Abusir XIII: Abusir South 2: Tomb Complex of the Vizier Qar, His Sons Qar Junior and Senedjemib and Iykai

by Miroslav Bárta (Editor)

The current volume is the first of the three planned publications dedicated to the complex of the vizier Qar and his sons, dating to the Sixth Dynasty, reign of Teti - Pepy II. It comprises a full record of the tombs of the vizier Qar, Qar Junior, Senedjemib and Tjenti accompanied by chapters on the geology and geophysical survey of Abusir South, faunal and floral remains from the tombs, and anthropological evaluation of the human remains. The second volume will contain the full publication of the tomb complex of Inti with chapters on faunal remains, and restoration methods applied in individual tombs belonging to the family. The final volume will be dedicated to numerous unique finds discovered during the works in the tombs. Their provenance cannot be assessed with certainty and they thus form a distinct group of evidence with much information about the cemetery's later development down to the First Intermediate Period. This tomb complex provided a vast array of archaeological evidence in terms of architecture, decoration and environmental evidence. Out of the numerous unique features stand out the fully preserved and decorated cult chapel, the decorated burial chamber and large groups of finds from individual burial chambers, among them hundreds of copper implements. The current publication illustrates the situation of the elite society members, belonging to a single family, in Memphis at the end of the Old Kingdom and shows typical features that led to the ultimate demise of the Old Kingdom state.

Table of Contents

Foreword ; 1. Introduction ; 2. The geology of Abusir ; Introduction; Pre-Quaternary geology; General; The development of northern Egypt during the Tertiary; Late Tertiary and Quaternary geology; The Nile system; The geology and landscape of South Abusir; The 'Lake of Abusir'; Summary; 3. Geophysical survey at South Abusir in 2002 ; History of application of archaeo-geophysical methods in Egypt; Aims of geophysical survey in 2002; Geophysical methods in 2002; Results from area in Abusir South; Conclusion; 4. Palaeoecology of Abusir South according to plant and animal remains ; Survey of the former Lake of Abusir; Archaeobotanical analyses; Plant macroremains; Pollen analysis from mud-bricks; Entomological analysis; Insect fragments from the sarcophagus of the vizier Qar; Insect fragments from the 'bugs tray'; Osteological analysis; Conclusions; Acknowledgement; 5. Tomb complex of the vizier Qar ; Family of Qar and his sons; Name, titles and epithets of Qar; Sons of Qar; Dependants of Qar; Architecture of the tomb complex of Qar; Superstructure of the tomb of Qar; Open Court; Serdab 1; Chapel 1; Chapel 2; Serdab 2; Corridor chapel; Substructure of the tomb; Burial chamber of the vizier Qar; Western burial apartments; Tomb of Qar, decoration and inscriptions in situ; Superstructure; Chapel 1; Chapel 2; The entrance; Chapel 2; Substructure; Burial chamber of Qar; Tomb of Qar: the finds; Surface finds; Finds from Open Court 1; Finds associated with Chapel 1; Serdab 1; Serdab 2; Corridor chapel; Descending Corridor; Shaft 5; Shaft 6; 6. Lesser tombs of Qar's sons: Qar Junior and Senedjemib ; Sons of the vizier Qar; Names, titles and epithets of Qar Junior; Name and epithets of Qar Junior s wife; Name, titles and epithets of Senedjemib; Members of the family; Dependants of Qar Junior and Senedjemib; Name, titles and epithets of Iykai; Lesser tombs of Qar Junior, Senedjemib and Iykai: the architecture; Superstructure; Qar Junior (Burial shaft and chamber 'B'); Senedjemib and Iykai; Substructures; Burial chamber of Qar Junior ('HH', Shaft B); Shaft 'C'; The tombs of Qar Junior and Senedjemib: finds and remains of decoration in situ; Decoration and finds from the chapel of Qar Junior; Decoration and finds from the chapel of Senedjemib; The entrance; The false door fragments; Reliefs from the chapel; Decorated blocks not att ributable to individual chapels; Finds from the burial chamber of Qar Junior (Burial chamber 'B'); Finds from the burial chamber of Senedjemib (Burial chamber 'A'); Finds from Shaft 'C'; Decoration and finds from the chapel of Iykai ; 7. The physical remains of the Old Kingdom mastaba and lesser tombs owners – the sexual dimorphism of the Old Kingdom population ; Introduction; Methods; Osteological description of the skeletons; Human remains from the tomb complexes of the vizier Qar and his sons and Tomb 'KK' 280; Mastabas at the Lake of Abusir; Results; Discussion; 8. Funerary food offerings ; Mastaba of vizier Qar (Tomb 'GG'); Senedjemib (Tomb 'HH', Shaft 1); Tomb of Qar Junior (Tomb 'HH', Shaft 2); General discussion; Contents; 9. Conclusions; The cemetery of Qar and its place in Sixth Dynasty history ; Architecture and finds of the vizier Qar's tomb; Architecture and finds of the tombs of Qar Junior and Senedjemib; Titles of the tomb owners; Architectural comparison; Anthropology; Summary

380 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

Miroslav Bárta graduated in Egyptology and Prehistoric and Early Historic Archaeology at Charles University in Prague. Ph.D. studies in Prague and Hamburg. In 2002 habilitation in Egyptology and since 2009 professor of Egyptology. Main fields of research: archeology and history of the third and second millenia B.C., landscape archeology in antiquity, rise and fall of complex societies, interdisciplinary research, archaeological background of the Old Testament. Since 1991 excavating in Egypt, 2003-2008 research of the Western Desert, since 2009 working also in Sudan. In 2002 led the first detailed satelite mapping of the pyramid fields of Abusir, Saqqara and Dahshur. 2003-2004 teaching at UPenn, Philadelphia, PA.

Miroslav Bárta vystudoval egyptologii a pravěkou a raně středověkou archeologii na Univerzitě Karlově v Praze. Po studiu egyptologie v Hamburku v r. 1997 obhájil doktorát, v r. 2002 se habilitoval pro obor egyptologie, v r. 2009 jmenován profesorem pro obor egyptologie. Mezi hlavní oblasti jeho vědeckého zájmu patří archeologie a historie 3. a 2. tis. př. Kr. Intenzivně se zabývá vztahem člověka a krajiny ve starověku, vývojem a kolapsem komplexních společností, koordinuje interdisciplinární výzkumy Českého egyptologického ústavu a zabývá se též archeologickým a kulturně-historickým pozadím Starého Zákona. Od r. 2009 začal s výzkumy i v Súdánu. Kromě archeologické činnosti v Egyptě (od r. 1991) vedl první detailní satelitní mapování pyramidových polí provedené v letech 2002–2003, od r. 2003 vede výzkumy v egyptské Západní poušti a od r. 2005 je zástupcem vedoucího výzkumu lokality Abúsír. Od r. 1998 přednáší na FF UK v Praze, v letech 2003–2004 působil jako profesor egyptologie na University of Pennsylvania (PA, USA).
M. Bárta je členem Mezinárodní egyptologické asociace, členem správní rady Aigyptos Foundation, Bratislava a členem redakční rady časopisu Památky Archeologické.