Cemetery GIS is a
necropolis
A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' ().
The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...
in the
Giza Plateau
The Giza Plateau () is a limestone plateau in Giza, Egypt, the site of the Fourth Dynasty Giza pyramid complex, which includes the pyramids of Pyramid of Khufu, Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, Khafre and Pyramid of Menkaure, Menkaure, the Great Sphinx o ...
. It derives its name from its proximity to pyramid G I (
Khufu
Khufu or Cheops (died 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his ...
). The tombs are located on the south side of that pyramid and hence the name G I South Cemetery. Reisner thought the cemetery a continuation of the G7000 cemetery which is part of the
Giza East Field
The East Field is located to the east of the Great Pyramid of Giza and contains cemetery G 7000. This cemetery was a burial place for some of the family members of Khufu. The cemetery also includes mastabas from tenants and priests of the pyrami ...
. The construction postdates that of mastaba G 7070 of
Sneferukhaf. Junker dated the cemetery to the reign of
Menkaure
Menkaure or Menkaura (; 2550 BC - 2503 BC) was a king of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt during the Old Kingdom. He is well known under his Hellenized names Mykerinos ( by Herodotus), in turn Latinized as Mycerinus, and Menkheres ( by Manetho). ...
based on the presence of granite powder thought to derive from the dressing of the second pyramid at Giza. Reisner allows for a possible construction date dating to the reign of
Khafre
Khafre or Chephren (died 2532 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the fourth king of the Fourth Dynasty, during the earlier half of the Old Kingdom period (c. 2700–2200 BC). He was son of the king Khufu, and succeeded his broth ...
.
[ Reisner, George Andrew, ''A History of the Giza Necropolis Volume I.'' Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1942, pp 74, 82–84 and General Map of the Giza Necropolis]
PDF from The Giza Archives, 249 MB
Retrieved February 1, 2017.
This cemetery also contains several
mastaba
A mastaba ( , or ), also mastabah or mastabat) is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward sloping sides, constructed out of mudbricks or limestone. These edifices marked the burial sites ...
s built of stone, which date to as late as the
6th Dynasty. Tombs from the time of Menkaure include the mastabas of the royal chamberlain Khaemnefert, the King's son Khufudjedef who was master of the royal largesse, and an official named Niankhre.
[ Porter, Bertha and Moss, Rosalind L. B., ''Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings. Volume III. Memphis. Part I. Abû Rawâsh to Abûṣîr.'' 2nd edition, revised and augmented by Jaromír Málek, The Clarendon Press, Oxford 1974, pp 216–228]
PDF from The Giza Archives, 29,5 MB
Retrieved February 1, 2017.
Mastabas
The following are a collection of mastabas found in this cemetery.
There are also many shafts without any superstructure that belong to this cemetery, but these have not been included in the table.
Unnumbered tombs from the G I S cemetery include:
See also
*
Giza Necropolis
The Giza pyramid complex (also called the Giza necropolis) in Egypt is home to the Great Pyramid, the pyramid of Khafre, and the pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx. All were built during ...
– overview of the Giza necropolis.
*
Giza East Field
The East Field is located to the east of the Great Pyramid of Giza and contains cemetery G 7000. This cemetery was a burial place for some of the family members of Khufu. The cemetery also includes mastabas from tenants and priests of the pyrami ...
– including the Queen's Pyramids from the
Khufu
Khufu or Cheops (died 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his ...
pyramid complex and royal cemetery G 7000
*
Giza West Field
The West Field is located on the Giza Plateau, to the west of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is divided up into smaller areas like the cemeteries known as the Abu Bakr Excavations (1949–50, 1950–51, 1952 and 1953), as well as several cemeterie ...
– including cemeteries G 1000, G 1100, G 1200 and G 5000.
External links
The Giza ArchivesWebsite maintained by the
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Quote: "This website is a comprehensive resource for research on Giza. It contains photographs and other documentation from the original Harvard University – Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition (1904 to 1947), from recent MFA fieldwork, and from other expeditions, museums, and universities around the world.".
* While still reachable the Giza Archives became Digital Giza in 2011 and is maintained by Harvard. Website can be reache
here
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cemetery Gis
Giza pyramid complex
Archaeological sites in Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Archaeological discoveries with year of discovery missing
Cemeteries in Egypt
Necropoleis