, NORTH SIDE
This portion measures 2.91m in length and includes a decorative panel which can be subdivided into three main elements. The central element is a false door inscribed for Merefnebef. To the left, extending to the entrance, there are four registers of offering bearers. On
the right, up to the corner of the room, the vizier walks toward his
false door accompanied by his wife Iret and his son Manefer. Here again
this son’s figure and text have been chiselled out, as in the entry.
Below this scene, at the same height as the bottom register of the
porters (opposite), more porters bring offerings towards the false door. Separating
the top three registers of the left is a vertical register with pairs
of vessels containing oils. A similar register stands in front of the
scene with Merefnebef on the right.
A- The false door
(width = 1.13m; height = 1.85m)
This is doubly recessed into the rock. The door has two pairs of
doorposts and lintels, with a rectangular panel between the two
lintels. The central vertical axis of the further inset door is
indicated by a vertically painted black line. The bottom edge of the
whole false door descends into the area allotted elsewhere for the white
dado area. With the exception of the lower part, which descends
halfway into the dado and which is painted white, the rest has been
painted in a red which varies between dark red, orange and deep pink
and then sprinkled of black dots to imitate granite. The reliefs are
engraved and painted originally in green. There are six
representations of the vizier : one on each of the four doorposts, one
in the left corner of the upper lintel and one in the rectangular area
between the lintels. With the exception of the one seated in the
rectangular area, all the others show the vizier walking toward the
centre of the door, staff and sceptre in his hands, wearing a long wig,
broad necklace and short kilt. The representation in the rectangular
space shows him seated in front of a table of offerings, smelling
perfume from a vessel. The inscriptions on the two external and
internal doorposts, as well as on the larger external lintel at the
top, are prayers of the “invocatory offerings” type, given by Anubis
(with various epithets), as well as by Osiris It is interesting to
note that, since this time, and even since the pyramids texts, Osiris
is rightly present. But here the deceased does not become “an Osiris”,
as will later be the case. It says “honoured by Osiris”, which could
also be translate as ” blessed by Osiris”.Here is, for example, the text
of the left external doorpost : “An offering which the king gives and
an offering which Anubis gives, that he may run over the sacred roads
over which the honoured ones used to run. Companion, chief lector
priest, gracious of arm, sole companion, honoured by Osiris lord of
Busiris in the West, Merefnebef.”.- The text of the rectangular panel
identifies the deceased as : “Count, keeper of the headdress,
Merefnebef. Honoured by Osiris Who-is-upon-his-hill, lord of the Sacred
Land, sole companion Merefnebef.”. The drum above the innermost area, the actual “false door”, simply says : “Sole companion, Merefnebef.”.
An offering table, hewn in the rock, stands in front of the
false door, its top surface being level with the recessed surfaces of
the false door itself. The whole table was painted white. Its upper
surface is decorated with symbolical representations of offerings,
sculpted in raised relief. This structure extends beyond the boundaries
of the door, from a bench structure in front of the north wall, to
almost the entry passageway. It is approx. 0.25m in height with a depth
of about 0.6m (to the surface of the west wall).
B – The oil vessels
Situated on each side of the false door, in front at the top three
registers of offering bearers on the left and the scene of Merefnebef
on the right, is a vertical column divided into seven identical spaces.
Each contains a pair of vessels for one of the “7 sacred oils”, each
identified by its name : sTi-HAb “, Hknw “, sfT “, nXnm “, ” HAtt n (i)
aS “, ” HAtt n (i) THnw “. The background of each space was
originally either black or white, the black having now almost vanished.
The vessels appear in three different forms and were all painted with
similar colours, red at the top and the white (with blue dots) for the
main lower part
C – The offering bearers
To the south (left), a space of 0.55m wide and 1.66m high is
subdivided in four registers, with, alternatively, three or four men, on
a base that was originally black. All wear a short kilt and a small
wig. Every panel is surmounted by a text line in raised relief :
“Bringing the birds of choice for the the Ka of the sole companion
Merefnebef”; the bottom register being slightly different :”Bringing the
birds of choice for the the Ka of the sole companion, honoured by the
great god, Merefnebef”.
We find, from right to left :
Porters of the upper register :
#1 leads a gazelle by a rope held in his right hand in which he a
additionally holds a gA-basket; he also brings a bunch of lotus and
papyrus held in his left hand. Four lotus stems hang from his left
elbow.
#2 supports a large bowl, filled with something which could be vegetables, while three gA-baskets
hang down from his left arm. The oblong object held in his right hand
and diagonally across the torso may be a roll of linen.
#3 holds three Egyptian geese with his left dangling hand, and a
long bunch of papyrus and lotus plants in his right hand. A small
rectangular basket, containing a small gazelle is hanging from his left
forearm.
#4 holds a large rectangular basket in his left drooping hand,
and maybe a gazelle in his right hand. The basket contains two geese.
Porters of register two :
#1 carries in his left hand a tray piled with yellow painted
conical objects (perhaps breads ?). Suspended from his left elbow is a
round bottomed basket filled with objects of various shape.
#2 brings a semicircular basket, a goose, and a bunch of plant
stems draped over his right elbow. The basket contains grapes painted
blue with black dots, as well as three unknown objects painted yellow
with red stripes.
#3 carries two large trays held between his shoulders and his
hands, as well as a basket hanging from his left elbow, and a large gA-basket hanging from his right forearm.
Porters of register three :
#1 carries a goose in his left hand and a gA-basket in his right hand.
#2 supports a large tray with his left hand and left shoulder.
Hanging from this hand is a basket with a rounded bottom. In his right
is a bunch of lotus plants.
#3 carries a bunch of fresh lotus plants held in his left hand,
and an oblong basket with two geese whose heads protrude from its
extremities.
#4 holds a large tray with victuals in his left hand, and a
curious oblong object in his right. Hanging from his left hand is a
basket with a rounded bottom and three jars of various shapes.
Porters of register four :
#1 holds a goose with both hands. Another goose is lying bound in front of him.
#2 carries a large goose in his hands and leads two animals on
ropes held in his right hand. This hand also holds a goose by its
throat.
#3 – whose body is entirely covered by a layer of white gypsum –
carries various objects in both hands raised to shoulder level. A large
and thick tray, supported by his left hand and left shoulder, contains
two conical breads (?) and an object that seems to be a cup filled with a
substance. A bunch of lotus plants hangs from his left elbow.
D – Merefnebef heading towards his false door
The scene is located to the right (north) of the false door; in
an area 0.94m wide, subdivided in two registers. The upper register,
which contains the main scene – that of Merefnebef -, is 1.23m high. The
lower one, containing five offering bears, is 0.38m high.
1) – Upper register
A column of text, which contains the name and some of the
titles of Merefnebef, separates the vertical register containing the
vessels of oil. Merefnebef occupies the whole height of the register.
Sculpted in raised relief on an initially black background, he is
represented striding towards the false door. He wears a shoulder-length
wig, and his chin is decorated with a short beard, both of which are
black. The broad necklace which spreads onto his naked chest includes
five rows of alternately light blue and dark blue segments. Bracelets
decorate his wrists. He wears no garment other than a short white kilt
and he is barefooted. With his left hand he holds a xrp-sceptre, on the
extremity of which is inscribed his name and in the other hand he holds a
long staff. Squatting at his feet, and much smaller in scale, is “His wife, his beloved, Iret”.
With her face turned towards Merefnebef, she holds onto his leg. Her
short cut hair (or perhaps a wig) is decorated with a ribbon, of which
part hangs down at the back. Her tight-fitting dress includes two
shoulder straps which help to conceal her breasts. The eldest son,
Manefer, stood in front of her, grasping the staff of his father with
his right hand (which corresponds to sharing its symbology of power),
but his effigy and his name have been chiselled out.
2) – Lower register
This is composed of five offering bearers walking toward the
false door. All have small black wigs and a white kilt. Unlike those of
the bottom register on the other side of the false door, there is no
accompanying text. From left to right, the porters and their offerings are as follows :
#1 carries a tray, containing a conical bread between two cups,
resting on his right hand and against his right shoulder. In his left
he holds a goose by the wings.
#2 carries two objects in his hands raised to shoulder level : a
large tray with conical breads in his right hand, and a large vessel in
the left.
#3 carries a large tray laden with fruit, on his raised right
hand; with his left he holds a rope attached to two calves walking
beside him.
#4 holds a large tray on his raised right hand, with his left
hand he leads a bull walking beside him, represented behind his legs.
#5 carries three geese in his right hand, while is left hand he holds what is most likely a gA-basket (very much destroyed).
NORTH WALL
Occupied entirely by a panel of 2.45m wide, it is divided in
two horizontal registers. Below this decorated area is a band of white
paint which spreads onto an uninscribed offering table. This takes the
form a simple bench, cut from the natural rock, 0.60m deep and 0.33m
high. This is painted white, the same as the dado area which it almost
replaces, but for which it leaves a slight clearance at the top. Unlike
the offering tables in front of the two false doors of the west wall,
this is not decorated.
A – Upper register
This is divided into two parts, east (left) being 1.18m wide
and west (right) being 1.11m wide. They are separated by a narrow
dividing line, partly sculpted in raised relief and painted black.
1) – West side: Merefnebef before a large table of offerings
The colour of the background is black, with irregular dark grey splashes. Merefnebef
is seated on a small chair with a backrest, painted black with yellow
stripes. The feet are in the shape of lion’s paws which rest on
semi-conical stands. A cushion over the backrest improves the comfort
He wears a large wig descending behind his shoulders, a broad
necklace and a bracelet on each wrist. He also wears a short kilt
fastened by a belt, but he is barefooted. His right hand extends toward
the table of offerings, the left is bent at the elbow and holds a
folded white handkerchief. A dog (a sloughy) sits between the legs
of the chair. It wears a scarf, which was once green, around its neck.
Above it is the legend (its name?) “One who is fashioned as a St“.
What animal can be ignored when designated thus. Above the scene, two
lines of hieroglyphs declare Merefnebef as honoured by Osiris and
Anubis. In front of him, a column carrying his name and some titles,
separate him from the table which is piled to the top of the register,
with a variety of offerings. A pedestal carries a large tray supported
by a simple tall stand. On this are 17 very long portions of bread,
painted in yellow-brown. The rest of the products are accumulated in
two superimposed registers : fruits, vegetables, birds, joints of meat,
a head of calf, etc. Under the table is the traditional formula for
abundance of the wished for commodities : “of thousands of breads, beer,
etc.”
2) – East side: the list of offerings and porters of offerings
This part of the upper register is further subdivided. The
upper portion being a tabular list, the lower consisting of two rows of
porters.
a) The (tabular) list
This conforms to the type A classification of W. Barta, with
rare variations inherent in the 6th Dynasty. It includes 3 rows and 32
columns. Each rite and product offered is described in a set of three
fields : the one at the top carries the name of the ritual or the
offering; the in the middle, a unit of measure, ; the one at the
bottom, a quantity. The hieroglyphs were sculpted in sunken relief
and painted, with a predominance of blue-green, which is also the colour
that is best preserved.
b) The porters of offerings
Twelve men, distributed in two rows of six, bring the offerings towards the table. Those
in the top sub-register each hold a goose, and the first five hold two
of them, and have three others in a cage, at their feet. Those of the lower sub-register retain an animal by a rope : calf, antelope, gazelle. The first three carry oxen legs. In
front of them is a column of hieroglyphs which states : “Bringing the
choice of forelegs and birds for the hereditary prince, sole companion
Merefnebef.”.
B – Lower register
This measures 0.41m high. The relief is sculpted in the surface
of the rock then covered with a layer of plaster and then painted. A
vertical line, sculpted and painted in black, divides the register into
two unequal parts.
1) – West part
This is 0.7m long and is further divided horizontally in two
sub-registers, each showing musicians : female above, males below. The
colour of background is black, with some traces of grey (could be the
original colour).
a) the upper sub-register
This is occupied by four female musicians, all identified as “His wife, his beloved”,
thus they are the wives of Merefnebef : Sesheshet, Iret, Nebet and
Medjut. Each squat on the floor and lean slightly forwards, playing a
curved harp. The position of the fingers is nearly identical in each
case and expressively shows their movements on the strings. All are
clothed identically in a dress of which a shoulder strap covers the only
visible breast. The contours of the characters have been emphasised in a
thin red line.
b) the lower sub-register
Four male musicians are present, identified as : singer Mery, singer Pedenu, singer Iduiqer and an unknown person. All,
like those above, squat on the floor; they all wear short white kilts.
The first musician holds an oblong instrument, which could only be a
flute; the second and fourth both play harps; the third plays an unknown
instrument (the relief being destroyed here).
2) – East part
At the extreme right, two groups of butchers are actively occupied,
each cutting up an ox : they cut the front right haunch, and extract
the heart, exchanging words : “Finish with this foreleg !”, or “Take it
away ! hurry up, friend !”. On the left, the freshly cut pieces, as well
as of other offerings, are then carried immediately toward their
master.
EAST WALL, NORTH PANEL
The wall is 6.42m long and is divided into two panels of
different length. The northern panel is 5.32m long, the southern one is
0.93m.
The panel is divided in two registers of unequal height : the top one being 1.15m and the lower one 0.39m. Above
the panel runs a line of inscription, of the invocatory offering type,
being given by Anubis, by the king and by Osiris. It stipulates
certain times when the offerings must be presented. It was, of course, a
reminder to those (family or priests) who were in charge of the
funerary cult : “May an invocation offering come forth for him on the
Opening of the Year Festival, on the Festival of Thot, on the Beginning
of the Year Festival, the Wag Festival, on the Great Festival, (the
Festival of) Burning, on the Beginning of the Month and the Beginning
of Half Month Festival, (namely for) the sole companion Merefnebef”. Vertical
lines, sculpted and painted in black, divide the register in three
groups of scenes, represented in blue, magenta and green on the plan
above. The lower register of the panel forms a horizontal band; this is
represented in red.
Upper Register, First Group
Merefnebef and his mother, kneeling, facing a central axis
This group (magenta on the plan) is located about the central axis,
the one which can be seen when looking into the chapel through the
entry passageway – It represents a mirrored scene, which includes two
large representations of the vizier, facing each other, either side of
the central axis, formed from two columns of hieroglyphs. The columns
again provide names and titles of deceased; the one on left ends with
the name Fefi and the one on right with the name Merefnebef. The
vizier, besides his usual attire, wears a panther skin whose tail hangs
between his legs; the two representations only differ by the style of
his hair Tjeset, mother of the vizier, kneels at her son’s feet,
with the accompanying text : “his mother, honoured by Anubis, Tjeset” on
the south (right) side and “his mother, honoured by Osiris, lord of the
sky, Tjeset” of the other. She wears a long dress, whose large shoulder
straps cover her breasts.
Upper Register, Second Group
The double representation of the vizier in front of the slaughterhouse
This group (shown in blue on the plan) is located on the left (north) of the previous group. It is sculpted in raised relief. Two
vertical columns of inscription, providing names and titles of the
vizier, permit the sub-divison of group into three scenes.
1) Scenes 1 and 2
These each include a large sized (1.15m) representation of the
deceased walking southwards, feet naked. In both cases he wears kilt, a
broad necklace and bracelets, and holds in his hands the attributes
usual with his power : the staff and sceptre. On the left, Merefnebef
wears a short curly wig, decorated by a ribbon, of which one of the
ends hangs down onto his shoulder. Also around his neck hangs a long
pendant, comprised of pale green plates, with a dark blue jewel at its
extremity. On the right, he wears a long wig and a sash which crosses
his chest from his left shoulder and round his back The quality of his
broad necklace has survived well. The two wives who kneel at the
vizier’s feet are : on the left Sesheshet , and on the right Nebet; they
are based on the model of Tjeset, who has already been mentioned in
group 1
2) Scene 3
The scene of the slaughterhouse is divided in three registers, at the
top of each is an inscription line which tells “Bringing the choice of
forelegs for the honoured, etc.”. Each
register contains a scene showing slaughterers and offering bearers in
action. All porters head toward their master, to the north.
Upper register
The bull is painted white, with black splashes, while visible
extracted parts are painted red. Two butchers are shown cutting off the
leg of the animal, while another man is extracting its entrails.
Middle register
Two butchers, each holding a long brownish knife, lean over
the slaughtered animal and whose haunches are still attached. Each of
the three servants transports toward the vizier the Hpesh, the right haunch, which represents the piece of choice. The
inscription above them is artistically interesting, placed between the
heads of the two butchers. The final polychromy is well preserved, thus
showing a sample of the skill of the painter.
Bottom register
Its composition is almost superimposable onto the middle
register. Some of the inscriptions are very lively. Such as those
between the butchers : “Extract this heart, hurry up !”. or “Pass the fillet !”. An
interesting iconographic point, which can be found in other places in
the tomb : the final porter, on the right, is distinctly different to
the other. He doesn’t have a wig, and visibly shows frontal baldness
(probably androgenogenetic alopecia) ; under his rounded stomach his
kilt is badly adjusted. All of this is (Egyptian) evidence of a lower
social status. Each of these porters carry an ox’s foreleg on his
shoulders.
Upper Register, Third Group
Bird hunting in the marshes
The scene of hunting birds takes place in a setting of 1.48m
wide by 1.18m high. It is remarkable for the miraculous preservation of
its many colours, which gives an idea of the brilliant lustre which the
whole room must have had originally. Another interesting point : the
scene presents grey-black retouching, notably behind the head of
Merefnebef, in addition to the modifications brought to the scene of
fishing which is situated further to the right, the significance of
which will be returned to later.
The scene can be subdivided into three : at the centre,
Merefnebef on his boat; in front of him, the marsh; behind him, the
porters of offerings.
1) – The central scene
a) – Merefnebef standing on a papyrus boat
Standing erect on a papyrus boat, Merefnebef occupies the
whole height of the register. Turned towards the left (north), he holds
in his left hand a throwing stick, in his right he clutches three birds.
He is shown barefooted, in a regal stance : royal style kilt, two
necklaces, a broad one and a long one with a pendant and with bracelets
on his wrists. His short curly wig is decorated with a headband with a
floral bow, from which two pairs of ribbons protrude, the longer ones
(which are beautifully worked) hanging down behind his shoulder. The
identifying text of the tomb owner is divided into three short
inscriptions : one in front of his head, the others are on either side
of his throwing hand. The middle one has been secondarily overlaid
with dark grey, probably by his son, Merefnebef II, who also modified
the fishing scene. So that the titles which the son didn’t carry have
been erased, which were appropriate to the pyramid of Teti (which was
called “Steadfast-are-the Places of-Teti”) and of his Meret-Teti temple.
The two other inscriptions are variants of “JmAxw xr”=”Honoured by”. It
is surprising that the word “nswt”
(king) has not been chiselled out, since it had purposefully been
erased in the same title found the two walls of the entry passage. The
possible reason for these erasures will be seen at the end of survey.
Why it wasn’t destroyed here is a mystery !
b) – The other people on the boat
Between the vizier’s legs, can be seen small representations –
almost superimposable – of two of his wives, Sesheshet and Metjut, each
holding, with one hand, one of the legs of Merefnebef, and a bird in
the other. A naked breast of each can be seen in profile. In front of
the Merefnebef’s right leg, stands his eldest son, Manefer, who
surrounds his father’s leg with his left arm. His name has remained
legible above him. In his right hand he holds a bird, probably a goose.
It is uncertain why, here again, the iconoclast didn’t take the pain to
erase this disgraced (?) brother’s name, whereas he succeeded elsewhere.
c) – The papyrus boat
The boat is represented with a green body with brown ties.
This contrasts with the small boat of his helpers in front of him, which
has a greyish aspect striped with green. The boat of Merefnebef
possesses a flat board of cross-grained timber, probably a deck. Some
materials are stored at the stern, not very easy to identify. At least
four mats can be recognised, of which one (with hemmed edges) is larger
than the others. Three among them are in front of the vizier’s foot,
together with a box. The fourth is behind, along with a knotted object.
2) – In front of the vizier
The marsh and its undergrowth of papyrus doesn’t seem to be
part of the scene of Merefnebef in his boat. Rather, it presents itself
as an insert, with only one small connection, that of the front of the
vizier’s boat and a small skiff in front of it using it as a background. However, the freshness of these old colours, of 4500 years (45 centuries) can only be marvelled at. It is truly brilliant !
The stems of the undergrowth form a tight green curtain, with three
rows of very symmetrical umbels at their top. The area above them is
densely packed with birds which, forming three horizontal rows, fly in
alternating directions – The animal world in the undergrowth itself is
very dense, and consists of two motifs, placed symmetrically in
relation to a central axis. Each side has a beast of prey. On the left
is a mongoose and on the right is a common genet. Each attack a nest
where three terrorised small kingfishers squeal. Above, their parents
attack the aggressor to try to repel it – Other nests also appear in
the thicket. In front of the vizier’s arm, a goose touches a butterfly
which has open wings – At the top, on the almost black background, the
birds were painted in a multitude of colours, which have alas nearly
vanished. The artist didn’t always assign the authentic colour to the
birds and sometimes looked for a visual effect in his style, as seen in
the blue colour of some birds – such as those held by Merefnebef.
Others are pleasantly painted in a multitude of strong colours
At the bottom of the marsh are Merefnebef’s assistants, on a small
craft partially hidden by that of their master – The two hunters hold
birds in their left hand and on their bent right arm, three calves (an
impressive trick !). They are clothed in a short kilt and wear a small
wig. They are in contrast to the two rowers, partially bald, and whose
morphology indicates their low social status; This has already been
mention above.
A survey of the undergrowth of papyrus, of its fauna, of the
characters who find themselves in it, allow for comparisons with other
tombs of the region, and constitute one of the elements of its dating.
3) – Behind the vizier
Two rows of priests bring various offerings (birds, calves,
fruits and breads). Above each register is a line of inscriptions. At
the top : “Bringing all the fresh vegetables as gifts”; below : “Bringing gifts by ka servants of the funerary estate”.
4) – Comparative analysis
Stylistically and chronologically, the marsh scene of the tomb of
Merefnebef is located between those of the tomb of Ti (north of the
pyramid) and that of Mehu (south of the pyramid). Many motifs of the
tomb of Ti, which dates from the end of the 5th Dynasty, have been
copied by the artists of Merefnebef. In particular, the animals in the
papyrus undergrowth are close in form, but the composition differs; with
Ti, there is no symmetry, the disposition is more natural, while with
Merefnebef, there appears a geometric, linear and symmetrical
disposition, a trend which will characterize the whole 6th Dynasty.
Another reminiscence of the 5th Dynasty is in the characters present on
the boat: the group formed by the eldest son and two wives – but without
the titles – is a reminder of what is found in the double scene in the
mastaba of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. In this mastaba, the titles of
the four characters allow them to be associated with Horus (the son),
Hathor and Neith (the wives), and Osiris (the discontinued), while the
scene of bird hunting symbols renewal and the false triumph over the
hostile, unverifiable strengths, always ready to engender disorder
(isfet).
Lower register of the whole north panel
Represented in red on the plan, it measures 5.33m in length and
0.39m in height and is separated from the upper register by a
horizontal line in raised relief. It is divided in two symmetrical parts
by a small vertical column of inscriptions : “An offering which Osiris
gives for the sole companion Merefnebef”. This is located under the
left representation of Merefnebef with his mother, of which this
constitutes a vertical extension downwards; it thus forms an axis
around which are aligned two sets of characters coming in opposite
directions
1) – The porters of offerings in the middle of the register
Either side of the inscription are two porters, actually a
mirrored scene, who (on both sides) are identified as sons of
Merefnebef : first, Manefer and behind him Merefnebef (II) – who is only
identified in the southern version. They lean forwards, presenting a
forelimb, also confirmed by the inscription above them.
2) – North side of the register
North side of the register
(to the left of the sons)
Fifteen women head toward the right. They personify the funeral domains
which are invited to participate in the maintenance of the vizier’s
funerary cult. On their heads, they carry a basket, a box or a cage full
of offers supported by their left hand. Each also holds in the right
hand a tether to which is attached an animal, or another object. All
wear a black tripartite wig and a long tight gown with two shoulder
straps. The green color of these dresses is only preserved in the
eleventh. The many colors of this area are only partially preserved (pl
057h).
The listed domains are of the type “Niut” and include in their names
those of three kings: Isesi, Unas and Teti. Notice that none of these
domains contains the name of Merefnebef. Quotes from some of those
listed are: “” The lady of Pe wishes that Teti lives “,” Good is that
which Ptah does for Unas! “,” Ma’at causes Unas to live “.”
3) – South side of the register
South side of the register
(to the right side of the sons)
Behind the two sons are represented two other members of the family, in
the same style as the two sons preceding them. Behind them, three men
hold the head of a goose with their right hand and its wings with the
left, so presenting this offering.
4) – The scene of butchery
This is to the right of the porters, and ends the register.
Two oxen lay on the ground, heads towards each other, around each of
which work two butchers, assisted by two porters. One of the animals is
certainly an antelope of the oryx type, from which a butcher is cutting
the foreleg, holding it upright in front of him. The living character
of the scene should be noted : the attitudes are varied, as well as the
form of the bodies. The kilts are worn differently during the process
of working. One of the porters holds on his shoulder a haunch, the other
two hold rounded vases, probably containing the blood of the
slaughtered animals.
EAST WALL, SOUTH PANEL
This is represented in yellow on the plan. It is separated
from the north panel by the vertical frieze, formed by colourful
rectangles used throughout to border the wall panels. The decorated surface measures 1.71m high by 0.93m wide and is divided into two very distinct sub-panels. The upper one measures 0.84m in height, the lower one is 0.87m. There
is a clear and distinct difference in the style and colour of these two
sub-registers, due to their origin, which is explained below.
1) – Upper sub-panel
This is further sub-divided into two zones, left and right. It
is distinctly less well executed than the sub-register below;
nevertheless, this area remains much more colourful than what remains of
the underlying original register. The proportions of the characters,
the details, their interrelation, are different from the other reliefs
of the tomb. Besides, the representation of a woman seated in front of a
table of offerings is also unique in the monument. All of this
suggests that the representation of Merefnebef in this register is not
the vizier, but probably his youngest son, who also carried the name of
Merefnebef and also the title of “sole companion”, of his father.
It is also reasonable to think that after the vizier’s death,
a struggle began between the sons, in which the youngest son Merefnebef
(II) / Fefi was successful. He, having noted that this part of the
decor was badly damaged, decided to “kill two birds with one stone” : he
decided to restore it and to modify it in his favour, while inserting
his own effigy and the one of his wife. The wall was therefore dug out and blocks of limestone inserted, bound together by mortar. A
characteristic of these secondary scenes is that their background,
which is not smoothed, has been painted in grey, and not in black as in
the rest of the tomb. The figures appear flat, missing the roundness of
the original reliefs of this chapel, presenting themselves more as
incisions than in bas-relief. The proportions of the figures and the
detail differ from those of other scenes. The artist did however take
care to assure that the new scene had continuity with the
representations of originals situated underneath and in contact with
them.
a) – The left section
At the top is an inscription in two lines : “Honoured by the great god, sole companion Merefnebef (II) “. Underneath
is found, superimposed one above the other (but probably to be
interpreted as side-by-side), the younger Merefnebef and his wife. They
are represented clumsily in relation to the quality of the rest of the
tomb. Both seated under a kiosk surmounted by a flat roof, of which one
of the support columns, imitating a bunch of lotus plants, is
represented in front of the couple; its stem is made of alternating
yellow and blue rectangles; its capitol includes three large blue petals
and six small inner ones. Both are seated on a black and yellow
chair, with legs ending in lions paws and with a backrest; turned toward
the right (south), they stretch their left hand toward various piled
offerings, the right one rests on their knees. Notice should be made of the white kilt of Merefnebef : the artist didn’t know how to orient the triangular front correctly. The
mass of offerings placed on the floor in front of Merefnebef is placed
on top of a large yellow bowl, lined in black, which contains nine
pieces of meat, painted in red. Above these, the pile of a variety of
different offerings reaches the top of the kiosk. A much small pile
stands before his wife. Above her representation can be read : “his wife, his beloved, Hemi”.
This is the only place in the tomb where this name appears and,
considering the context, it represents the wife of the youngest son,
Merefnebef II. The very bottom of her chair, her legs and offerings are
part of the original decoration of this wall, thus showing the lengths
to which this new addition was incorporated into the wall. The couple, Merefnebef II and Hemi, therefore usurped, partially, the vizier’s tomb.
In front of the kiosk, three men (pictured one above the
other) are bent towards the couple, offering them stems of lotus in
bloom or in bud.
b) – The right section
This space is occupied by a “genre” scene (or scene of
everyday life) representing a typical Nile-based landscape. The total
area is sub-divided into three. At top and bottom, small sub-registers
border a central part consists of a square area depicting the river
itself with papyrus thickets on the right. The central aquatic area has, on the right,
an oblong space contains an undergrowth of papyrus in which the
blue-green stems are topped by three rows of open corolla. The
arrangement of the group is characteristic of the later 6th Dynasty
period, thus aiding (yet again) the dating of this tomb. The larger
river scene, on the left, is once again geometric in nature, with three
horizontal divisions. The central part shows what happens on water,
whilst at the top and bottom, can be seen what happens on the banks. In
the central part, three rows of open lotus flowers float on the lower
surface of the water. The rectangular section above this, which
represents the central part of the stream, is painted in a darker blue,
with many zigzags line, in which has been cast a large net. This has
enclosed four fish : a tilapia and a bearded bynni in the centre, with a
mugil at each side. Six fishermen standing on the upper bank (indicated
by a brown/black stripe) pull on the extremities of the net. The floats
of the net are shown beneath their feet. The men all have short cut
hair and wear short white kilts, in contrast to their red bodies. The small register beneath the watery area shows four pairs of geese walking on the opposite bank, heading north. The two small independent sub-registers, above and below the central scene, conclude the new addition. On
the left-hand side of the upper one, two fishermen bring the mugils
captured previously toward the couple, to decorate the table of
offerings. This offering of fish is rarely represented in the tombs, and
will subsequently disappear. On the right, are seen some peasants at
work. At their centre one of them tills the land, surrounded by two
sowers (text : “Sowing the barley”). They are turned towards the right,
which shows that they don’t belong to the deceased’s agricultural
domains; it could be said that they are on the horizon. Below, the
bottom sub-register is actually shared with the original lower section
of this part of the wall, easily seen by looking at the background – It
shows three men, maybe the same ones as those in the upper boundary
register, some months later, during harvest. Unlike their equivalents
above, these three face the nobleman and his wife, as if they were
preparing an offering for them. Each holds a bunch of corn with his left
hand and a rounded sickle in the right, cutting the plants at their
base.
2) – Bottom sub-panel
The agricultural scene continues in this original decor of
the wall, and the painter who achieved the scenes above took care to
ensure a continuity with the scenes immediately above. The scenes, in
true bas-relief, were originally a lot more colourful, but their
polychromy has unfortunately disappeared and some zones have suffered
greatly.
Three sub-registers show craftsmen to work. The general
disposition of the scenes manifests that they almost certainly continued
in the same manner up the usurped upper part of the panel, thus forming
the industrial background of the luxurious life of the vizier in the
other world.
a) – Upper sub-register : manufacture of bread
The bakers bustle around a furnace represented as a tall
construction consisting of three brown painted vertical sections, on
either side of which are yellowish-red sparks. One of bakers brings a
block of red painted dough (?) in his two hands toward the oven; another
carries two groups of objects on his shoulders. A third is squatting
close to the furnace and withdraws the products which have finished
cooking. On the left of the whole scene, a man prepares the dough.
b) – Middle sub-register : brewing of beer
Six men are either holding or transporting the jars, or else
filling them with a liquid, doubtless beer. It is possible (though with
difficulty) to notice the variations in the hairstyle, which certainly
translate into differences of social class.
c) – Lower sub-register
This relief is badly damaged, and the activity of the three men can hardly be identified, given the deterioration.
SOUTH WALL
This wall measures 2.44m wide, including the coloured vertical
borders at either end (the colours of the left border have dissapeared
completely). It is divided in two registers, the one at the top measures
1.30m high and the one below 0.40m – Underneath, we find the usual
white dado base of 0.47m in height.
The Upper Register
This is divided in two panels, the left one being 0.60m wide
and the one on the right being 1.77m. On the left a vertical sequence of
four genre scenes, and on the right, a large festive scene where
Merefnebef and a wife observe dancers and musicians. A structural
interrelationship exists between the panel on the left and the section
of the right containing the festive content in front of the couple.
Although separated by a vertical black line, each is comprised of four
sub-registers, whose lower limit forms a continuous black line. The
context of the genre scenes appear therefore as an integral part of the
feast, being its background or industrial and agricultural “kitchen”.
1) – The left-hand panel
a) – Upper sub-register : preparing a bed
Two men are represented kneeling on a white mattress, smoothing the
surface. The mattress rests on a thick floor, suspended behind a row of
12 vertical poles; these are black, as are the other elements of the
bed. Its surface is inclined slightly downwards toward the foot of the
bed. At its right end (the top) is the headrest lying on its side. Below the bed are 4 tables (or perhaps boxes), possibly intended for bed linen. A similar scene is in the mastaba of Mereruka
b) – Sub-register N°2 : the jewellers’ workshop
Two pairs of craftsmen are seated at two tables and display
their work, large necklaces. The similarity between the two groups : one
leg placed on the knee of the other, hairstyle, colour of the chairs,
etc., show than it possibly represents the same people in the two
groups, seen from different angles, in accordance with the Egyptian
aspective. Again, a similar scene is in the mastaba of Mereruka (see a3-east wall). Above each pair can read : “Stringing collars”. A
row of five chests is visible at the top of scene, painted black and
white; these are very probably served to store the completed jewellery.
c) – Sub-register N°3 : poultry farming
A man drives seven geese, abnormally large in relation to
himself (is this a sense of humour ?). The one on the right lowers its
head in search of food.
d) – Sub-register N°4 : supervising livestock
Two herdsmen drive six oxen. The animals are arranged in two
registers separated by a fine horizontal line. The leading man presents
all the signs of a lower social status : dark red skin, small kilt with a
protruding front and expansive baldness.
2) – The right-hand panel : the festive scene
The scene spreads up to the vertical border which marks the
corner of the south and east walls. It is 1.77m wide. A vertical column
of inscription divides the panel into two parts : on the right, sits the
vizier; on the left, the scenes of dancing and music.
a) – Merefnebef under a kiosk
The vizier, accompanied by one of his wives (who remains unknown,
due to the damage to the inscription above them), is seated on a chair
with legs ending in lions’ paws resting on small conical pedestals and
with a cushioned backrest. Six boxes, of three different shapes, are
under the chair. The couple are in a small kiosk framed with planks,
painted in black with white irregular lines (in the same manner as the
chair and boxes). The wall of the kiosk is decorated. It is divided in
fifteen bands filled with green painted geometric patterns, which
change to the blue in front of the head of Merefnebef – Merefnebef is
clothed as in the double image of the east wall, and holds a long staff
with his right hand and a flagellum with his left. The lady wears a
tripartite wig, a large necklace and a long tight-fitting dress which
reaches her ankles. The white dress is streaked with greenish motifs
forming criss-crossing lines. Her right hand embraces her husband’s
right shoulder, and her left hand grasps his arm which holds the
flagellum. The inscription in front of the kiosk says : “Looking at dancers and harpists […] his villages of the funerary estate”.
b) – The festival, food and entertainment
This area, left of the seated couple, is divided into four
sub-registers, the bottom three being those of the entertainment. The
four sub-registers are of unequal height, the uppermost being the
largest. The lines dividing them are painted black.
The upper sub-register is further divided, equally, each 0.17m
high and separated by a black line (see opposite). The upper of the
sub-divisions is better preserved than the one below. They are both
filled with a sequence of various offerings.
The three underlying registers show the musicians and dancers, who all face the seated couple. Their total height is 0.98m. Each
register starts with two musicians, described as wives of the vizier,
playing the harp. In the bottom register, there is a male chironomist
squatting in front of the harpists, who holds his left hand to his
mouth, and utters (according to the legend : “I tell a tale, in everlasting words, of love (?) “. The
fingers of the harpists are only painted, they are not in relief, but
are delicately and expressively shown on the instruments, which are
painted in yellow and black. There are several dancers behind the
musicians. On the upper and lower registers, three dancers display
movements of an more acrobatic nature, represented in an unrealistic
way, with the body almost horizontal, left leg and both arms extended
towards the vertical.
Behind every group of dancers stands a woman who beats the
rhythm with her hands, probably while singing. In the bottom register
there are two who beat the rhythm.
All participants have a similar style : short hair (or wig?),
which, in the case of dancers and musicians, is completed with a
pig-tail having a pompon at the end. All the dancers only wear a short
white skirt, leaving their chest naked, with the well emphasised
breasts. The women standing at the rear all wear long white dresses. From
what we know of the character of Merefnebef, it is more than likely
that they also served him in other types of distraction.
The Lower Register
This spreads across the whole width of the wall, and is 0.40m in
height. The scenes are sculpted in raised relief, partially on the
native rock, partially on a layer of mortar, and are very damaged – The
scene on the left, the largest, shows the transportation of sacrificial
animals in two boats. Separated from it by a vertical line, the
scene on right represents eight musicians (split into two
sub-registers), four harpists, wives of the vizier, at the top, and
four men below. Note that the two sub-registers of musicians are placed
below the chair of the couple
WEST WALL, SOUTH SIDE
Returning now to the wall with which the description of this chapel began, this time on the south (left) side of the entry
The wall measures 2.75m long and 2.18m high (floor to ceiling).
Like its counterpart, it is centred around a false door with, on each
side, the vizier’s representation. Below the scenes and the false door
is the usual white painted dado area, leaving 1.71m in height for the
decoration (including the top coloured border).
THE FALSE DOOR
This is smaller than its counterpart of the north section of the
wall, with only two doorposts of only 0.95m in height, these were
painted in red, punctuated with black, imitating the Asswan granite. The
overall width of the false door, to the outer edges of the doorposts,
is approx. 0.55m. The recessed area, this time, stays above the upper
boundary of the white dado area. The central, darker niche, is surmounted by a rounded drum carrying the inscription “Sole companion, Merefnebef”. Immediately
above this is the first lintel (0.18m high), then an oblong niche
(0.3m high), and finally a second lintel (0.21m high). These extend to
the width above the two doorposts. – In the niche, situated between the
two lintels and on a central raised rectangle, a scene with additional
text is carved in sunken relief and originally infilled with green –
Merefnebef is seated in front of a table of offerings with 16 breads.
Under the table are are four jars. He stretches his right hand toward
the table, whilst with the left, he holds a vase of perfume to his
nostrils. – Three other representations of the vizier are present on
the door, one on each doorpost and one on the upper lintel. In all
three cases, he walks toward the centre of the door, a staff in one
hand, a sceptre in the other. The inscriptions of the door are all of the type “hetep di nesu” (“an invocatory offering”), as has already been seen.
Not only the architectural structure of this false door is
abbreviated in relation to the northern one, but also the framing
content. On its northern lateral side, but not on the south, it is edged
with a vertical sequence of the vases containing the seven sacred oil
Again, an offering table, hewn from the natural rock, stands in
front of the false door. This time the top does not reach the recessed
surfaces of the false door itself, thus leaving an area of the white
dado visible. The whole table was again painted white and its upper
surface decorated with symbolical representations of offerings, sculpted
in raised relief. This structure extends from the surface of the south
wall, to about 1.1m short of the entry passageway. It is approx. 0.25m
in height with a depth of about 0.6m (to the surface of the west wall).
EITHER SIDE OF THE FALSE DOOR
Each side panel is subdivided into an upper register (1.22m)
and a lower register (0.47m), thus giving four registers in total, two
to the left of the door and two to the right.
Upper Registers
In the upper register, in both cases, Merefnebef is turned
toward the right, wearing a large wig, a large necklace, bracelets and a
large kilt with a front projection.
1) – Upper register – left
The walking figure of Merefnebef has a long staff and his usual
sceptre. An inscription above the scene, in seven columns, reads :
“Hereditary prince, count, sole companion, true keeper of the
headdress, chief Nekhbite, director of the two thrones in the House of
Life, honoured one by Anubis Who-is-in-embalming-place, Merefnebef”.
Note the splendour of the colours again beautifully preserved – Kneeling
behind him is his wife Iret; in front of him, the representation and
the name of his son Manefer have been almost erased – However, an
attentive examination permits the recovery of : “His eldest son, his
beloved, the inspector of the Great House, Manefer”.
2) – Upper register – right
This register section shows Merefnebef seated before an offering
table. The scene is very similar to the one already examined on the
north wall. Merefnebef is even seated on his relaxing chair, he even
has a small platform painted white. He holds out his right hand towards
the first loaf of bread, while his left hand is folded on his chest,
gripping a small white piece of material. The inscriptions resume with
titles of the vizier, from which is this one : “Administrator of the
‘Seba-Hor-Khenty-pet’ estate”. The loaves of bread rest vertically
on a platter, which is supported by a thin pedestal, larger at the top
than at the base. Under the table, two small tables provide shelves for
jars and vases. Under the chair, is found the dog “One who is
fashioned as a Stj”, this time in company of a small monkey eating some
figs. Perhaps these animals accompanied the vizier everywhere
Behind the table, up to border which edges the wall at the entry, are
stacked a variety of offerings, looking quite natural – Notice in
particular, the representation of a bird, probably a pigeon.
The list of offerings.
This includes 5 lines of 21 columns; every ritual or offering
is determined by two superimposed cells : the top one for the name of
the offering or ritual, the one below for the quantity (there is no cell
for the unit of measure). The sequence of the offerings and rituals
follows, with some exceptions, closely to the canonical schema.
Lower Register
Divided by the false door, this measures 0.47m high on both sides. It shows a parade of porters with offerings and an orchestra.
1) – On the right and on the left :
the porters of offerings.
Of the left side of the false door, three men walk towards it.
There are also four of the far right-hand side, a little better
preserved. All have short curly wigs and a small tight-fitting kilt.
Their representation and the offerings which they bring are
superimposable with what has already been seen. The text above those on
the left reads : “Bringing the offerings by the servants of ka of the
funerary estate of the sole companion, Merefnebef”. Above those on the
right it says : “Bringing
the choice of forelegs by the servants of ka of the funerary estate of
the sole companion. lector priest, god’s servant, scribe Merefnebef”.
2) – on the right :
This sub-scene is divided horizontally. On the upper sub-register
can be found, as previously, the four wives of the vizier who play the
harp: Sesheshet, Iret, Nebet and Medjut. All participants are squatting
and face to the right. On the lower one, four men : a flutist (Seba?) and three harpists: Mery, Pedenu, Iduiqer.
THE BURIAL CHAMBER
The location of the only burial shaft (No. 1) is inside the
body of the mastaba, close to its northern wall. It has no logical
connection with the two false doors sculpted and inscribed for
Merefnebef in the main chapel’s west wall. The date of this shaft may be
earlier than that of the vizier’s mastaba, by which fact it would thus
appear to have been reused, i.e. adopted or even usurped. A possible
connection may have existed between this shaft and the false door set in
the secondary (east) chapel of the tomb, for they are located close to
each other. This may explain why this new chapel was placed in the north
of the mastaba’s east wall (near the shaft), but it does not explain
why the shaft is located so unusually, towards the middle of the
northern part of the mastaba.
The chamber had been cut in the bedrock, and its upper part, above
the level of the bedrock, is preserved up to the height of about 2.50m
and built of oblong, irregular local stones . The shaft is 14.40m deep
with an opening of approx 2.30 x 2.30m. At the bottom, the shaft opens
directly into the burial chamber situated on its western side. The
burial chamber, which is very irregular in shape, has a
quasi-rectangular plan, oriented N-S . It measures about 5.42m N-S,
3.15m E-W and is 2.70m high. The walls of the chamber are uneven and
only roughly worked.
In the middle of the chamber is a sarcophagus roughly carved
out of hard, white limestone, approx. 2.95m long, 1.35m wide and 1.23m
high. Its lid is 0.58m thick and made of the same stone. The sarcophagus
and the lid bear traces of whitewash, but otherwise they remained
undecorated. Behind the sarcophagus, along the western wall of the
burial chamber, there is a niche cut into the rock, intended for the lid
before the burial.
When found and excavated in modern times, the shaft was filled with
sand which had blown into it. The burial chamber was partially filled
with fragments of local rock of various sizes as well as fragmentary
and powdered mud bricks, filling the chamber above the height of the
sarcophagus. The upper layer of the fill also contained large blocks
which had fallen down from the rock-cut roof of the chamber. In
front of the rubble were found six vessels : 2 beer jars, two dishes, a
bowl and a vase in the shape of sTt-bread. The 2 jars contained a
blackish grey powder, as found also in other tombs of the Old Kingdom.
This powder replaced, in quantity and weight, the beer which should
have been there -So, the container remained full for the eternity –
Hundreds of fragments of a special jars were recovered in the shaft :
jars with ashes, which were part of the funerary offering. These jars
were probably filled of the remains of the last funerary meal taken in
front of the tomb – The burial chamber had obviously been pillaged, and
it is possible that this vandalism took place shortly after the
funeral ceremony. The sarcophagus was found empty, with a stone
inserted under the south-eastern corner of its lid. The body had been
dragged out and left on top of the lid. Although the body was reduced
to a skeleton, upon discovery the bones remained in an anatomical
position (with exception of the skull) which could suggest that the
robbery occurred when the soft tissues had not yet decayed
DATING AND HISTORY OF THE TOMB
The tomb of vizier Merefnebef being composed of a mastaba made
of mud bricks, a chapel in excavated into the bedrock (under the
mastaba), and of a second chapel added to the east wall of the mastaba,
has obviously been constructed in several stages. Merefnebef may have
begun his career under the reign of Teti, and finished it under the
short reign of Userkare, and he seems to have died under the reign of
Pepy I.
Phase (1) :
a) – the digging of an oblong chapel; b) – lower courtyard (1a) ; c)
– upper oblong courtyard; d) – mastaba in mud bricks above the chapel. It
is likely that only the inside of the chapel was decorated at the end
of this phase At this time, Merefnebef is classified among the
courtiers of intermediate rank, thus explaining the size and the modest
shape of the monument.
Phase (2) :
This seems to start at the time of the nomination of Merefnebef
as vizier, probably under Userkare. Then, the facade was engraved, with
numerous repetitions of the word “vizier”. At this point, an
enlargement and monumentalisation of this modest burial was considered,
but never achieved. The stopping of the work could coincide, either with
the death of Merefnebef, or with his political disgrace after the death
of Userkare.
Phase (3) :
A very short time after the death of Merefnebef, and certainly under
the reign of Pepy I, conflicts broke out between the sons of the
vizier. This seems to have resulted in the youngest son, who carried his
father’s names of Merefnebef and Fefi, had the names and images of his
brothers erased (the exceptions being on the east wall of the chapel
But added to the domestic conflict is a political conflict. The word
“king” was chiselled out in the inscriptions mentioning the deceased as
“Honoured by the king”. In a specific title of the father; “king” is
even replaced in one occurrence by the word “desert”. Considering that
this action probably took place during the time of Pepy I, it is
tempting to identify the anonymous “king” as Userkare. There is no
doubt that it was done at the beginning of the reign of Pepy I, because
this sovereign vandalised in the same way other tombs of nobles at
Saqqarah.
However, the son Merefnebef / Fefi didn’t just destroy, he also
restored : starting at the entry passageway, he tried to eliminate his
brothers; but he didn’t fail to add some scenes of his own, showing
himself with his wife Hemi (east wall, south side). This could therefore
be classed as partial usurpation of the father’s monument by the son.
A short time after these events, possibly again under Pepy I,
or under his successor Merenre, the mud brick mastaba collapsed into the
lower courtyard (N°1), blocking the entry of the chapel for millennia.
The family members, didn’t try to clear it, but may even have been
responsible for the reinforced cover wall, probably to protect the tomb.
Phase (4) :
Some time after, in any case before the end of the 6th Dynasty, some
family’s members, anxious to resume a cult to this ancestor, dead for a
long time but still remembered, built a small cult chapel. This was
constructed against the east wall of his mud brick mastaba, near its
northern end. This smaller and simpler construction, more symbolic
than anything else, yet it included a monumental false door of hard
limestone, surmounted by a large lintel. The door was discovered upside
down in the sand . It has six representations of the vizier,
symmetrically distributed in relation to the central axis. Surprisingly,
the word nswt (king) has been erased in the title “Honoured by the
king”, as it had been in the chapel. It signifies that, for years after
the death of Merefnebef, his family was always divided between the
“pro” and the “anti” !
According to the results of the ceremonological analyses, it
seems that the funeral cult for Merefnebef continued in the west chapel
until the reign of Merenre, and in the east chapel until the end of the
VIth Dynasty.
A full size replica of the chapel has been created and is on exhibition in Warsaw.
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