04-G 2370, Senedjemib Inti Page 37 Tuesday, August 22, 2000 3:48 PM Chapter 4: Inscriptions on facade and portico The facade of g 2370 closest to the portico and the adjacent sides of SENEDJEMIB INTI – g 2370 the portico itself are covered with long inscriptions of an autobio- graphical or dedicatory nature (pls. 18, 58–79; figs. 17, 18–23, 28–33). On the facade to the north of the portico is an autobiographical text and a letter written by King Izezi to Senedjemib Inti on the occasion of the completion of certain architectural works (A 1–2). On the adjacent side wall of the portico stand two other letters from Izezi to Senedjemib, one seemingly dated in the second half of the reign of that sovereign, concerning the erection of structures in connection with the king’s forthcoming jubilee (B 1–2). The facade to the south of the portico and the adjacent southern side wall of the portico bear he mastaba of Senedjemib Inti, Giza g 2370, was excavated inscriptions narrating the preparation of the tomb and the establish- by the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts ment of its endowment (C, D). The inscriptions are translated below, T Egyptian Expedition in October and November, 1912. It pp. 89–110. comprises a complex interior chapel of type (7c) with a columned portico (I), an anteroom (II), a north–south corridor or vestibule Portico (III), an east–west offering room (IV), and a great pillared hall (V) The dimensions of the portico embrasure are 6.25 by 1.9 m, and the (figs. 2–3).1 The outer entrance is from the east at the north end of total area measures 11.88 sq. m.6 The roof over the portico was orig- Room II, from which doors lead to the vestibule and the pillared inally supported by two columns. When Reisner excavated the tomb, hall. Room III, entered from the east at the north end of its east wall, the bases of the columns were still in place (fig. 3). Subsequently, has a large serdab behind the west wall with two slots (Serdab II). they were pried up and at present rest on the ground nearby, in the The east–west offering room (Room IV) with a false door in the west end is entered by a doorway at the east end of its north wall from area just in front of g 2374 (pl. 13b). The bases are circular with slop- ing sides. The upper diameter of one base is 64 cm, the height 28 cm, Room III.2 The pillared hall has a roof (preserved in part) supported and the lower diameter 74 cm. The upper diameter of the other base by eight pillars in two east–west rows of four each. A second large is 65 cm, the height 24 cm, and the lower diameter 76 cm.7 A ring of serdab west of its west wall is provided with three slots (Serdab I). plaster that surrounded the northern column base below the level of The mastaba itself is of Reisner’s type VIII a (1), constructed of the stone pavement is still in situ (pl. 13a). great slabs of grey nummulitic limestone roughly dressed to a sloping An off-center circle on the top of the larger base from Inti’s por- surface (Masonry w).3 It measures 22.8 x 20.9 m with an area of tico is filled with plaster and stone chips. Two perpendicular lines on 476.52 sq. m. The proportion of the length of the mastaba to the the top of this base form a cross which is intersected by the circle. width is 1/1.09. The total area of Rooms I–V is 96.55 sq. m. The The center of the circle is not the point where the lines cross, how- relation of the area of the mastaba to that of the rooms is 1/4.93. The ever, and most of the circle actually lies in one quadrant of the preserved height of the mastaba is 3.50 m.4 The original height, how- 5 crosslines, although slightly overlapping into the other three quad- ever, was probably in excess of 6.0 m. 8 Except for the great hall of pillars, virtually all the available wall rants (fig. 37b). Since the off-center circle is filled with plaster and surfaces in the chapel were originally decorated. stone chips, it could not have functioned as a socket to receive a pro- truding boss on the underside of the column above. Circle and crosslines alike are lacking on the smaller base. Architrave On top of the columns rested a long inscribed architrave (pls. 12c–c; fig. 16) measuring 54 cm in height. The architrave probably consist- 1 See Reisner, “Description of Additions to Cemetery en Echelon,” p. 130. 2 Reisner originally designated the rooms of Inti’s tomb chapel from the inside out, ed of three discrete blocks originally, but these were found by in keeping with the general system devised for other tombs in the Giza necropolis; Reisner broken into five pieces (fig. 16). The architrave was inscribed thus, a = offering room; b = vestibule; c = anteroom; d = pillared hall; e = portico. A different system of lettering was originally utilized for the detailed map of the from right to left in large, sunk relief hieroglyphs with a certain Senedjemib Complex (fig. 3), as follows: A = pillared hall; B = anteroom; amount of interior detail. The inscription proclaimed the identity of C = vestibule; D = offering room; E = portico. The latter system occasionally appears in other HU–BMFA records, especially the Photograph and Object Regis- the tomb owner: ¡ry-p™t ¢£ty-™ ªt£ytyº z£b [†£ty ¡my-r£] ªk£tº nbt nt nswt ters. The two different lettering sytems constitute a potential source of confusion. ¡my-r£ zßw ™ n nswt [¢ry] sßt£ w∂t-mdw nbt nt nswt ¢ry-flbt Sn∂m-¡b, 2 The present system of numbering is that used by PM 3 . Reisner’s designations “The hereditary prince and count, judge and [vizier, overseer] of all have been changed to agree with the latter system wherever they occur on the orig- inal expedition maps, plans, etc. This holds true also for the tombs of Mehi and Khnumenti. 3 For Reisner’s classifications of core and casing types at Giza, see GN 1, pp. xiv–xv, xxiii–xxiv, 39–56, 179–82. 6 GN 1, p. 264. 4 Cf. GN 1, p. 264. 7 Cf. above, p. 12. 5 See above, p. 13. 8 I am grateful to Cynthia Sheikoleslami for this detailed description. 37 04-G 2370, Senedjemib Inti Page 38 Tuesday, August 22, 2000 3:48 PM THE SENEDJEMIB COMPLEX, PART 1 works of the king, overseer of scribes of royal records, [master] of The figures of the swimming cattle are damaged and only part of the secrets of all commands of the king, and lector priest, Senedjemib.” stretch of water in which they swam survives. The register below is obliterated except for the legs and pole of a punter at the stern of a South Wall papyrus boat at the left. On the southern side wall of the portico stood a large, portly figure Behind the son’s figure is Inscription D, which relates the trans- of Inti in an ankle-length kilt (pl. 13c; figs. 17, 21, 22, 23). He faced port of a sarcophagus for Inti from Tura (below, pp. 108–110). Imme- outwards (east) towards a smaller figure before him, presumably that diately beneath the inscription is a vignette (pls. 79–80; figs. 22, 23) of his son Mehi (see above, pp. 26–28). The upper parts of both fig- which shows a cargo vessel together with the coffin and its lid. A sin- ures are destroyed. A roughened area around the legs of the smaller gle line of inscription above the vessel reads from right to left: s£† ™£ figures indicates that the figure had been recut. p¢t ⁄zz¡ rn.f, “The barge whose name is ‘Izezi is great of strength’.” Beneath the feet of the pair is a marsh scene with cattle and The cargo vessel has upright stem and stern-posts and probably had herdsmen crossing a stretch of water (pl. 14).9 A papyrus skiff at the a flat bottom, slightly curved sides, and pointed ends like contempo- right was occupied by three rowers and a herdsman. Although the rary sea-going ships.15 The zigzag pattern at the upper edge of the craft itself has disappeared, clear traces of the figures in the skiff re- hull towards the prow, which in Lepsius’s day (fig. 21) ran all the way main. The posture of the three rowers is identical; they squat in the from the prow to the stern, probably represents a truss girdle consist- skiff, both arms raised before them, grasping their oars high up and ing of a rope run to and fro between two longitudinal cables to lower down on the shaft. They admonish one another: fln ª∞m™ º strengthen the hull.16 The ship is provided with two rudders or oar [wsr] nt(y)-¢n™, “Row,10 ªgraspº [the oar],11 comrade!” In the stern of sweeps for steering.17 The sarcophagus in its rope cradle is set on a the skiff a herdsman stands, his right arm extended in the habitual sledge on the deck of the vessel. Immediately above is written: qrsw, gesture of conjuration against crocodiles.12 Although his figure is “sarcophagus.”18 To the right is the lid, similarly protected, and above badly damaged, his body appears to lean forward, while the fact that it the word ™£, “lid.”19 The three men at the prow of the barge are his forward knee is slightly raised may indicate that he was leaning identified by labels over their heads as the ¡my-r£ m∂w, “overseer of on a staff.