Merka (civil servant)

Merka (official) in hieroglyphics
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Merka was a high ancient Egyptian official who lived around 2850 BC towards the end of the 1st Dynasty . Lived and worked under the kings Qaa and Seneferka . He is best known for his stele and his grave in Saqqara .

The person

Merka was buried in the mastaba S3505 in Saqqara . His stele was also found there, which contains one of the most extensive lists of titles from a private person of the 1st Dynasty. Merka was one of the first people with the high title "member of the elite " (Egypt. Iri-pat ), in addition, he held the functional title of Sem priest , a person who supported the king's son in ritual rebirth ceremonies. Merka was also the "priest of Neith ".

Title of the Merka

Adj-mer-chasut ( ˁḏ-mr-ḫ3st ), "administrator of foreign lands"
Adj-mer-wenet ( ˁḏ-mr-wnt ), "administrator of the Hasengau"
Cherep-Sech ( Ḫrp-sḥ ), "Head of the dining tent "

The grave

His grave is notable for several reasons. It consisted of a mastaba decorated with a palace facade . In the north, extensive cult rooms were found for the first time, in which there were also wooden statues of the Merka. The facade of his tomb was richly painted with a mat decoration. The whole building was surrounded by a wall. The underground part could be reached via a corridor and consisted of the actual burial chamber and two adjoining rooms. The grave was already heavily robbed and only contained numerous stone and clay vessels. Unrolled seals with the name of the Qaa provide an indication of the dating of the grave and the Merka. The name of the Merka is also mentioned several times in vessel inscriptions, whereby it always bears the title Setem in these inscriptions. Finally there was a unwinding seal with his name on it. This evidence leaves little doubt that Merka is the owner of the tomb and not Qaa, as is sometimes assumed. On stone vessel inscriptions an otherwise hardly documented King Seneferka appears , on clay seals a particularly sparse King Sechet , attested only in this grave .

literature

Wolfgang Helck : Investigations on the thinite period (= Egyptological treatises. Vol. 45). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, ISBN 3-447-02677-4 , pp. 194 & 233-234.
Wolfgang Helck: Investigations into the official titles of the Egyptian Old Kingdom In: Ägyptologische Forschungen (EgFo) 18 , Glückstadt 1954, pp. 15-17.
Walter B. Emery , Adolf Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III: excavations at Sakkara. Egypt Exploration Society, London 1958, pp. 5-38.
Toby AH Wilkinson : Early Dynastic Egypt . Routledge, London / New York 1999, ISBN 0-415-18633-1 , pp. 148-149.

Web links

Schedule of the tomb (English)

Individual evidence

^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 23b, 39.
↑ Wolfgang Helck: Investigations on the time of thinites. Wiesbaden 1987, pp. 233-234.
^ Dilwyn Jones: An Index of ancient Egyptian titles, epithets and phrases of the Old Kingdom I (= BAR international series. Volume 866). Archaeopress, Oxford 2000, ISBN 1-8417-1069-5 , p. 360, no. 1336
↑ Dilwyn Jones: An Index of ancient Egyptian titles, epithets and phrases of the Old Kingdom I . Oxford 2000, p. 356, no.1322.
^ Dilwyn Jones: An Index of ancient Egyptian titles, epithets and phrases of the Old Kingdom II . Oxford 2000, p. 736, no.2682.
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 27.
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plates 6-8, 15-17.
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 37, nos. 1-6.
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plates 38, 7, 35.
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 37.7
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plates 28a, b; 38, No. 1
^ W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III . London 1958, plates 37, no.6

personal data
SURNAME	Merka
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Egyptian official of the 1st Dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH	around 29th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	around 29th century BC Chr.

[1] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 23b, 39.

[H2-2] Wolfgang Helck: Investigations on the time of thinites. Wiesbaden 1987, pp. 233-234.

[3] Dilwyn Jones: An Index of ancient Egyptian titles, epithets and phrases of the Old Kingdom I (= BAR international series. Volume 866). Archaeopress, Oxford 2000, ISBN 1-8417-1069-5 , p. 360, no. 1336

[4] Dilwyn Jones: An Index of ancient Egyptian titles, epithets and phrases of the Old Kingdom I . Oxford 2000, p. 356, no.1322.

[5] Dilwyn Jones: An Index of ancient Egyptian titles, epithets and phrases of the Old Kingdom II . Oxford 2000, p. 736, no.2682.

[6] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 27.

[7] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plates 6-8, 15-17.

[8] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 37, nos. 1-6.

[9] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plates 38, 7, 35.

[10] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plate 37.7

[11] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III. London 1958, plates 28a, b; 38, No. 1

[12] W. Emery, A. Klasens: Great Tombs of the First Dynasty III . London 1958, plates 37, no.6