This article presents the preliminary results of the 2014 excavation east of the Khentkawes Town ... more This article presents the preliminary results of the 2014 excavation east of the Khentkawes Town at Giza. We investigated the terraces surrounding the Queen’s basin and a building to the east—designated as SBC. Here we excavated a room for food preparation, two silos and a courtyard, revealing an early building of the 4th dynasty, subsequently modified and intensively used in the 5th dynasty. We include short preliminary reports on clay sealings, ceramics, faunal, flora, lithics and objects. Clay sealings include the names of Menkaure, Userkaf, Raneferef, and Niuserre, as well as a mention of the pyramid “Enduring are the places of Niuserre” at Abusir. Material culture provides ample evidence of administration, storage and food preparation. Most of deposits are of settlement material, although some ceramics and objects were dumped here from either the cemetery or the cult structures nearby.
Keywords: Giza – Old Kingdom – 4th-5th dynasty – Khentkawes – settlement – food production – silos – clay sealings – ceramics – faunal – flora – lithics.
Lives of the ordinary ancient Egyptians can be obscure to us today. Most of what is known about t... more Lives of the ordinary ancient Egyptians can be obscure to us today. Most of what is known about their lives is based on the elite material culture. It is only by looking closely and examining the small and fragmented finds that one might gain an insight into the daily life of the average ancient Egyptian. This thesis presents a study of the drilling tools and stone vessel fragments of Heit el-Ghurab, a settlement site located at the southeastern section of the Giza Plateau, dating to the reigns of Kings Khafre and Menkaure. The site housed the pyramid builders and the administrators working on the construction of the pyramids of both kings. The finds are compared with similar parallels of the same time periods. The location of where the drilling tools and vessel fragments were located on site help in understanding the functions of the different buildings of the ancient site. The debitage of the manufacturing of stone vessels indicates possible productions of other artifacts. By thoroughly studying the tools and the different classes and materials of the stone vessels, one could better understand the reason for the existence of such a fine craft in a pyramid builders’ settlement site, while gaining knowledge about the lives of the average ancient Egyptians.
The AERA Object Typology is a richly illustrated introduction to the everyday objects and tools o... more The AERA Object Typology is a richly illustrated introduction to the everyday objects and tools of the pyramid workers. It is the result of work by a large team of specialists over more than 30 years.
This article presents the preliminary results of the 2014 excavation east of the Khentkawes Town ... more This article presents the preliminary results of the 2014 excavation east of the Khentkawes Town at Giza. We investigated the terraces surrounding the Queen’s basin and a building to the east—designated as SBC. Here we excavated a room for food preparation, two silos and a courtyard, revealing an early building of the 4th dynasty, subsequently modified and intensively used in the 5th dynasty. We include short preliminary reports on clay sealings, ceramics, faunal, flora, lithics and objects. Clay sealings include the names of Menkaure, Userkaf, Raneferef, and Niuserre, as well as a mention of the pyramid “Enduring are the places of Niuserre” at Abusir. Material culture provides ample evidence of administration, storage and food preparation. Most of deposits are of settlement material, although some ceramics and objects were dumped here from either the cemetery or the cult structures nearby.
Keywords: Giza – Old Kingdom – 4th-5th dynasty – Khentkawes – settlement – food production – silos – clay sealings – ceramics – faunal – flora – lithics.
Lives of the ordinary ancient Egyptians can be obscure to us today. Most of what is known about t... more Lives of the ordinary ancient Egyptians can be obscure to us today. Most of what is known about their lives is based on the elite material culture. It is only by looking closely and examining the small and fragmented finds that one might gain an insight into the daily life of the average ancient Egyptian. This thesis presents a study of the drilling tools and stone vessel fragments of Heit el-Ghurab, a settlement site located at the southeastern section of the Giza Plateau, dating to the reigns of Kings Khafre and Menkaure. The site housed the pyramid builders and the administrators working on the construction of the pyramids of both kings. The finds are compared with similar parallels of the same time periods. The location of where the drilling tools and vessel fragments were located on site help in understanding the functions of the different buildings of the ancient site. The debitage of the manufacturing of stone vessels indicates possible productions of other artifacts. By thoroughly studying the tools and the different classes and materials of the stone vessels, one could better understand the reason for the existence of such a fine craft in a pyramid builders’ settlement site, while gaining knowledge about the lives of the average ancient Egyptians.
The AERA Object Typology is a richly illustrated introduction to the everyday objects and tools o... more The AERA Object Typology is a richly illustrated introduction to the everyday objects and tools of the pyramid workers. It is the result of work by a large team of specialists over more than 30 years.
Uploads
Keywords: Giza – Old Kingdom – 4th-5th dynasty – Khentkawes – settlement – food production – silos – clay sealings – ceramics – faunal – flora – lithics.
Keywords: Giza – Old Kingdom – 4th-5th dynasty – Khentkawes – settlement – food production – silos – clay sealings – ceramics – faunal – flora – lithics.