Sakkara Necropolis

The Sakkara Necropolis is an amalgam of tombs, pyramids and burial complexes that date from the Old Kigndom, specifically the IIIrd, Vth and VIth Dynasties. Here you find the oldest pyramid complex in Egypt- that of the Pharoah Djoser, dated to @ 2615 BCE. It is an incredibly large complex, with all of the features associated with the transition from this world to the Goodly West. The Sacred Precinct is surrounded by a massive wall, over 500 x 275 m long, enclosing not just the pyramid but halls and funerary buildings essential for the priests to ensure the dead king's immortality.

In order to "fool" potential grave robbers, there were 13 false doors, yet only 1 real gateway, into the mortuary complex. Built out of the sandstone and limestone indigenous to the area, the entry ceiling was carved to resemble papyrus bundle "logs". This, in turn, led to a peristyle hall that fronted the courtyard facing the pyramid itself.

Once you pass through the hall, the great court opens to you and you come face to face with the world's oldest pyramid. Its a "stepped" structure, like the ziggurats of Mesopotamia and Mexico. Layer-caked, rising over 200 ft over the western desert floor, it is awe-inspiring in its own way. This entire complex was designed by the first "Renaissance man" in history (longgggg before the Renaissance!), the universal man, Imhotep. In my mind, his feats make him the most influential man this early in history..... forget the pharoahs. He was high priest, chief architect, engineer, primary advisor, and scribe.... all rolled into one. Djoser thought so much of him that he had him interred in his sacred precinct as well.

As you approach this 6-tiered layer cake, you are struck by the fact that, in spite of its sophistication, its engineering technique was still based in what I call "mud-brick technology". In other words, the massive blocks of stone that hallmarked the Giza Complex are not in evidence. The brickmaking technology mindset still had them thinking on smaller scale blocks. Yet here all of the elements associated with the Cult of the Goodly West, the Land of the Dead, have been preserved or restored almost in their entirety. These elements include mortuary temples dedicated to Osiris and Anubis, gods of the underworld, false "houses" of the north and south associated with the realm of the dead, treasury buildings, and a cenotaph.

I have been fortunate to travel dozens of times to Egypt over the past 30 years, and have been able to witness the slow, arduous process of restoration and reconstruction throughout the archaeological landscape of Egypt. Nowhere have I personally seen it evolve more clearly than at Djoser's complex at Sakkara. In 1978, work was just beginning on reconstruction of the House of the North and South. Notice the stone mason- he is using the "original sandpaper" (without the paper!): sprinkling sand on a rough-cut block of stone, and then polishing the surface with sand poured over it and rubbed with a small block of stone. By 2001, both structures had been restored to the glory that was all theirs @ 4600 years ago.

What is really important is that the Sakkara Necropolis wasn't created just for royalty, but for the noblemen and women who pledged their lives to their pharoah. They then would be rewarded with smaller tombs of their own, promised reward in the Goodly West for their loyalty. One of the most outstanding examples of these types of tombs is that of Mereruka, "Vizier of the King". Of course, it didn't hurt that he was also married to the daughter of Pharoah Teti, whom he served!

Here is a wonderful departure from what we previously have seen. All of the pyramids and burials up to now have been monumental pieces of architecture, but devoid of artwork or heiroglyphs. Now, we find one of the most beauttifully decorated tombs of the Old Kingdom. The scenes of daily life, carved in raised relief, are exquisite- telling Mereruka's life story for all to read. As Vizier, one of his jobs was to oversee tax collection- this is reflected in the relief here.

But in addition to his work, his daily life is also protrayed, such as sailing in the marshes along the shore of the Nile. One of the most charming, intimate, and "authentic" pieces of his tomb is an inscription that may be the world's first reference to a person's nickname! His wife lovingly called him "Meri".

So, from the Sakkara Necroplis, we leap back into the 21st Century and return to Giza in order to catch the overnite sleep train to Aswan..... and an entirely new and wonderful world to the south! Stay tuned.