Ptahshepses
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ptahshepses was the
vizier A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
and son-in-law of the
Fifth Dynasty The Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty V) is often combined with Dynasties Third Dynasty of Egypt, III, Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, IV and Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, VI under the group title the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. The Fifth ...
pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...
Nyuserre Ini Nyuserre Ini (also Niuserre Ini or Neuserre Ini; in Greek known as Rathurês, ''Ῥαθούρης'') was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the sixth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He is credited with a reign of 24 to 35 ye ...
. As such he was one of the most distinguished members of the royal court. Ptahshepses'
mastaba A mastaba (, or ), also mastabah, mastabat or pr- djt (meaning "house of stability", " house of eternity" or "eternal house" in Ancient Egyptian), is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inwar ...
complex in
Abusir Abusir ( ar, ابو صير  ; Egyptian ''pr wsjr'' cop, ⲃⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲓ ' "the House or Temple of Osiris"; grc, Βούσιρις) is the name given to an Egyptian archaeological locality – specifically, an extensive necropolis of ...
is considered by many to be the most extensive and architecturally unique non-royal tomb of the
Old Kingdom In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning c. 2700–2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth ...
.


Discovery of the Mastaba

In 1843,
Richard Lepsius Karl Richard Lepsius ( la, Carolus Richardius Lepsius) (23 December 181010 July 1884) was a pioneering Prussian Egyptologist, linguist and modern archaeologist. He is widely known for his magnum opus ''Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien'' ...
of Berlin University designated the Abusir site next to the pyramid complex of
Sahure Sahure (also Sahura, meaning "He who is close to Re") was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the second ruler of the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2465 – c. 2325 BC). He reigned for about 13 years in the early 25th century BC during the Old Kingdom Period. ...
as "pyramid no. XIX" and subsequently published this in his ''Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien.''
Jacques de Morgan Jean-Jacques de Morgan (3 June 1857, Huisseau-sur-Cosson, Loir-et-Cher – 14 June 1924) was a French people, French mining engineer, geologist, and archaeologist. He was the director of antiquities in Khedivate of Egypt, Egypt during the 19th ...
's excavation of the site in 1893 revealed the site was actually part of a mastaba. It was not until some seventy years later that the Czech Institute of Egyptology revived interest in the site with its discovery of the complete structure in a series of excavations from 1960 to 1974 led primarily by
Zbyněk Žába Zbyněk Žába (June 19, 1917  – August 15, 1971) was a Czechoslovak Egyptologist. In 1945 he commenced his studies on the subject and in 1949 he became an assistant to František Lexa František Lexa (1876-1960) was a Czechoslovakian Egypt ...
and Abdu al-Qereti.


Mastaba design

The mastaba of Ptahshepses was built in three phases. The entrance of the tomb, documented by de Morgan and confirmed by Zaba, is located in the northeast corner of the complex. It consists of two six-meter-high eight-stemmed fine white limestone columns shaped as lotuses, which supported a fine limestone architrave under slabs of limestone for a roof terrace. The columns represent the oldest known examples of their type from ancient Egypt. The entrance leads to a room with six-stemmed lotus columns, built in the second enlargement phase of the mastaba and was originally to serve as an entrance to the mastaba but was closed off in the third phase of enlargement. The walls of this room are decorated with scenes of boats and preparations for Ptahshepses' mortuary cult, as well as his biographical inscription. A narrow passageway containing pictures of Ptahshepses and animals being sacrificed leads to a chapel containing fragments of statues that once stood in three niches. The northern wall of the chapel bears reliefs showing Ptahshepses overseeing agricultural work and servants bearing offerings, and the southern wall, fisherman and herdsman bearing poultry offerings at Ptahshepses's feet. Near the narrow passageway is another relief depicting Ptahshepses' six sons walking. The name of the first son, now known to be Khafini, is chiseled off. Two sons shared the name Ptahshepses, while the other three were called Kahotep, Hemakhty, and Khenu. North of the chapel are four magazines containing cult vessels likely used in the chapel. The chapel opens into a twenty-limestone-pillared courtyard built in the third phase of enlargement. These columns bear life-sized pictures of Ptahshepses and are arranged in such a way to lead a visitor to the large altar in the center, to the original mastaba entrance, and ultimately to Ptahshepses' burial chamber. Additionally, the courtyard is decorated with reliefs, few of which have remained in situ. Southeast of the courtyard are the treasury and granary magazine complexes. The burial chamber is located in the northwest corner of the tomb. Although heavily robbed, two granite sarcophagi, a large one for Ptahshepses and a smaller one for his wife Khamerernebty are well preserved. One of the most notable features of the mastaba is a room in the southwest corner of the tomb which resembles a boat. Just like the surrounding pyramids, the mastaba was robbed many times, and Ptahshepses' mummy was destroyed. In the
New Kingdom New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, a workshop was erected inside of the mastaba for the dismantling of the tomb and the reuse of the stone in other works. This destruction continued until the Roman era and left the tomb in ruins and under sand.


Life of Ptahshepses

An inscription near the entrance of the mastaba details the biography of Ptahshepses, similar to
Weni the Elder The Autobiography of Weni is a tomb inscription from ancient Egypt, which is significant to Egyptology studies. Weni the Elder, or Uni, was a court official of the 6th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. The Tomb of Weni was lost as a result of Auguste ...
's and Harkhuf's; however, the upper portions of the biography are missing so the beginning of each line is unknown. From the reliefs throughout the complex, he is given several titles:
The count, the sole companion... the keeper of the headdress... the favorite of his Lord... the chief justice, the vizier, the overseer of all the works of the King, the servant of the throne, the lector-priest... the revered one by his lord, the overseer of the Two Chambers of the King's ornament, the count, the sole companion, the lector-priest Ptahshepses.
Additionally, he is called “barber of the Great House” and “manicure of the Great House.” These roles were a great honor because they required touching the pharaoh, a religious incarnation himself. Ptahshepses's high social rank is also supported by three distinct statues in the mastaba's chapel, which suggest his roles as an official, as a priest, and as a private individual. Many of the mastaba's features, including the granary and treasury magazines, the boat room, and two boat pits outside of the complex suggest inspiration from royal architecture. The location of the mastaba, almost equidistant from and in front of Sahure's and Niuserre's pyramid complexes on the desert plateau also suggest a deliberate attempt at associating him with royalty. Ptahshepses married King Niuserre's daughter, Khamerernebty. Their five children are mentioned in the tomb: sons Ptahshepses, Kahotep, Qednes and Hemakhti, and daughter Meritites, who had the title “King's Daughter”, even though being only the granddaughter of a king., pp.66-69 The princess's sarcophagus logistically could not have been moved into the burial chamber of Ptashepses's mastaba by the narrow descending passage.
Ludwig Borchardt Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...
discovered Khamerernebty's own mastaba near Niuserre's pyramid complex. Therefore, the princess's sarcophagus must have been placed in Ptahshepses's burial chamber when the mastaba was being built. Additionally, the princess's name is found recorded by the builders on the blocks used to construct the core of the mastaba. This enables Egyptologists to date the beginning of the construction of Ptahshepses' mastaba from before the tenth regnal year until the thirtieth regnal year of king Niuserre. {{Commonscat, Ptahshepses, vizier of Nyuserre


References

Viziers of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt Abusir