During
the last year examination of the Unis Cemetery progressed in two directions:
·
The tomb of Unis-ankh, son
of King Unis, was previously recorded by our expedition; however, the majority
of its decorated blocks are presently housed in the Field Museum of Natural
History, Chicago. Permission was granted by the museum to examine the scenes
and inscriptions on the blocks, and in May two weeks were spent in the museum
for this purpose. As the reconstructed tomb is now covered by glass casing, no
adequate photographs or epigraphic work was possible, but the museum authority
undertook to send us copies of their photographs taken before the glass cover
was installed.
·
The human remains
recovered in an earlier season from the tomb of Iy-nefert
and Unis-ankh were examined by Drs. Michael Schultz and Roxie Walker with the
intent of assessing the age at death, any indication of diseases, etc. Our
study of these two tombs and of other smaller ones in the vicinity has shed
important new light on the problematical transition between the reigns of Unis and Teti and the
establishment of the Sixth Dynasty.
The
project covers the cemetery to the north of Teti’s
Pyramid containing tombs of officials serving that king and his successor, Pepy I. The western section of the northern cemetery was
acquired through an agreement reached with the Egyptian Supreme Council of
Antiquities and the
Most
rewarding at the lower level was the discovery of a mud brick mastaba with
well-preserved scenes and inscriptions in its chapel. These were painted on mud
plaster with some stone architectural elements, such as false doors, entrance
lintel, etc., decorated in relief. The tomb belongs to an overseer of the
guards of King Teti who was also in charge of all
repasts of the king. Preliminary conservation of the scenes and inscriptions
was conducted to protect the colours, and the partly damaged walls were rebuilt
and a waterproof wooden roof provided. The shaft and burial chamber were not
cleared and work oj the tomb
will continue in the next season. The results from this area reinforce the
importance of complete excavations of the cemetery before undertaking any
reconstruction of events of the troubled reign of Teti.
As tomb owners in this cemetery left written details of their careers, only
through exhaustive excavations can the history of this period be re-examined
based on maximum evidence.
Director:
Dr. Ann McFarlane
Work continued in the season 2001 on two Fifth Dynasty tombs to the west
of the pyramid of Teti. The mastaba of the royal
builder, Kaemheset is a large family complex
of three tombs, 45 x 13 metres, constructed in mud brick in three consecutive
stages. The plans and sections of its complicated details of construction have
been analysed and checked for accuracy prior to inking, and the facsimile line
drawings have been prepared for publication. A quantity of ceramic vessels
recovered from two burial chambers and one of the serdabs
have been drawn and inked, and preparations made for producing line drawings of
the inscriptions on the limestone statues and wooden objects from the tomb now
housed in the