Gemniemhat

Mummy mask of the Gemniemhat; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (ÆIN 1625)

Gemniemhat (also just Gemni for short ) was a high ancient Egyptian official at the end of the First Intermediate Period or at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom (approx. 2000 BC). He is only known from his tomb in Saqqara (next to the Teti pyramid ), which was found untouched. Gemniemhat carried the titles " Royal Sealer " , "Sole Friend" , "Head of House" and "Head of the Double Barn" . He was also the "phylum leader" at the pyramid of Teti and the pyramid of King Merikare .

The grave

His grave consisted of a simple mastaba that had no interior and was decorated with a false door. Above all, the title of the Gemniemhat was on the false door. Next to the mastaba there was a shaft leading into the underground burial chamber. This is where the Gemniemhat's two coffins stood, one inside the other, richly decorated, especially on the inside. The body was decorated with a mummy mask . There were jewelry and a set of bars, a headrest, two wooden models of sandals and bows (weapons). There was a canopic box next to the coffin . Model figures were found on the coffin. They show Gemniemhat, but also workshops such as a bakery, a brewery, a granary, spinning and weaving, as well as carpenters, blacksmiths and pots. There were also some models of boats and two female offering bearers and some ceramics.

All objects in the grave were specially made for the grave equipment.

The burial was discovered in 1921 during excavations under the direction of Cecil M. Firth . Much of the grave equipment is now in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen .

Dating

The dating of the Gemniemhat is discussed controversially in Egyptological literature. In the excavation publication, the grave was dated to the 1st interim period. For a long time there was no contradiction, as Gemniemhat was also active at the pyramid temple of Merikare, one of the last rulers of the 1st Intermediate Period. Wolfgang Schenkel , on the other hand, suggested dating to the beginning of the 12th dynasty . He mainly gave palaeographical reasons for the coffin inscriptions. Other later investigations continued to date the tomb to the late 1st Intermediate Period, mainly because of the cult at the pyramid of Merikare.

literature

CM Firth, B. Gunn: Teti Pyramid Cemeteries. Cairo 1926, pp. 52-54, 187, 227-231, 267-269, plates 22-31
Mogens Jorgensen: Catalog, Egypt I (3000-1550 BC), Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Copenhagen 1996, pp. 124-151, ISBN 87-7452-202-7

Individual evidence

^ W. Schenkel: Early Middle Egyptian Studies. Bonn 1962, p. 145
^ HG Fischer: An Example of Memphite Influence in a Theban Stela of the Eleventh Dynasty. In: Artibus Asiae. Volume 22, 1959, p. 12, n.12; J. Malek: King Merykare and His Pyramid. In: C. Berger, G. Clerc and N. Grimal (editors): Hommages a Jean Leclant. Cairo 1994 (4 volumes), pp. 206-207

personal data
SURNAME	Gemniemhat
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Gemni
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	ancient Egyptian official
DATE OF BIRTH	around 20th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	around 20th century BC Chr.

[1] W. Schenkel: Early Middle Egyptian Studies. Bonn 1962, p. 145

[2] HG Fischer: An Example of Memphite Influence in a Theban Stela of the Eleventh Dynasty. In: Artibus Asiae. Volume 22, 1959, p. 12, n.12; J. Malek: King Merykare and His Pyramid. In: C. Berger, G. Clerc and N. Grimal (editors): Hommages a Jean Leclant. Cairo 1994 (4 volumes), pp. 206-207