Sakkara – kopalnia źródeł do historii Egiptu

Abstract

The largest necropolis of pharaonic Egypt was a place where kings, as well as noblemen and middle class citizens from the cosmopolitan metropolis of Memphis, were buried during a long period spanning almost four millennia, from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. Many archaeological missions from various countries have excavated in Saqqara, from mid-19th century until now, thus enriching historiography with important new sources. This research was performed by a joint Polish-Egyptian team. Directed by the author of the present article, the excavations began in 1987 and have continued yearly since 1996. The article presents both the most important discoveries made by the mission and, in their light, the open questions inspiring further studies. The discoveries have specifically enlarged our knowledge of two phases of Egyptian history: a) The late Old Kingdom (particularly the 6th Dynasty), when a dense conglomeration of mudbrick-built and rock-hewn tombs came into being on the west side of the “step pyramid” (3rd Dynasty). Among the tomb owners were two high ranking courtiers whose funerary chapels were decorated with reliefs and paintings of unique artistic value; b) The Ptolemaic Period (III–I centuries B.C.) during which hundreds of middle class noblemen were buried in the sand stratum overlying the Old Kingdom necropolis; popularity of this cemetery may be connected with the first burial of Alexander the Great in the vicinity of the Memphite Serapeum. The excavation campaign in 2012 started a new, interdisciplinary research projectthat is connected with the so-called “Dry Moat,” originally a stone quarry used later for funeral and sacral purposes. With respect to its methodology, the new project emphasizes the unique geoarchaeological aspects of the mysterious object.