The Polychrome Hieroglyph Research Project

Université Libre de Bruxelles - Faculté de Philosophie et Sciences sociales

This page displays details of the selected Monument. Click on the Monument number to list all individual signs ("occurrences") recorded from that object or structure.

Mon. 20


Monument : Nefermaat
Period : Dynasty III
Reign(s) : Huni (?)
High Date : 2637
Low Date : 2613
Monument type : Mastaba
Localisation or provenance : Maidûm
References : PM IV, 93; Smith (1949, 366-382).

Nefermaat was the eldest son of Sneferu (2613-2589). Despite this king normally being placed at the beginning of Dynasty IV, the Topographical Bibliography dates this tomb, as well as those of Rahotep (Mon.21) and Atet (Mon.19) to Dynasty III. This would almost certainly place the three tomb owners sometime during the reign of Huni, the last king of the dynasty. The inscriptions show that this tomb stands at the beginning of the use of a stabilised canon. For instance, the mouth D21, the arms D28 and the foot D58 are all canonical red, whereas the forearm D36 is yellow. The signs for basketry such as V28 and V30 are yellow, in line with other Old Kingdom occurrences, rather than the green used in later inscriptions.