In the thickness of the entry between rooms III and IV, are represented four servants who transport parts of the funerary equipment of Kagemni. Behind the entrance doorway, on what is the secondary thickness, is found a scene where servants pull a sledge on which is the "statue of the Ka" of Kagemni. This is the statue which was to be placed in the serdab, the room which was then completely closed.
1)- South wall
A cortege of five animals carrying offerings head toward the rear of the tomb, more precisely towards room VII where the offerings are concentrated.
2)- West wall
a)- First register
Here are two similar scenes of bird hunting, using a hexagonal net. The one of left is preserved particularly well (view 1345). Both nets have been stretched close to a pool. In each case, beside the poll, stands a solitary palm tree.
When sufficient number of birds are under the net, the man on the right gives the signal and, with his three friends in front of him, they pull violently on the rope, closing the net and trapping the fowl. A few survive, distraught, to escape from the trap (view 1188).
On the right, the second scene shows a very full net. The man situated on the right holds a piece of material between his outstretched arms, a signal perhaps for his hidden friends to pull the rope (view 1183 and view 1187).
b)- Second register
This is dedicated to a scene of poultry farming.
Three bird cages are represented side by side, surrounded by nets and with a roof sustained by sticks with forked ends (view 1339). In front of the first lot of poultry stands a character holding a bag of grain on his right shoulder, letting the grain trickle to the ground. This is a typically conventional representation of Egyptian art, because the character wouldn't perform this action outside the cage of course; he would have entered the enclosure by the small door represented at the bottom. But as the artist would have had difficulty representing him inside, he is shown accomplishing his task "outside" (view 1181 and view 1182).
c)- Third register
A large portion of this register is destroyed, but it was dedicated to the force-feeding of geese (view 1335). The farmers sitting on the ground prepare pellets which others will forcefully introduce into the gullets of the unhappy birds. This all takes place under a supervisor's unavoidable gaze. Note the various attitudes of the ducks and geese.
d)- Fourth register
Remaining with the actions of force-feeding, this register is very different and a lot more dangerous. In fact it is the force-feeding of animals, in this case hyenas. These animals could never be domesticated, and this is why the Egyptians gave up their exploitation from the end of the Old Kingdom.
However, be that as it may, the scenes represented here are very interesting.
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| Photomontage of the scenes of force-feeding hyenas |
On the left, an single individual forces pieces of poultry into the mouth of a hyena, with its back on the ground, bound by the paws. Further to the right, two men force-feed another animal, one holding it by the tail and the second by a rope around the neck. Next right, two men work around an upturned animal, its rear paws are bound but this is not true for its front paws, which are held by one of the men. Finally, a scribe sits with his back to the last two characters, making notes of everything. This report will be presented to Kagemni by his superior, standing in front of him.
e)- Fifth register
This one is very mutilated, showing some stalls with cattle, and the unavoidable scribe and foreman. Notice that two men work with a single cow, and also that the one doing the milking seems to grasp two different teats at the same time (view 1338).
f)- Sixth register
A drover with his ox and scribes, nothing much remains of them.
3)- East wall
This wall is badly damaged. It contains large-sized figure of Kagemni, with his wife Nebty-nub-khet, with her "beautiful name" (Ren nefer) Seshseshet. The princess stands behind Kagemni, whilst in front can be found his son Teti-ankh, as a small character who holds his father's leg.
The characters receive the contributions of fish resulting from the activity of the servants in the marshes (view 1337).
4)- North wall
A scene situated above of the doorway heading towards room V shows Kagemni seated in a sedan-chair, leaning nonchalantly on his right arm, while he holds a cane in the left hand, with the height of his shoulder. He wears a large necklace around his neck.
The chair is transported by 20 men laid out in two teams of ten, each one carries a stick while supporting a pole of the chair on his other shoulder (view 1139 and detail as well as view 1141 and detail). Between the rows, a supervisor, cane in hand, is ready to make his respect. Note the enormous disproportion of the sizes between the Lord and his chair on the one hand, and the other characters on the other.
In front of and behind the palanquin (the covered sedan-chair), two men hold vertical poles which are in fact the handles of its canopy.
We possess an example of a sedan-chair of this type, that of queen Hetepheres, preserved at the Cairo museum.
As highlighted by Jacques Vandier, and as can be seen with the queen's chair - a great difference exists between the real size of the chairs and those that are sometimes represented. Certainly 20 men were not necessary to carry them. Victor Loret provided a very ingenious hypothesis, based on the likeness of the name designating this model of chair and that of the centipede deity: "Sepa". The Egyptian centipede has only 42 legs, here we have 42 legs, counting the number of legs of 10 porters represented on each side, plus one supervisor!
In front of the scene, advance three superimposed nobles, among which are mentioned "his son", but his name is not specified. Immediately above the doorway, can be seen a dwarf holding, by leashes, two dogs and a monkey. The dogs have curly tails and are of the breed "sloughy".
Taken from room IV, view 1139 and view 1141 show the entry into room V and, at the far end, the beginning (west side) of the north wall. These images also show, in the north-west (top left) corner, the door between V room and room VI.
The thickness of the doorway is decorated on both sides by a procession of porters with offerings, laden with fruits, with birds, with vases containing flowers, trays and baskets filled with breads, meats and vegetables intended the "ka of Memi". These continue on the following walls, in either a clockwise (view 1140) or an anti-clockwise direction.
Kagemni, who is illustrated on the north wall, next to the entrance to room VII (view 1148), receives the products of the fields which are provided for his funerary worship. Thus he sees the procession of servants laden with the various goods approaching in front of him (view 1149 and view 1150), which finish up - magically - in room VII, the one for the offerings.
A similar image of Kagemni appears at the east end of the south wall (view 1151). The photo also shows the adjoining part of the east wall, from which it can be seen that a new procession starts here, heading towards the doorway into room VII. But from the detail found over this doorway (view 1179) they actually continue towards the rear of the figure of Kagemni on the north wall.
On the section above the doorway to room VII, there are three sub-registers. The bottom row shows chests containing vases and on the left is a strange assembly including a fan and a flail resting on what can only be a bed. Above, the first row of men is constituted of scribes carrying different scolls. Note that in front of the first one of them has been added his name (view 1180).
Take note of the first three men in the top register and the curious disposition of their arms. If the gestures of the first and the third are those of greetings, then the attitude of the one of the middle is very perplexing.
It is in this room that a funeral shaft of a later period was found. At the time of its creation, some damage was inflicted to the walls, notably to the north wall and partially to the west (view 1152, the two dressed stones belong to the secondary burial).
• The remaining decor of the west wall is similar to that of the east wall (view 1154), showing in the lower register slaughtered beasts, lying on their back, notably oxen.
• In the second register, above, we find two representations of men pulling a sledge on which are represented two conically shaped objects, surmounted by double plumes (view 1346). What this refers to is totally unknown, but above the men can be seen four smaller versions.
• In the third register, some men measure grain from large heap situated in front of them, grain which will then be transported to a silo.
• Up again, one finds men transporting some chests on wooden poles.
The deceased, majestically represented on the south wall, supervises all these activities (view 1153). He is dressed in his short kilt, with the panther skin of the lector priest draped over him. Behind him are 15 men in five superimposed rows of three, the top row is barely visible. Among these is found Teti-ankh, and another son who doesn't have the honour to be named, a brother of Kagemni is also anonymous, and the "hem-ka". These last are priests (lit. servants of the ka), appointed to the cult of the deceased's "double", which is supposed to contain the substance of his vitality, his vital force, in the proper sense of the term. It is this metaphysical part of his persona that was capable of moving between the this world and the next, and to return to the deceased's mummy the vital essence which it had absorbed from the offerings (real or those shown on the walls).
This chamber is reached from room V (view 1157, taken from inside the entry of room VII, shows the north-east corner of room VII and, directly ahead, the entry to room VIII).
In the thickness of the doorway, joining rooms V and VII, can be seen the traditional parade of porters with offerings (view 1155).
The whole focus of this long room is towards the wall at the rear, to the west, which includes the false door (view 1158).
1)- The north and south walls
These have a symmetry of themes, even though variations of details exist. Both include multiple porters with offerings, men or women, priests of the Ka, etc. All move towards the rear, where a seated Kagemni awaits them, with his back towards his false door (view 1159 and view 1161 and view 1162).
Among the multiple details which show the interest that the Egyptians often especially showed for the animal kingdom the period of the Old Kingdom - what should be noted is the precision of the representations. As for example: this hedgehog in cage (view 1348), these small calves at play (view 1347) but which doesn't stop them showing a dead calf being transported in a basket (view 1349), etc. What does remain dubious, in front, is the representation of two ibexes in a basket: it is quite possible that it represents an ornamental accessory (view 1350).
2)- The west wall
This is entirely occupied by the false stela door (view 1160 and view 1178).
It is raised above the level of the floor, and approached by a flight of steps. Its upper part is missing, but on the whole it remains very well preserved.
• Its right and left uprights are formed of three engraved panels, each being inset deeper toward the middle, achieving a stepped aspect. They each carry vertical columns of hieroglyphs, pointing out the deceased's titles, and his two names (Kagemni and Memi).
• The central, very narrow opening is painted in orange and is surmounted by a thin roller bearing the name of Kagemni. As in a terrestrial dwelling, this roller is the equivalent of the blind protecting an opening without door.
Through this opening, situated directly above of the underground funeral chambers, the Ka of Kagemni could leave and re-enter the sarcophagus, and come to satiate himself from the food offerings which were presented for him in front of the stela door.
If by misfortune his funerary cult should fall into oblivion, the Ka always had at his disposition the representations on the walls, which magically assumed the same role.
• Above the roller, the deceased is represented seated in front of a table decorated with "thousands of breads, beer, alabaster, head of livestock, etc., achieving that which Egyptological jargon names a "placard". This formula of wishes was also intended for the living, who had to recite it in a loud voice, so that it became a reality in the beyond.
Turning around, facing the east wall, in view 1177 can be seen, on the right, the return entry to room V. Whilst on the left is the entry to room VIII.
By turning left, when facing the east wall of the offering chamber, entry is gained to this final room (view 1163), passing between the lines of porters represented on the thicknesses of the doorway (view 1164).
The room represents an extension to room VII and is decorated entirely with offerings and porters with offerings. The preservation of colours is very striking. The upper part of the walls is much better than in the other rooms.
1)- West wall
Immediately after having cleared the entry to the room, the west (left-hand) wall continues the procession of the porters which started in room VII, continued from the thickness of the doorway, and stops only at the east extremity of the north Wall.
Six teams of men, distributed on the two lower registers, pull sledges laden with enormous vases of oil (view 1174, view 1175 and view 1176).
They continue to the scenes on the north wall, heading for its eastern extremity where Kagemni awaits them. Each of these two registers is again surmounted by a broad band of hieroglyphs.
The upper registers are incomplete in places and all have very little colour. The two immediately above the porters, are of boxes containing even more vases, the one above these has a vast array of vases of various designs.
2)- North wall
(view 1165, view 1166, view 1167 and view 1168). The two lower registers, which display porters, are each surmounted by a broad band of sculpted hieroglyphs.
The porters of the bottom register carry in their hands a long unidentifiable object, and which has been speculated to be a roll of material (view 1173). If this is the case, would it be so amazingly rigid? The men of the register above carry either large vases (view 1172), or they carry something round which could be a necklace. Some of the men are designated priests of the Ka. Kagemni stands magnificently at the eastern end of the wall to receive the many gifts (view 1169, left).
Like the west wall, the upper registers contain a great number and variety of vases; again with minimal colour other than that of the background.
3)- East wall
Its lower half includes a total of twenty porters arranged in two rows and which have the characteristic of being divided symmetrically into two sub-groups, by a visible middle line. Those of each half heading toward the nearest Kagemni figure, either on the north or south wall. In the upper part of the wall, can be found stacks of vases, chests, etc. These are also separated into north and south groups by the central dividing line. Yet again the upper registers only contain the blue-gray coloured background.
4)- South wall
Its reliefs have suffered more than the others. They however remain well preserved over of the doorway, although without colour.
Under this scene, through the doorway (view 1171), can be seen the succession of rooms which followed from the far south wall of room V (room VII being immediately to the right).
At the extreme east end of the wall is the standing figure of Kagemni, a match for the one on the north wall, although with rather less colour on his upper torso (view 1170, right). Note how the sceptre, which he holds in his right hand, can be seen in front of his kilt, whilst on the north wall it is correctly shown behind it, but due to the way which Egyptian artists drew people, the shoulders would indicate that to our eyes it was in his left hand.
The walls of the two rooms are covered with scenes of offerings and inscriptions, including a large list of offerings.
The sarcophagus bears the name and the titles of Kagemni. The plunderers displaced its lid. The limestone box section actually contained a wooden coffin with various remnants and bones belonging to the great nomarch, whose mummy had been smashed to steal the amulets and other precious objects which it contained. The excavators have found very little of the funeral furniture, primarily crockery. Canopic vases were also present, although broken.
Original page by Thierry Benderitter
© Copyright OsirisNet 2007
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| Bibliography |
- Porter and Moss III, 2, plan LV; p.521-525,
Griffith Institute, Oxford, 1978
- Bissing FW : Die Mastaba des Gem-ni-kai,
Berlin, 1905-1911
- Roccati A : La littérature historique
sous l'Ancien Empire Égyptien, Ed du
Cerf, 1982,
p.139-141
- Vandier J : Manuel d'archéologie
Égyptienne, tome IV, Editions Picard,
Paris, 1964 |
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