ART HISTORY 1313 THE ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT EGYPT OLD KINGDOM DYNASTY III: THE GREAT EXPERIMENT OF THE ARCHITECT IMHOTEP AT SAQQARA

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Topics:

Step pyramids; concepts of cosmic kingship in Djoser complex; development of the sculptural canon.

OI Egyptian Site Map
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt,

Readings:

Robins, Smith and Wengrow refer to the course texts. All other references are to books on reserve.

Article for Discussion TH 27 September

Please read this article in preparation for class discussion for TH 27 September (the article is available in photocopy on reserve).

Friedman, F.D., "Notions of Cosmos in the Step Pyramid Complex," in P. Der Manuelian (ed.), Studies in Honor of William Kelly Simpson (Boston 1996), pp. 337-51.

Some more bibliography:

Baines J., "Origins of Egyptian Kingship" in D. O'Connor and D.P. Silverman (eds.), Ancient Egyptian Kingship (Leiden 1995), pp. 95-156.
Espinel, A.D., "The Boundary Stelae of Djoser's Funerary Complex at Saqqara: An Interpretation through Artistic And Textual Evidence," in Z. Hawass (ed.),Egyptology at the Dawn of the Twenty-first Century (Cairo 2003), pp. 215-20.
Lauer, J-Ph., "Sur certaines modifications apportées au complexe funéraire de Djoser au cours de son regne," in J. Baines et al. (eds.),Pyramid Studies and Other Essays Presented to I.E.S. Edwards (London 1988), pp. 5ff.
Lauer, J-Ph., "Remarques concernant l'inscription d'Imhotep gravée sur le socle de statue de'Horus Neteri-khet (roi Djoser)," in P. Der Manuelian (ed.),Studies in Honor of William Kelly Simpson (Boston 1996), pp. 493-97.
Lehner, M., "Z500 and The Layer Pyramid of Zawiyet el-Aryan," in P. Der Manuelian (ed.),Studies in Honor of William Kelly Simpson (Boston 1996), pp. 507-22.
Logan, T.J., "The Origins of the Jmy-wt Fetish," JARCE 27 (1990): 61-69.
Stadelman, R., "Origins and development of the Funerary Complex of Djoser," in P. Der Manuelian (ed.),Studies in Honor of William Kelly Simpson (Boston 1996), pp. 787-800.
Swelin, N., "The Dry Moat of the Netjereykhet Complex," in J. Baines et al. (eds.),Pyramid Studies and Other Essays Presented to I.E.S. Edwards (London 1988), pp. 12-22.
Uphill, E., "The Egyptian Sed-Festival Rites," JNES 24 (1965): 365-83

Chronology and Select Rulers (all dates are B.C. and approximate):

Dynasty III (2686-2613 B.C.): Sanakhte, Netjerikhet (Djoser), Sekhemkhet, Khaba, Huni.

Architecture:
Step Pyramid Complex of Netjerikhet (Djoser), Saqqara:
Inscribed statue base of Netjerikhet mentioning Imhotep:
"The Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, the First after the King of Upper Egypt,
administrator of the great palace, hereditary lord, the High Priest of Heliopolis,
Imhotep the builder, the sculptor, the maker of stone vases..."
Temenos wall (outer wall)
Series of large conical cairns, inscribed and with figural imagery, some 40 fragments, found re-used in the southern court
Series of rectangular stone stelai, inscribed and with figural imagery, some 60 fragments, found re-used in the walls surrounding court of the serdab
Entrance Hall of Pillars
Territorial Court
Heb-Sed Court (wsht)
Temple T
fake shrines
North and South Buildings
Step pyramid
shaft and burial chamber
corridors (inlcuding tiled reeds)
3 relief panels: North, Middle, South
Serdab, Mortuary Temple
South Tomb
shaft and ramp
burial chamber
corridors (including tiled reeds)
3 relief panels: North, Middle, South


Tomb of Hesi-Re, Saqqara.

Step Pyramid of Sekhemkhet, Saqqara.

Layer Pyramid, Zawiyet el-Aryan.

Step Pyramid, El-Kula (Meidum).

Freestanding Sculpture:
Serdab Statue of Netjerikhet (Djoser), Serdab, Djoser Pyramid Complex, Saqqara

Relief and Architectural Sculpture:
Relief panels of Djoser in Heb-Sed (3 under step pyramid, 3 under southern tomb), Djoser Pyramid Complex, Saqqara

Wooden panels of Hesi-Re, Saqqara.