Tomb of the chief physician Shepseskafankh

• Authors: Bárta Miroslav
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Mastaba AS 39 was discovered during the course of the 2013 season in Abusir South. It is located in the northeastern part of the cemetery of officials dated to the Fifth Dynasty, spanning the reigns of Nyuserre through Djedkare (2402–2322 BC). Shepseskafankh was a person of elevated status at the royal court as indicated by the titles on his unique unfinished false door. These include, among others, the title of the chief physician of the king, property custodian of the king, chief of the physicians of Upper and Lower Egypt as well as two so far unattested titles of hem-netjer-priest of Khnum who is foremost of the House of Life and of the House of Protection and overseer of the healing substances of the Great House. These titles attest to his historically unique position. Shepseskafankh’s duties included supervision over the House of Life, which was a centre authority for storing and maintaining written documents. At the same time he was in charge of the House of Protection, which, most likely, was a facility where royal children were born. Based on archaeological and epigraphic evidence, it may be supposed that it is one of the earliest structures in the examined cemetery. Despite the fact that most of the burial facilities of the tomb owner and his family members were looted in antiquity, the tomb represents a unique testimony of the latter part of the Fifth Dynasty history on a microscale.

Keywords

EN

Abusir; Old Kingdom; Fifth Dynasty; physician

Discipline

• ARCHAEOLOGY: ARCHAEOLOGY

• Publisher: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts, Czech Republic
• Journal: Pražské egyptologické studie (Prague Egyptological Studies)
• Year: 2015
• Issue: 15
• Pages: 15-27

Contributors

author

Bárta Miroslav

• Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague