Seshemnefer (III)
| Seshemnefer ;"sṠm-nfr" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vizir | |||||
.jpg) Seshemnefer and his wife  Vizir "good leader" [4](3D) | |||||
| Spouse | Heteperes King's Daughter, Priestess of Hathor, Lady of Sycamore, Priestess of Neith[1]  | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Fifth Dynasty of Egypt | ||||
| Father | Seshemnefer II. | ||||
| Mother | Meritités | ||||
Seshemnefer (III.) "Ṡshm-nfr" was vizier, during the era of Pharaoh Niuserre, ruler of the 5th dynasty. He was the third generation in the family line and had his own tomb, G 5170[3] on the west side of Khufu's pyramid. Information about his life and family has been drawn from the decoration in his tomb and the documented history of his ancestors too.[4]
Genesis
[edit]On the west side of the Khufu's pyramid lies the necropolis of the 4th–5th dynasty, extending into the 6th dynasty. The oldest tombs, dating back to the reign of Khufu, are arranged in orderly rows behind the dominant tomb G 4000 of the prince, the architect Hemiunu, while others date back to the later periods of the 5th dynasty, including the tomb of Seshemnefer III. G 5170. The tomb was discovered in 1910 by the archaeologist Ernst von Sieglin.[note 1] ] who had the decorations removed from the chapel and transported to Berlin, where they were later donated to the Landesuniversität Tübingen and in 1938, were examined and described in detail by Junker.[4]
Seshemnefer's wife, Hetepheres, was priestess of Neith, but also king's daughter of his body. He had four sons, three of whom were also called Seshemnefer; the fourth was called Neferseshemptah. One of these sons, Seshemnefer (IV), was buried at Dahshur and had mastaba there.
Mastaba
[edit]The tomb is located in the western necropolis roughly on the edge of the aforementioned row behind G 4000 of the vizier Hemiunu in a group of mastabas dated to the late 5th dynasty.[5] The original dimensions of the building were disturbed by later reconstructions, firstly by the addition of the southern side of the cult serdab in the part connected to the mastaba of Rawer I. Seshemnefer's son. From the spacious columned portico (5.8 × 2.8 m) there was an entrance to the sacrificial chamber in the shape of the letter "L" (3.64 × 1.43 m) with two false doors on the west, as well as a large serdab on the south side. The southern burial chamber is located in a shaft, where there is also a massive sarcophagus. The northern shaft was completed to a depth of 3.2 m and the sarcophagus was built directly into the rock in the chamber.[6]
Chapel
[edit].jpg)
The preserved decoration of the chapel talks about the life of Seshemnefer and his family and the preparation for the departure to the underworld with full material security, members of his family, his servants. Numerous inscriptions list his numerous functions in the royal administration.
Some functions express his active powers as a vizier, others numerous and often recurring, are rather symbolic of his social status. These are, Chief justice and vizier, Overseer of scribes of the king's documents, Overseer of all works of the king, Privy to the secret of all decrees of the king, Overseer of the two houses of weapons.[6]
On the west wall of the chapel and through two false doors through which his soul leaves for the afterlife, he sits with his wife Heteperes at a sacrificial table, where all the food offerings are also named, below is a depiction of the slaughter of sacrificial bulls. On the north wall, a group of maidservants bring gifts from noble kings
distinguishable cartouches in the upper register – Pharaoh Khufu, Sahure, Userkaf, in the second register Nyuserre Ini, and in the third register Khafra and Snofru again.[7] The south wall depicts him seated, supervising the preparations for the ceremony, at his feet are his three sons with the scribe's sign, the third on the right Nfrsshmptah. His mind is entertained by a group 
, accompanied by music on harps 
. A similar scene is on the east wall, above, scribes recording supplies under the supervision of Seshemnefer, who leans on the staff of the magnate.[1]
Tomb G 5170 of the vizier and royal scribe a representative of the elite during the 5th Dynasty, approximately dated to the reign of Pharaoh Nyuserre Ini,[note 2] whose interior decoration has been preserved, provides data that fits into the overall picture of the character and historical development of government structures.
Note
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Herman Junker, Giza III. Grabungen auf dem Friedhof des Alten Reiches; Die Mastaba des V. Dyanastie, Holder-Pichler-Tempsky 1938
- ^ Erik Hornug, Ancient Egyptian Chronology, Brill 2006
- ^ "Digital Giza | Seshemnefer (in G 5170)". giza.fas.harvard.edu. Giza Project at Harvard University. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
- ^ a b Hermann Junker, Gíza III. Grabungen auf dem Friedhof des Alten Reiches; Die Mastaba des V. Dynastie, Holder-Pichler-Tempsky, Leipzig 1938
- ^ Georg Andrew Reisner, A History of the Giza Necropolis [online]. London: Cambridge University Press, 1942.[1]
- ^ a b Ingrid Gamer-Wallert, Die bewegte Geschichte der Mastaba Seschemnofers III. (G 5170). Michael Haase, 2004.[2]
- ^ Henri Gauthier, Le livre des rois d'Égypte. Paris: D'Archeolgie Oriental, 1907. S. 61–103.
- ^ Erik Hornug, Ancient Egyptian Chronology, Leiden, 2006, p. 490 [3]
External links
[edit]
- Georg Andrew Reisner, A History of the Giza Necropolis I., Harvard University Cambridge 1942, [6]