The tombs of Kaisebi (AS 76) and Ptahwer (AS 76b) at Abusir South

Abstract

The excavations at Abusir South have already uncovered many tombs that have added valuable information to the general knowledge of the development of the Old Kingdom society, its burial and funeral habits, and last but not least social relations and their impact on the lives of ancient Egyptian officials. One of the latest discoveries is the tomb of “the elder of the judicial hall”, Kaisebi (AS 76), and the adjoining tomb of Ptahwer (AS 76b), which are located to the south of the anonymous mastaba (AS 54), lying on the most prominent spot of the whole Abusir South area. Kaisebi and Ptahwer built their tombs between this huge mastaba (AS 54) and a recently discovered 18.5 m long ship, both dated to the end of the Third Dynasty. Tomb AS 76 was constructed in two phases in the course of the late Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. The first one consisted of a rather small rectangular mastaba with a chapel, a northern niche, a serdab, and two shafts. The cruciform chapel of Kaisebi’s mastaba with colourful wall paintings contains a well-preserved false door in situ. Later on, the original structure was enlarged by an annexe (AS 76b) attached to the eastern wall of AS 76, which included another offering place and two burial shafts.

Keywords

• Abusir South
• Old Kingdom
• mastaba
• false door
• hieratic inscription
• pottery
• Fifth Dynasty
• Sixth Dynasty