The Administration of Egypt in the Old Kingdom: Highest Offices and Their Holders (Studies in Egyptology)

383 Pages·1985·20.46 MB·English

by  Nigel Strudwick

The Administration
of Egypt in
the Old Kingdom
Nigel Strudwick
The Administration of Egypt
in the Old Kingdom
Studies in Egyptology
Editor: W V Davies, Deputy Keeper
Department of Egyptian Antiquities
The British Museum
Editorial advisor: A F Shore
Already published:
The Egyptian temple; A Lexicographical study
Patricia Spencer
The Administration of Egypt
in the Old Kingdom
The Highest Titles
and their Holders
Nigel Strudwick
KPI
London, Boston, Henley and Melbourne
First published in 1985 by KPI Limited
14 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7PH, England
Distributed by
Routledge and Kegan Paul pic
14 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7PH, England
Routledge and Kegan Paul Inc
9 Park Street, Boston, Mass. 02108, USA
Routledge and Kegan Paul
464 St Kilda Road, Melbourne,
Victoria 3004, Australia and
Routledge and Kegan Paul pic
Broadway House, Newtown Road,
Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1EN, England
Printed in Great Britain
by Unwin Brothers Ltd: The Gresham Press, Surrey
© Nigel Strudwick 1985
No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form without permission from the publisher,
except for the quotation of brief passages
in criticism
ISBN 0-7103-0107-3
Contents
List of Figures viii
List of Tables ix
Acknowledgements x
Abbreviations xii
INTRODUCTION xiv
PART I DATING CRITERIA 1
1 CHRONOLOGY AND DATING CRITERIA 2
A. Chronology 2
B. Other Systems of Dating 4
C. Royal Names 6
D. Genealogies 7
E. When did an Official construct his Tomb? 7
2 THE FALSE DOOR AS A CRITERION FOR DATING 9
General Introduction 9
Terminology 10
I False Doors from Saqqara 12
A. The Cornice and Torus Moulding 15
B. The Number, Arrangement and Decoration of the Jambs 15
C. The Panel 18
D. The Panel Apertures 21
E. The Lintels and Architraves 22
F. Smaller Features 24
G. The Incorporation of Offering Lists into False Doors 26
H. The Relationship of False Doors and Chapel Types 29
I. Summary of Principal Conclusions 35
V
Contents
II False Doors and other features of Tomb Design at Giza 37
A. Introduction
B. The Offering List in the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties 37
C. The Chapels and False Doors of the Early Period at Giza 41
D. False Door and Chapel Types at Giza which
originated at Saqqara 50
E. Other Types 51
F. Conclusions 52
PART II PR0S0P0GRAPHY 53
PART III SIX HIGH ADMINISTRATIVE TITLES OF THE OLD KINGDOM 171
The Selection of Titles in the Titulary of an Official 172
Terminology and Other Notes 174
3 THE OVERSEERS OF THE GREAT MANSIONS 176
General 176
The Titularies of the imy-r hwt wrt 178
The Viziers 186
The Functions and Organisation of the hwt wrt 188
A. The relationship of imy-r hwt wrt to imy-r hwt wrt 6 188
B. Other Aspects 190
Conclusions 198
4 THE OVERSEERS OF THE SCRIBES OF THE KING'S DOCUMENTS 199
General 199
The Titularies of the Non-viziers 203
The Viziers 208
The Department of the King's Document Scribes 208
A. The Organisation of imy-r z3 1 nzwt 208
B. Other Aspects 210
Conclusions 214
5 THE OVERSEERS OF WORKS 217
General 217
The Titularies of the Non-viziers 222
A. imy-r k3t nbt (nt) nzwt 222
B. imy-r k3t (nt) nzwt 228
C. imy-r k3t nbt 232
D. imy-r k3t 235
E. Conclusions on Titularies 236
The Viziers 236
The Organisation and Functions of the Overseers of Works 237
A. The Organisation of the Overseers of Works 237
B. The Functions of the Overseer of Works 240
Conclusions 249
vi
Contents
6 THE OVERSEERS OF THE GRANARIES 251
General 251
The Titularies of the Non-Viziers 256
A. imy-r änmt 256
B. imy-r snwty 259
C. Conclusions and Discussion of Variants 263
The Viziers 264
The Administration of the Granaries 264
A. The Organisation of the Overseers of the Granaries 264
B. Other Aspects 267
Conclusions 275
7 THE OVERSEERS OF THE TREASURIES 276
General 276
The Titularies of the Non-viziers 280
A. imy-r pr-hd 280
B. imy-r prwy-hd 284
C. Conclusions on Titularies and Discussion of Variants 289
The Viziers 290
The Administration of the Treasury 290
A. The Overseers of the Treasuries 290
B. Other Aspects 293
Conclusions 299
8 THE VIZIERS 300
General 300
The Titularies of the Viziers 306
A. Summary of results from Previous Chapters 306
B. Other principal Title Groups 307
C. A Comparison of the Titularies of Provincial Viziers 318
D. The Career Structure of the Vizier 319
The Organisation and Functions of the Vizierate 321
A. The number of contemporary Viziers 321
B. The Functions of the Vizier 328
Conclusions 334
PART IV CONCLUSION 336
BIBLIOGRAPHY 347
INDEX OF NAMES 355
INDEX OF TITLES 362
INDEX OF OTHER WORDS AND PHRASES 366
vi i
List of Figures
1 A False Door with names of its Principal Parts 11
2 Plans of Offering Rooms in Saqqara Chapels (1) 31
3 Plans of Offering Rooms in Saqqara Chapels (2) 32
4 Plans of Offering Rooms in Saqqara Chapels (3) 33
5 Plans of Offering Rooms in Saqqara Chapels (4) 34
6 Two Principal Chapel types at Giza in the Fourth Dynasty 42
7 West wall of the Tomb of mry-ib (G2100-I-annexe) 45
8 West wall of the Tomb of ssm-nfr I (G4940) 46
9 West wall of the Tomb of nfr-b3w-pth (G6010) 47
10 Location of Viziers in the Mortuary'Temple of Pepy II 65
vi i i
List of Tables
1 Old Kingdom Chronology 3
2 List of Well-dated False Doors from Saqqara 13
3 Principal Component Elements of Short Offering Lists 27
4 Chapels of Private Individuals with two False Doors at
Giza 43
5 Schemes of West Wall Decoration of Officials in Table 4 48
6 Principal Chapels with one False Door at Giza 49
7 List of holders of imy-г hint wrt and imy-r hwt wrt 6 177
8 Principal Titles of non-viziers who held imy-г hint wrt 179
9 Principal Titles of holders of hm-ntr hqt and ht h.3 184
10 Certain titles of Viziers who held imy-г hunt wrt 187
11 Titles incorporating the element hwt wrt (6) 195
12 List of holders of imy-г ze ' nzwt 200
13 Principal Titles of non-viziers who held imy-г z& ' nzwt 204
14 List of Overseers of Works 218
15 Principal Titles of Non-viziers who held imy-г k3t nbt
(nt) nzwt 223
16 Principal Titles of holders of imy-г k3t nzwt 229
17 Principal Titles of non-viziers who held imy-г k3t nbt 233
18 Principal Titles of holders of imy-r k3t 234
19 Distribution of Overseers of Works by date 237
20 List of Overseers of the Granaries 252
21 Principal Titles of holders of imy-г snwt 257
22 Principal Titles of non-viziers who held imy-г snwty 260
23 List of Granary Titles in the titularies of Tomb Owners 273
24 List of Overseers of the Treasuries 277
25 Principal Titles of holders of imy-г pr-hd 281
26 Principal Titles of non-viziers who held imy-г prwy-hd 285
27 Treasury Titles held by Tomb Owners 297
28 List of Viziers 301
29 Principal Titles of Memphite Viziers 308
30 Frequency of the more important Honorific Titles 310
31 Principal Titles of Provincial Viziers 319
32 Distribution of Old Kingdom Viziers by date 323
i x