PRAGUE
E GYPTOLOGICAL
STUDIES
Con en s
REPORTS
Bu ial sha s and chambe s o Ne e and Ne e ha ho in omb AS 68d.
A compa a i e e alua ion o he ce amic fi nds (Ka a ína A ias Ky na o á) . . . . . . . . .3
Tomb o he chie physician Shepseska ankh (Mi osla Bá a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
A chaeological exca a ion o he mas aba o Queen Khen kaus III ( omb AC 30)
in Abusi (Ja omí K ejčí – Ka a ína A ias Ky na o á – Ma in Odle ) . . . . . . . . . . .28
Explo a ion o he bu ial apa men s in omb complex AS 68. P elimina y epo
o he 2013 all season (Hana Vymazalo á) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
STUDIES
Ri ual adi ion and ans e be ween shape and meaning – model bee ja s in s one
and po e y (Ka a ína A ias Ky na o á – Lucie Ji ásko á) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
A bu ial wi h a s amp seal depic ing a Bes-like fi gu e om Abusi
(Ve onika Dulíko á – Ma in Odle – Helena Březino á – Pe a Ha elko á). . . . . . .69
Damage and epai o he Old Kingdom canopic ja s – he case a Abusi
(Lucie Ji ásko á) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
The mi aculous ise o he Fi h Dynas y – he s o y o Papy us Wes ca
and his o ical e idence (Mi osla Ve ne ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Dea eade s,
I has been hi een yea s since he fi s issue o P ague Egyp ological S udies was published in 2002.
Since hen i has become an impo an and wide-selling jou nal, p o iding bo h he scien ifi c and laymen
audience wi h he la es esul s o ou fi eldwo k and a ious s udies in he fi eld o Czech Egyp ology
dealing wi h he ci ilisa ions o ancien Egyp and Sudan.
A e mo e han a decade o i s exis ence, we a e pleased o launch he fi s issue o he English edi ion
o P ague Egyp ological S udies. The English edi ion is dedica ed exclusi ely o he his o y, a chaeology
and language o hi d millennium BC Egyp . Ye i also aims o include s udies dealing wi h o eign ela ions
du ing he pe iod. A he same ime, we also welcome publica ions on he la es ad ances in he s udy
o he en i onmen and s udies e alua ing he signifi cance o applied sciences. Ou p incipal aim is o
accommoda e s udies conce ning ei he p ima y esea ch in he fi eld o hose ha b ing up heo e ical
inqui ies o essen ial impo ance o he indica ed scope and ime ame o he jou nal.
The p esen issue is de o ed o he exca a ions a Abusi , he p incipal fi eld o esea ch o he Czech
Ins i u e o Egyp ology. The indi idual epo s a e dedica ed o he exca a ion p ojec s ca ied ou in
he py amid fi eld (Khen kaus III), as well as in he Abusi Sou h a ea ( omb complex AS 68, he omb
o Shepseska ankh). In addi ion o hese, you will also fi nd mo e heo e ical s udies ocusing on he
“Khen kaus p oblem”, which analyses he signifi cance and impo ance o h ee women bea ing he same
name du ing he Fou h and Fi h Dynas ies, a s udy dealing wi h model bee ja s and hei ypological
e olu ion, an in e es ing seal wi h a fi gu e o Bes, and an in e p e a ion o canopic ja s bea ing signifi can
okens o pas ea men on hei bodies.
We us ha he English edi ion o P ague Egyp ological S udies, which will be p oduced once a yea ,
will fi nd a fi m place among o he Egyp ological schola ly jou nals. We a e con inced ha a clea ly defi ned
p ofi le o his scien ifi c jou nal will a ac no only he a en ion o many eade s bu also submissions
o signifi can con ibu ions om he scien ifi c communi y and hus s eamline majo ad ances in he fi elds
o hi d millennium BC Egyp his o y, a chaeology and he like.
Mi osla Bá a and Lucie Ji ásko á
PRAŽSKÉ
EGYPTOLOGICKÉ STUDIE
(P ague Egyp ological S udies)
Edi o ial boa d
P o . Mg . Mi osla Bá a, D .
Ao. Uni .-P o . D . Pe e Jánosi
P o . Pe e De Manuelian
Junio p o . D . Joanne Rowland
Mg . Rena a Landg á o á, Ph.D.
D . Gab iele Pieke
D . Teodozja Rzeuska
Execu i e edi o s
Mg . Ve onika Dulíko á
Mg . Lucie Ji ásko á
Mg . Ma ie Hloucho á
Publishe
Cha les Uni e si y
in P ague, Facul y o A s,
Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology,
Cele ná 20, 110 00 P aha 1,
h p://egyp ologie. .cuni.cz
The publica ion was p epa ed
wi hin he P og amme o he
De elopmen o Fields o S udy
a Cha les Uni e si y, No. P14
“A chaeology o non-Eu opean
Regions”, subp og amme
“Resea ch o ancien Egyp ian
ci iliza ion. Cul u al and poli ical
adap a ion o he No h A ican
ci ilisa ions in ancien his o y
(5000 B.C. – 1000 A.D.)”
Pho og aphs and illus a ions
A chi e o he Czech Ins i u e
o Egyp ology FA CU,
Jiří Vaněk (Na ional museum)
Language e iew
An hony Pa ick A ias, B.A.
Typog aphy
PhD . Oleg Man
Typese ing and p in
SERIFA, s. . o., Jinonická 80,
150 00 P aha 5
ISSN 1214-3189
Copy igh
Cha les Uni e si y in P ague
Pho og aph on he on page
A econs uc ion o he o e ing
place in on o he alse doo
o Ne e in omb AS 68d
(pho o M. F ouz)
XV/ 2015
CZECH INSTITUTE OF EGYPTOLOGY
REPORTS PES XV/2015 3
The aim o his pape is o compa e wo se s o ce amic
inds om he wo main sha s unco e ed in omb AS 68d,
namely Sha 1 ( ha o he omb owne , Ne e ) and om
Sha 2 ( e y likely belonging o his wi e, Ne e ha ho ). Bo h
names a e a es ed on he alse doo o Ne e , si ua ed
oughly wes o his sha (Bá a – Vymazalo á – Dulíko á
e al. 2014: 29, Fig. 10). Bo h hei bu ial chambe s we e
obbed and hus he sha s mus ha e been dis u bed, bu
despi e his ac , la ge numbe s o ypologically and
me ically simila essels and hei agmen s we e
unco e ed in he ills o hese sha s. This pape shall
concen a e on he impo ance and in e p e a ion o he
spa ial dis ibu ion o hese ce amic inds, and hus he
issues o da ing and he p o iding o pa allels shall be
ouched upon only occasionally as hey a e no he main
opic o his analysis.
The sha and bu ial chambe o Ne e
The sou he nmos sha (Sha 1) in omb AS 68d was
exca a ed du ing he 2014 season. I belonged wi hou any
doub o he main owne o he omb, he high o icial Ne e ,
Bu ial sha s and chambe s o Ne e and Ne e ha ho
in omb AS 68d. A compa a i e e alua ion
o he ce amic inds
Ka a ína A ias Ky na o á
In he cou se o he yea s 2012–2014 in he a ea o Abusi Sou h, he Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology unco e ed a la ge
complex o an un il hen unknown p incess o he Fi h Dynas y, She e neb y, possibly a daugh e o King Nyuse e
(Vymazalo á – Dulíko á 2012 and 2014). The complex is e y la ge and consis s o an open pilla ed cou ya d and
ou ock-cu ombs (AS 68a – AS 68d) ha a e si ua ed sou h and sou heas o i (see plan 1 in Vymazalo á in his
issue). Du ing he cou se o he explo a ion, ex ensi e une a y ac i i y was a es ed, no only in he ombs bu also in
he open cou ya d and he adjoining co ido be ween he ock-cu ombs and he omb o Ne e shepes/Memi (AS 67).
In he whole complex, 29 sha s we e buil du ing he span o he la e Fi h o he e minal Six h Dynas y. The complex
is unique in se e al ea u es, one o hem also being he quan i y, quali y and ele ance o he ce amic inds, a la ge
amoun o which we e ound in p ima y con ex s such as he bu ial chambe s o deposi s in he sha s. In o he cases,
e en he mixed con ex s had high spa ial dis ibu ion alue as hey a e he emains o he o iginal in en ional deposi s.
Fig. 1 A en a i e econs uc ion o he use o s ands wi h pla e s du ing i uals, in on o he alse doo o Ne e (AS 68d). The ce amics we e all
ound in agmen s in he sha o Ne e (pho o M. F ouz)
as is a es ed by his alse doo unco e ed in si u oughly
wes o he sha (see ig. 1). The ce amic inds om
his sha we e e y ex ensi e and exceeded hose
unco e ed in he neighbou ing Sha 2 o his wi e (see
in a). The ill o he sha was no homogenous, and as
a esul , he ce amic inds we e collec ed in se e al le els,
each ha ing a di e en con ex numbe . The e we e
al oge he six ce amic con ex s in he sha . The la ges
amoun o po e y, a leas 83 indi idual essels, came om
he op laye o he sha , om a dep h down o 1.00 m, and
included e y la ge agmen s o s ands (77.AS68d.2014).
The mos dis inc i e con ex (78.AS68d.2014) came om
a dep h o 3.00 m, whe e nume ous ce amic agmen s
we e ound in a clus e in he sou heas e n co ne o
he sha , oge he wi h animal bones (374/AS68d/2014).
Ye ano he concen a ion o po e y was unea hed a
a dep h o 3.00 m (80.AS68d.2014) in he sou hwes e n
co ne o he sha , also accompanied by animal bones
(375/AS68d/2014). Con ex 79.AS68d.2014 illed he a ea
a ound and unde nea h his con ex , o a dep h o 3.50 m.
Ca e ul documen a ion o he ce amic inds was necessa y,
as du ing he ollowing econs uc ion o he inds,
agmen s om di e en le els o he sha we e ound o
complemen each o he , hus p o ing he dis u bed na u e
o he sha . To gi e an explici example, a la ge a wi h
a spou was unco e ed in h ee di e en con ex s; some
body she ds came om con ex 77, one hal o he spou
and la ge pa o he body was ound in con ex 78 and he
o he hal plus mos o he body she ds om con ex 79. I
a essel was ound in pieces in di e en con ex s, he inal
essel numbe was alloca ed acco ding o he one wi h
la ges amoun o sizeable pieces, in his case con ex 79.
Finally, he e was a base o a bee ja (82.AS68d.2014)
ound a he bo om o Sha 1, in on o he pa ly
dis u bed mud b ick wall leading in o he bu ial chambe .
Howe e , his bee ja should no be seen as any emnan
o o e ings o omb goods bu a he as e use om
seconda y i ual ac i i ies connec ed o he bu ial – i
was ound wi h a hick laye o mo a (o a simila ough
whi e subs ance) inside and he e o e mos likely se ed
as a con aine o mo a designa ed o sealing he
sa cophagus o whi ening he closing wall. While i was
e iden ly used du ing he sealing i uals, i s p esence a
he bo om o he sha may be in en ional only in he sense
ha such a ja could no be la e eused o any o he
pu pose due o eligious belie s and hus had o be
abandoned he e. Vessels illed wi h mo a o a di e en
whi e subs ance (such as ine plas e ) a e commonly
ound a he bo om o bu ial sha s, mos no ably in Giza,
Nazle Ba an, Saqqa a and Meidum.1They a e no o be
con used wi h he eligious meaning and unc ion o ully
in ac bee ja s o en unco e ed in si u on he bo om o
sha s wi h alse Nile mud illing inside, such as a ja om
Sha 5 in he omb o p ies Ne e inpu (Bá a e al. 2014:
Figs. 3.56, 3.57) and in he ombs o he Lake o Abusi
ceme e y (ye unpublished). Some o hese la e bee
ja s we e addi ionally also sealed wi h a s oppe and
undoub edly se ed as an o e ing du ing he closing i uals.2
The ce amic inds om he sha bo e se e al in e es ing
cha ac e is ics, such as a la ge pe cen age o ce ain
classes. Among hese, he classes o s ands and pla e s
4PES XV/2015 BURIAL SHAFTS AND CHAMBERS OF NEFER AND NEFERHATHOR
Fig. 2 Almos ully econs uc ed pla e unco e ed in agmen s
in a clus e o po e y and animal bones a a dep h o 3.00 m in he sha
o Ne e (pho o K. A ias Ky na o á)
we e by a he mos dominan . Also, a la ge numbe o
hese s ands and pla e s we e able o be econs uc ed o
ull p o ile, wi h mo e han 70 % o hei im and base
diame e s p ese ed. All his could poin o he ac ha he
ill o he sha , al hough dis u bed, was no composed o
some acciden al e use bu a he ha la ge pa s o he
o iginal ill o he sha we e s ill in place. The agmen s
om which hese essels we e econs uc ed measu ed
om la ge (especially sha s o s ands) o e y small ( im
and base she ds) and all o hem had sha p, une oded
edges wi hou any aces o being exposed o sun, wind
o o he elemen s. Some pla e s we e able o be
glued almos ully om mo e han 10 indi idual agmen s
(e.g. see ig. 2). The o he classes unco e ed in he sha s
included some b ead moulds and bee ja s.
The wo ce amic con ex s (78.AS68d.2014 and
80.AS68d.2014) ha we e collec ed a ound he animal
bones, a a dep h o 3.00 m in he sou heas e n and
sou hwes e n co ne o he sha , con ained only a small
numbe o indi idual essels, bu some o hese we e
able o be econs uc ed almos ully, such as pla e
78-4.AS68d.2014 ( ig. 2) and s and 80-1.AS68d.2014 (see
ig. 4). The animal bones ha e no ye unde gone an
analysis; i is he e o e impossible o s a e whe he he
bones we e pa o a single animal o wo di e en ones.
Howe e , i is impo an o s ess ha he ce amic agmen s
om hese wo con ex s complemen ed each o he well,
especially in he case o pla e s.
The whole assemblage is mos cha ac e is ic o i s high
numbe o s ands, ha ing a high p edominance o e all he
o he ce amic classes. These s ands a e no all iden ical and
hey belong o h ee main g oups; namely all hou -glass
shaped s ands, lowe biconical s ands and inally low ing
BURIAL SHAFTS AND CHAMBERS OF NEFER AND NEFERHATHOR PES XV/2015 5
Fig. 3 Selec ed ce amic essels
om he ill o Sha 1 (d awing
K. A ias Ky na o á, L. Vařeko á)
s ands. Fo each g oup, he specimens a e e y simila in
quali y, sizes and su ace ea men . The all hou -glass
shaped s ands (Abusi ype S-1a) ha e ei he a simple o
a olled im ( ig. 3). The examples wi h a simple im (S-1aI)
a e sligh ly smalle , wi h ape u e diame e s be ween 12.50
and 13.00 cm, base diame e s o 10.50–12.50 cm and e y
cons an heigh s o 23.00–23.50 cm ( ig. 3, second ow and
ig. 4).3Those wi h olled o modelled im (S-1aII) a e isibly
la ge , wi h ape u e diame e s o 13.00–15.00 cm, base
diame e s o 12.00–14.00 cm and heigh s o 27.50–29.00 cm
( ig. 3, i s ow and ig. 5 ).4The e we e also wo medium-
sized biconical s ands, wi h heigh s o only 15.50–16.00 cm.
Finally, he small ing s ands o Abusi g oup S-6 we e also
cons an in hei sizes, wi h ape u e and base diame e s o
10.00–12.00 cm and heigh s be ween 11.00 and 14.50 cm
(see ig. 3, hi d ow).5F om his enume a ion i should be
clea ha his was no andom e use bu a he he emnan s
o a single deposi o a speci ic se and ha he o iginal
numbe o s ands in his sha mus ha e been e y high. The
di e en g oups o s ands se ed a di e se pu pose; om
iconog aphic ep esen a ions i is clea ha while low ing
s ands we e used as s ands o all ja s and especially bee
ja s, he all biconical s ands we e a he used o bowls o
pla e s, c ea ing hus he o m o a able (see also ig. 1).

6PES XV/2015 BURIAL SHAFTS AND CHAMBERS OF NEFER AND NEFERHATHOR
Fig. 4 Example o a all hou -glass shaped s and wi h a simple im
and base (Abusi ype S-1aI) om he sha o Ne e (pho o M. F ouz)
Fig. 5 One o he all hou -glass shaped s ands wi h a olled im and base
(Abusi ype S-1aII) om he sha o Ne e . The le -o e clay on he base
is clea ly isible (pho o M. F ouz)
Fig. 6 De ail o he inne walls
o a all hou -glass shaped
s and, wi h a hin laye
o le -o e clay isible
(pho o K. A ias Ky na o á)
As a ule, all hese s ands we e made o medium ine Nile
sil B1 ab ic. The all hou -glass shaped s ands we e buil
up om coils and inished on a wheel in wo di e en pa s
ha we e joined in he middle, esul ing in a e y ough
inne middle su ace which is cha ac e is ic o his g oup.
All he low ing s ands we e made on a wheel, also om
coils. A p edominan numbe o hese s ands we e le
uncoa ed and we e only we -smoo hed, lea ing ho izon al
o diagonal smoo hing ma ks on he ou e body. An
in e es ing echnological de ail is he li le a en ion ha was
gi en o he bases o hese s ands – in almos all cases,
while he ims o he s ands we e ca e ully smoo hed, he
bases a e o en le ough, wi h supe luous clay emaining
on he inne and some imes e en he ou e walls o he base
( ig. 6 and see also ig. 5). In all cases om his sha , i was
he e o e possible o iden i y whe he a diagnos ic she d o
a s and belonged wi hou any doub o a im o a base.
Besides he s ands, he pla e s we e he mos common
ce amic class. In he whole a ea o he sha , we unco e ed
nume ous agmen s belonging o a leas 25 di e en
pla e s. Some o hem we e able o be pains akingly
econs uc ed o ull shape.6Mos o hese pla e s belong
o so called Abusi g oup P-3, wi h ei he a ine o deepe
g oo e unde he inne im ( ig. 7). Addi ionally, mos o
hese pla e s sha e simila ea u es; as a ule, hey we e
made o oughe ab ic, such as mos commonly Nile sil
B2. Despi e his ac , almos all o hem we e co e ed wi h
a hin laye o ed slip on hei uppe (inne ) su aces and
some imes also on he ou e im. While hei inne su aces
a e oughly smoo hed, hei bo oms we e only pounded
and le u he un ea ed.
The class o ja s was su p isingly unde ep esen ed.
Conce ning bee ja s, he e we e nume ous ims, body
BURIAL SHAFTS AND CHAMBERS OF NEFER AND NEFERHATHOR PES XV/2015 7
Fig. 7 One o he ed-slipped pla e s o g oup P-3 (wi h a g oo e unde
he inne im) unco e ed in he sha o Ne e (pho o K. A ias Ky na o á)
Fig. 8 A bee ja om Sha 1, econs uc ed o ull p o ile
om agmen s. I was pa ly co e ed wi h a hin laye o Nile mud
on he ou e shoulde s (d awing K. A ias Ky na o á, L. Vařeko á)
she ds and base agmen s, bu only one example could
be econs uc ed o ull p o ile, p o iding us hus wi h
some me ic da a. This bee ja (77-6.AS68d.2014) was
unco e ed in agmen s in he opmos laye o he sha . I
belongs o Abusi ype J-1b wi h a low s aigh neck, o oid
body and poin ed base ( ig. 8). The bee ja was 33.00 cm
all, wi h an ape u e diame e o 8.50 cm and a maximum
diame e o 17.00 cm. These dimensions a e in acco dance
wi h he ime pe iod be ween he i s and he second s age
o he nea by omb o Ne e inpu, hus e y likely he eign
o King Nyuse e (see cha 1 in K ejčí – A ias Ky na o á –
Odle in his issue). This pa icula bee ja is an exempla y
case o obse ing some echnological de ails conce ning
he making o hese ja s. They we e commonly buil by
hand om h ee sepa a e pa s – he base, he main body
and inally he neck. In his case, he neck i sel was
inished on a u ning de ice. On he lowe body, he poin
a which he body and base we e connec ed is clea ly
isible bo h om inside and ou side. The main body o he
ja was smoo hed; on he inne walls, he e a e isible
aces o e ical smoo hing in wo le els. The ou e
shoulde s and lowe body we e smoo hed wi h diagonal
s okes. Addi ionally, he uppe shoulde s we e co e ed
wi h a hin laye o mud. Such a su ace ea men is no
unusual; i is clea ly isible on ea ly Old Kingdom bee ja s,
such as hose om anonymous omb AS 54 (see ig. 7 in
A ias Ky na o á – Ji ásko á in his issue). The pu pose is
unclea – in he case o he ja s om AS 54, hei ou e
walls we e en i ely co e ed in a compac laye o mud, and
his could ha e se ed ei he as addi ional wa e -p oo ing
o as he mal insula ion. As a as ja 77-6.AS68d.2014 is
conce ned, only an a emp a he mal insula ion can be
seen, as he laye he e is e y hin and only andomly
dis ibu ed o e he shoulde s, seeming mo e symbolic
han unc ional.
The e we e nume ous no able ce amic inds om he ill
o Sha 1 bu no all can be discussed in his pape . One
in e es ing ind ha shall be men ioned is ce amic ool
79-1.AS68d.2014, which was ound in agmen s in he
middle a ea o he sha , unde nea h and a ound he
clus e wi h animal bones. I is an example o a ool made
om a ce amic she d, e y likely o iginally belonging o
a ine unslipped ja . I has an ellipsoid shape, and due o
i s smoo h uppe and lowe su ace and clea ly wo n
edges, i has o be assumed ha i se ed as a sc ape o
smoo he ( ig. 9). Such ools a e gaining mo e in e es , and
in Abusi , se e al pieces ha e been unco e ed o da e.7
The closes pa allels a e hose ha come om he omb o
P ince We kau e in Cen al Abusi (A ias Ky na o á 2014b:
Fig. 4.103:T and Fig. 4.104). The p esence o ce amic ools
in a sha is unusual; howe e , i mus be s essed ha
s one ools such as lin kni es ha e been ound bo h in
i ual and bu ial sha s (see e.g. Rzeuska 2006: 451, 496,
Table 4, Table 7; A ias Ky na o á 2014b: 86). While hese
lin kni es undoub edly se ed a e y di e en unc ion,
e y likely connec ed di ec ly o he cu ing o he animal
pieces ha a e ound as o e ings in hese sha s, i is
possible ha ce amic ools could also ha e had some so
a unknown cul ic pu pose. I is, howe e , mo e likely ha
hey we e pa o seconda y echnical po e y (used as
a smoo hing o sc aping ool) ha was le behind only
acciden ally. I is o no li le in e es ha a leas wo
examples o ine ja s wi h isible aces o deep e ical
smoo hing, which could ha e esul ed om he use o such
a ool, we e unco e ed in he sha o Ne e . None o hese
we e able o be econs uc ed o ull p o ile, bu wo we e
spindle-shaped ja s wi h poin ed bases, while he las one
is a la ge ja wi h a icula ed shoulde s, simila o he one
almos ully p ese ed in he sha o Ne e ’s wi e (Bá a –
Vymazalo á – Dulíko á e al. 2014: Fig. 13).
Compa ed o he plen i ul po e y om he sha , he
ce amic inds om he bu ial chambe o Ne e seem a he
poo . Howe e , he bu ial chambe was disco e ed wi h
a pa ially collapsed and uns able ceiling, and hus only
pa o he o iginal omb goods we e able o be eco e ed
du ing he isky cleaning wo ks. While he o iginal ex en
o he i ems placed in his chambe is unclea , he e we e
a leas wo di e en essels – one bee ja ound in
agmen s (83-3.AS68d.2014 and 83-4.AS68d.2014) and
a ca ina ed bowl, so called Meidum bowl, also b oken o
pieces (83-1.AS68d.2014). As a as he bee ja is
conce ned, i could no be econs uc ed o ull p o ile, bu
due o he quali y o he she ds, i ing and colou s o he
she ds and hei su ace ea men , i is clea ha hese
agmen s belonged o a single essel, which had a sligh ly
o al mou h wi h a diame e o 10.50 × 11.00 cm. Such
dis igu a ion is no unusual and p obably occu ed ei he
du ing he d ying (Rzeuska 2006: 385) o he i ing o he
essels (Junke 1950: 16), when hey we e s acked on
8PES XV/2015 BURIAL SHAFTS AND CHAMBERS OF NEFER AND NEFERHATHOR
Fig. 9 Comple e ce amic sc ape unco e ed in he middle pa o he sha (pho os K. A ias Ky na o á)
each o he o placed oo igh ly in ows. In addi ion o he
bee ja agmen s, he bu ial chambe also yielded an
in ac mud s oppe om un i ed mud (83-2.AS68d.2014).
As he bee ja im is incomple e and o al in shape, he
associa ion o he mud s oppe wi h i is en a i e, bu hey
could ha e belonged oge he . The mud s oppe has he
shape o a unca ed cone (Abusi ype D-4), simila o
hose ound in si u in he undis u bed bu ial chambe o
p ies Ne e inpu in omb AS 37 (A ias Ky na o á 2014a:
Figs. 7.8, 7.9), bu his one is o mo e compac ma e ial,
wi hou isible aces o coiling and smoo hing on he ou e
walls. The p esence o a sealed bee ja in a bu ial
chambe is e y common, and he essels we e pa o he
omb goods o he deceased, ep esen ing di e en i ems
needed o he a e li e. In he case o a ious ja s, hese
ep esen ed di e se luids, in his case na u ally he bee .
I is no ewo hy ha in he abo e-men ioned in ac bu ial
chambe o p ies Ne e inpu en such bee ja s we e
unco e ed, p obably designed as an a e li e pe diem
a ion o he p ies .
The ca ina ed bowl unco e ed in agmen s eas o he
sa cophagus, unde nea h he collapsed ceiling, was able
o be econs uc ed o almos ull shape ( ig. 10). The bowl
was o e y high quali y, being made o Nile sil A and
co e ed ho oughly wi h a well-polished ed slip o hue
10R4/8. I had a all ecu ed im and angula shoulde s,
wi h iden ical ape u e and shoulde diame e s (21.00 cm)
and a medium deep body wi h a heigh o 7.50 cm. All i s
ypological and me ic ea u es poin o he ac ha his
bowl was manu ac u ed in he la e Fi h Dynas y (Op de
Beeck 2004: 265, Table 3), wi h all ese a ions o he
limi a ions o such a da ing.8Bowls such as hese we e
commonly placed in he bu ial chambe s ep esen ing
BURIAL SHAFTS AND CHAMBERS OF NEFER AND NEFERHATHOR PES XV/2015 9
Fig. 10 Almos ully p ese ed ca ina ed bowl unco e ed in she ds
in he bu ial chambe o Ne e (pho o M. F ouz)
mos likely he ood o he deceased. The e we e no o he
agmen s belonging o a di e en bowl, so i is e y likely
ha his was he only one.
The ce amic inds o Ne e ha ho
Sha 2 was e y likely c ea ed o he wi e o he main
owne , Ne e ha ho , and a he ime o i s disco e y in he
au umn o 2012, i was ound pa ly emp y o a dep h o
abou 3.00 m. The iden i ica ion o he owne is based on
he g ounds o he epig aphic e idence, wi h he name
a es ed on he alse doo o he husband, Ne e (si ua ed
immedia ely wes o Sha 1) and he ac ha she would
be expec ed o ha e been bu ied in his nex , second sha
o he omb. The an h opological analysis con i med ha
a emale was bu ied in he sa cophagus o he bu ial
chambe o Sha 2 and hus he associa ion o Ne e ha ho
wi h he owne o his sha is ela i ely conclusi e.
Ce amic inds we e unco e ed in se e al le els o he
sha and i s bu ial chambe .9Unlike he abo e-men ioned
sha , hese we e all assigned a single ce amic con ex
numbe (44.AS68d.2012), only di e en ia ed by he
le e s o he baske s and in he desc ip ion. Simila o
Sha 1, he bu ial chambe o Sha 2 was also obbed
and, he e o e, a leas pa o his sha mus ha e been
emp ied. Howe e , clus e s o po e y in ce ain co ne s
o he sha poin o he ac ha i was p obably no
emp ied ully. The ill was a he compac , consis ing
o b own sand mixed wi h a l, limes one chips and
agmen s. The mos ele an con ex was a clus e o
la ge ce amic agmen s in he sou heas e n co ne o he
sha a a dep h o 2.70–3.50 m, consis ing e y likely
o he emains o he o iginal sha deposi . I s con en s
we e comp ised p edominan ly o s ands, pla e s and
ine po e y. Roughly unde nea h his deposi was
a sca e o animal bones (186/AS68d/2012), ound along
he eas e n, wes e n and no he n side o he sha , as
well as agmen s o wood (185/AS68d/2012). Smalle
amoun s o disa icula ed po e y om Sha 2 came om
below he clus e , om a dep h o 3.50 m and deepe .
Finally, a he bo om o he sha , a a dep h o 6.50 m
and di ec ly connec ed o he en ance in o he bu ial
chambe , he emains o nume ous agmen s o po e y
we e ound ( ig. 11). This clus e consis ed mainly o
s ands, as well as a ully p ese ed b ead o m and she ds
o ine po e y, including a bowl wi h a hick laye o a ine
whi e subs ance inside, e y likely plas e in ended o
coa ing. This bowl (44-5.AS68d.2012) is o Abusi ype
B-2c, namely wi h ben -sided walls and a spou ed im
( ig. 12). Bo h cu ed spou s we e ound, al hough he
essel was p ese ed only o abou 55 % o i s diame e .
The use o such ine po e y as a con aine o plas e is
less usual, bu in p inciple i e lec s he simila disco e y
o a bee ja base wi h mo a illing a he bo om o Sha 1
and has o be in e p e ed in a simila way (see sup a).
This was no he only ine po e y used as a con aine o
plas e – he con ex in on o he sealing wall con ained
agmen s o ano he essel, o much less usual shape, also
wi h a laye o whi e subs ance on i s inne walls. I is e y
small, wi h an ape u e diame e o only 18.50 cm and
a heigh o 9.50 cm. The mos unusual ea u es a e i s