Djedkare’s pyramid complex: Preliminary report of the 2016 season

Abstract

The article presents the results of the 2016 archaeological season of the Egyptian mission in the pyramid complex of King Djedkare in South Saqqara. The works focused on the western part of the causeway where remains of a drainage was documented, and on the storerooms situated to the south of the entrance passage. During this work, also the north side of the so-called southern massive was cleaned. Besides the funerary temple, also the private cemetery located to the south-east of it started to be documented in this season. A mud brick structure, MS 1, was cleaned; it consisted of six shafts with vaulted burial chambers. Only one of the chambers (in shaft 5) was cased with limestone slabs, which bear a well preserved painted decoration. This burial chamber belonged to Pepyankh Setju and can be dated to the late Sixth Dynasty. Another part of the work in 2016 concentrated inside the pyramid of the king. The consolidation and restoration works were carried out in the burial apartments, concentrating on the missing part of the eastern wall of the antechamber and the core behind it.

Keywords

• Old Kingdom
• South Saqqara
• Djedkare
• pyramid complex
• mastaba