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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:30 pm Post subject: Mastaba of Unas-Ankh |
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Specialy for kmt_sesh
It's very difficult kmt_sesh, because there are so many Mastaba's around that area and most of them in a horrible state and very close together.
But I give it a try, at this picture at the Causeway, you see at the end at the right side a big Mastaba, I think it is the double one:
When I look at this little map
the Mastaba must be somewhere here I think:
It's difficult because I have more pictures but all close-ups from different Mastaba's so I can't show the area
When you walk there you walk letterly over the Mastaba's, there are sooooooo many of them in that area. Many off them are still in the sand:
It's really a paradise to walk and explore there !!! The next time when I went to Cairo I will specialy search for the Mastaba of Unas-Ankh !! Now I wan't to now it also, you make me curious  _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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kmt_sesh Moderator


Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 7099 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks so much, carla!
Such wonderful photos! I can see why it would be a pleasure to explore that complex--and why it would be so confusing to locate some of the more obscure tombs. There are so many mastabas in that one little area! I don't think all of them date to the reign of King Unis, do they? I've often wondered why so many tombs were squeezed into the Unis complex.
I see Unis-ankh is identified twice on your little map (letters Z and Q). On a map I have and coordinating with yours, the location would be Q (right behind, or to the north of, the large twin-mastaba). The tomb marked Z on your map is not identified on the one I have.
As I told you in my PM to you, we have Unis-ankh's offering chapel at the Field Museum. It was disassembled block by block and shipped to the U.S. around 1908. I have been told about a sign in the remains of his tomb at Saqarra that stands where the offering chapel used to be, which mentions the fact that the offering chapel is now in the Field Museum of Natural History. I even once saw an old photograph of it. I don't know if the sign is still there, but if it is, that should tell you for sure which mastaba is the right one.
A friend of mine from Egypt has told me that you enter the mastaba from the north side, right next to the enclosure wall of Djoser's complex. I'm pretty sure I'm remembering this right.
What an incredible site! LOL If I do make it to Egypt this December, I fear I could spend the entire time just exploring it.
A couple of questions for now. Do you know what the purpose is of the feature marked "Great Rock-Cut Trench"? I've never seen that feature marked before and I notice it runs under the twin-mastaba of Unis' queens. I know Unis built his complex over some Early Dynastic royal burials, so I wonder if this is a feature from an Early Dynastic complex?
Also, what sort of tombs are those marked along the causeway? I'm talking about the ones labeled "Ptahshepses," "Ny-ankh-re," et cetera. Are they little mastabas or shaft burials?
Oh, one more question. Is it all right if I download your photos to share with my friends at the museum, and perhaps to show on the occasional tour?
Thanks so much for sharing these, carla.  _________________
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:18 am Post subject: |
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Quote: | I see Unis-ankh is identified twice on your little map (letters Z and Q). On a map I have and coordinating with yours, the location would be Q (right behind, or to the north of, the large twin-mastaba). The tomb marked Z on your map is not identified on the one I have. |
Ohh I didn't noticed that So it is between the Mastaba of Idut and Iynefert !!
Than it must be behind my friendly friend here on the picture:
I also found a very good picture at the internet from the air !! So you can see very well where the Mastaba must be :
http://www.tefnut.de/images/stufenpyra.jpg
More tomorrow because it's a little bit late now here in Holland, four in the in the morning already time flies when you have fun  _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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kmt_sesh Moderator


Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 7099 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | Ohh I didn't noticed that So it is between the Mastaba of Idut and Iynefert !! |
Yes, according to maps I've seen that's where Unis-ankh's mastaba would be. But I have to stress I've never been to Egypt at all, much less to the Unis complex, so I can't absolutely vouch for that.
Quote: | Than it must be behind my friendly friend here on the picture: |
That's one sour-looking camel! Look at the expression on its face. Maybe it was just gassy at that moment.
It looks like this photo was taken on the roof of one of the mastabas (the queens' twin-mastaba, perhaps?). There's the "alleyway" behind it and then a cluster of more mastaba's, so I would have to guess Unis-ankh's is maybe at center, with the roof missing. Our reconstruction at the Field Museum also has no roof on it, but I'm not sure if this accurately reflects the state of the ruins at the Unis complex.
Quote: | I also found a very good picture at the internet from the air !! So you can see very well where the Mastaba must be : |
I'm at work as I type this (I'm a graphic designer for a printer's shop), and I loved that aerial photo so much I just printed it out poster-size on our color laser printer and mounted it on foamcore. Thanks for finding that, carla!
Quote: | More tomorrow because it's a little bit late now here in Holland, four in the in the morning already time flies when you have fun |
Hope you had a nice night's rest and I sure looking forward to hearing more from you. I can only imagine all the wonderful photos you must have of the Unis complex. What fun it must be to stroll among those ruins and to see what you've seen.  _________________
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kmt_sesh Moderator


Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 7099 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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I'm sitting at home now, carla, and was taking a closer look at the large photo of the Unis complex. I cropped down to the area of relevance and singled out two possibilities for the mastaba of Unis-ankh:
This would be my guess, anyway. Never having been there I have a tough time with scale in the photograph, but I'm guessing it's one of the two ruins I've indicated, with the missing roofs. If the reconstruction at the Field Museum is at all accurate (and I'm told it is), then Unis-ankh's mastaba was a small to medium-sized tomb.
By the way, I have the poster propped up above my computer, against the wall. I'm going to have to find a frame for it now.
A special note to Daughter_Of_SETI: Did you see what's in this photo, at lower-center? It's our beloved mystery pit from that old YouTube video! It's a good thing it has that large wall around the top because I'm probably the kind of clutzy tourist who, while photographing the large twin-mastaba adjacent to it, would be backing up and backing up...until I fell right into the damn thing!  _________________
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Daughter_Of_SETI Divine Adoratrice

Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 2563 Location: Hull, UK
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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kmt_sesh wrote: | A special note to Daughter_Of_SETI: Did you see what's in this photo, at lower-center?...It's a good thing it has that large wall around the top because I'm probably the kind of clutzy tourist who, while photographing the large twin-mastaba adjacent to it, would be backing up and backing up...until I fell right into the damn thing! |
Ahh, yes, it's that pit that causes me nightmares! I remember it well. It's good that you can see that pit in the photo, though, as it gives you a much better idea of the layout of the tombs in that area.
By the way; beautiful photos, Carla!  _________________
In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this - Terry Pratchett. |
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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That must be the place of the Mastaba, kmt_sesh. I wish that a had taken a better look around there, but I was not very long at that place because I wanted to go to Userkaf's Piramid.
Next time I go straight to that place I will ask a friend of mine who's going next week, if he want to take some time to make a few pictures there !! It just came in my mind a great idear, send him an email right away with the big picture so he know's where to go  _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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By the way here some pictures of Pits, I hope you survive them Daughter_Of_SETI
Excavations are still going on there in the pits, the Mastaba's are very deep in the ground
Sorry the last picture is a little bit big  _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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kmt_sesh Moderator


Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 7099 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: |
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That pit is so deep. Daughter_Of_SETI and I saw a YouTube video of it awhile back and spent quite some time trying to figure out where it was in Saqarra. Mostly thanks to Daughter_Of_SETI's keen efforts we pinned it down to the right spot. Along the way we learned it and the deep trench with the stairs were the remains of Persian Period tombs.
A warning, Daughter_Of_SETI: This pit is where they toss the naughty tourists, so whenever you make it to Egypt you'd best be on your best behavior!
Did you take these photos, carla? I had read that the deep trench with the stairs had been filled in and was now covered by a small hut of some sort, but if these photos are at all recent that information is clearly wrong. Check out this Google Earth image:
You can see the deep pit, which I marked with the purple thumbtack labeled "Persian Tomb." I had thought the deep trench was just to the south of the remains of Unis' pyramid, but there's nothing at all there. You've been there, carla, so you should know: where exactly is that deep trench with the stairs?
Quote: | Next time I go straight to that place I will ask a friend of mine who's going next week, if he want to take some time to make a few pictures there !! It just came in my mind a great idear, send him an email right away with the big picture so he know's where to go |
That would be terrific! I certainly don't mean to impose on you and your friends, especially in the hunt for an obscure tomb belonging to such a minor royal, but I'm so damn curious to see what the actual ruins of Unis-ankh's mastaba look like!
Thanks for the new pics, carla. Keep 'em coming! _________________
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:44 am Post subject: |
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Quote: | Did you take these photos, carla? I had read that the deep trench with the stairs had been filled in and was now covered by a small hut of some sort, but if these photos are at all recent that information is clearly wrong. Check out this Google Earth image: |
Ofcourse I made the pictures myself kmt_sesh , I'm not writing my name on them (nickname) when they are not mine !! Exactly I made them at the first of july last month
You passed the pits when you walk from the Unas Piramid to the Djoser Piramid, here is one more I took:
One of the pits is behind here:
Think it is this one, made by my friend Stan, who was there with me:
I can remember when I turned around I looked almost straight in it
Quote: | I had read that the deep trench with the stairs had been filled in and was now covered by a small hut of some sort |
I really can't imagen that they filled up the pits because they are still excevating them. What a work to get them open again all the time  _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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Daughter_Of_SETI Divine Adoratrice

Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 2563 Location: Hull, UK
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:38 am Post subject: |
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carla wrote: | By the way here some pictures of Pits, I hope you survive them Daughter_Of_SETI |
I would probably be the idiot falling into them if I was there! I suppose it would give everyone a good laugh, though. They are excellent photos of the pits, though, Carla, certainly much better than the ones that kmt_sesh and I were using (an odd couple that we had found on the internet plus the YouTube video) to discover what exactly the pits were.
I like the last ones you have posted of the pit and trench, because they show that these tombs are still being worked on. Like Kmt_sesh mentioned, one source we read from stated that they had huts built over them, which was hard to understand why such a thing had been done...I think we eventually put it down to safety reasons. But it's good to see they are still open!
You are an excellent photographer, Carla, and you take pictures of the most beautiful of sights. I always enjoy seeing your photos!  _________________
In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this - Terry Pratchett. |
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:47 am Post subject: |
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Here another one from Google earht, Stan made for me, with the lokation of the different pits:
 _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:59 am Post subject: |
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Quote: | You are an excellent photographer, Carla, and you take pictures of the most beautiful of sights. I always enjoy seeing your photos! Applause |
Thank you very mutch Daughter_Of_SETI  _________________ www.egypt-kemet.com |
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Daughter_Of_SETI Divine Adoratrice

Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 2563 Location: Hull, UK
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:16 am Post subject: |
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Hi, Carla. The one that you have labelled as "B Another one" (the southern one) is the one that Kmt_sesh and I identified as the Persian pit tomb. Not sure if we were right, though.
When I was looking it up on *** a while back, I don't think I even noticed the northern pits that you have marked on that image. Is the one that you have marked as "big deep pit" on your image the huge trench pit with all the stairs, because the shape seems to be quite like that one to me?  _________________
In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this - Terry Pratchett. |
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carla Scribe


Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 122 Location: Netherlands
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