The mastaba of Nyanch-Chnum and Khnum-hotep
mastaba of Nyanch-Chnum is located in the northern part of the necropolis of Sakkara. The mastaba was discovered in 1964 by archaeologist Achmed Mahmoed Moessa under the procession route of the pyramid of Unas.
The mastaba of Nyanch-Chnum probably dates from the 5th dynasty, at the end of the reign of Pharaoh Nyuserra or Pharaoh Menkaoehor. What makes the mastaba unusual is its dedication to two men, along with having two chapels.
Many believe these men were brothers, perhaps even twins.
The tomb is famous for several images depicting Nyanch-Chnum and Chnum-Hotep embracing each other. In the mastaba, there’s a slightly greater emphasis on Nyanch-Chnum. This could indicate that he was the older of the two brothers.
The mastaba of Nyanch-Chnum is one of the largest in the necropolis of Sakkara and consists of two parts.
The builders initially carved the oldest part of the tomb complex into the rock wall. Subsequently, they expanded the tomb at the front, incorporating three rooms and an open courtyard
The builders reconstructed these rooms using the limestone blocks found as a foundation in the procession route to the pyramid of Pharaoh Unas
The mastaba entrance features a portico with two pillars. The names and titles of both deceased persons adorn the entrance and pillars
The porch leads to the first hall with two rooms behind it, of which the rear room probably served as a store room.
This room is not decorated. From the first room a passage leads to an open courtyard with a second hall.
This hall provides access to the burial chamber under the complex.
The second hall opens into an anteroom with two passages to a double offering room.
There are two false doors in the sacrificial room. Ancient grave robbers severely damaged the false door of Nyanch-Chnum by gaining access to the grave here through a tunnel they dug
Behind the sacrificial chamber is the serdab. All rooms, except the burial chamber, were accessible to the relatives.
Similar to the sacrificial chamber, they divided the burial chamber into two rooms, one to the east and one to the west, initially separated by a low wall about 85 centimeters high.
In the eastern room, they discovered a limestone sarcophagus, with its lid destroyed in ancient times.
The second sarcophagus underwent complete destruction, and they then piled its fragments against the north wall.
Both deceased were priests of Ra in Pharaoh Niuserre’s sun temple at Abu Gurob.
They were also wab priests of the pyramid of Nyuserre in Abusir. The two brothers are best known as ‘supervisors of the manicures and hairdressers in the royal palace’.
This task bestowed honor upon the two brothers, granting them permission to touch the body of ‘the living god on earth’ due to their efforts. Depictions of the deceased, encircled by their relatives, adorn multiple walls
Apparently the two brothers had three other brothers and three sisters.
Nyanch-Chnum’s family consisted of his wife, three sons, three daughters and one grandson.
Khnum-Hotep shared his life with a wife, five sons, and one daughter. The exquisite decorations within the tomb are divided between the two deceased individuals.
A significant portion of the original colors remains remarkably well-preserved
The walls have painted paneling approximately one meter high.
The mastaba of Nyanchkhnum and Khnumhotep contains the usual images of the funeral rituals for both deceased, such as the slaughter of sacrificial animals, the rows of sacrificial bearers, the deceased seated at their sacrificial tables and the two funeral barques with the cult images.
The beautiful scenes of hunting and fishing in the marshes, usual for the Old Kingdom, are also present.
Additionally, the grave hosts several exceptionally unique and intricately detailed scenes. In the first room, one can observe the two deceased alongside their eldest son, overseeing the activities of goatherds and the construction of ships
Carpenters at the shipyard cut down an acacia tree and transport it there to construct a shi
Another scene shows an open-air market with all its activities. Bargaining is going on in the various fish stalls, fruit and vegetable stalls and by traders without a stall. The customers all carry some kind of bag over their shoulder as a shopping bag.
A fruit and vegetable trader becomes angry at a man with a baboon on a rope.
The monkey steals fruit from the merchant. Moving forward, a guard appears alongside another monkey, likely a meerkat. This monkey serves as a form of sniffer dog, biting a thief on the leg. Meanwhile, two cloth traders lay out a strip of cloth on a trestle, engaging in negotiations with a buyer. Manicurists, pedicurists, and hairdressers are shown above the lively market scene, engaged in trimming, shaving, and even depilating legs. One striking image portrays a supervisor undergoing a manicure.
He is shown in front view with his legs crossed while his face is depicted in side view. The scene involving hunting and fishing in the swamps includes images of fishing net making and repair.
A net reveals eighteen distinct types of fish caught within. In a depiction of wine-making, five men pound grapes while gripping a long stick above their heads. Subsequently, eight men press the grapes, and the resulting juice is poured into wine jars, which are then sealed
The other walls of this room mainly contain funeral scenes including the text of a contract for arranging the funeral rituals. passage to the open court contains an image of Nyanch-Chnum in a palanquin. In this case the sedan chair is not carried by servants, but by donkeys.
There are a number of very interesting scenes in the anteroom near the sacrificial chamber. Here you can see, for example, how sculptors make statues and how goldsmiths melt gold to make gold leaf. The fire is fanned by men with long blowpipes. Jewelers are working on jewelry and carpenters are busy making the grave inventory. On one of the walls there is a scene of the birth of a calf and three men help with this.
One man holds the mother by the horns, a second pulls the calf while a third man makes gestures with both hands. The next scene shows a young calf being given some milk to drink. Furthermore, a number of rooms contain images of all kinds of desert animals, from large animals such as antelopes and gazelles to smaller animals such as hares and hedgehogs.
