Helwan V

This is the fifth volume in the comprehensive publication series of research results from the archaeological excavations in the ancient Egyptian necropolis at Helwan. With over 10,000 graves, this cemetery is the largest of its time; it can be associated with Egypt’s first capital, the city of Memphis and its direct environment. The main occupation period is during the Early Dynastic Period [Dynasties 1 and 2, ca. 3000-2700 B.C.E.], which is a time when the ancient Egyptian territorial state had just emerged. Helwan primarily served the city’s general urban population which can be related to the lower and middle classes of society. The first excavations at Helwan took place during the early 20th century and after a long interruption, archaeological work was continued initially by a project of Macquarie University in Sydney starting in 1997. From 2010 until 2017, the work at the site was then conducted in cooperation with the University of Vienna. This volume continues the presentation of primary archaeological data from tombs in an area designated Operation 4, which were excavated between 1998 and 2011 under the direction of the main author. The volume follows the nomenclature of graves as established in vols. III and IV of the series and introduces tombs 4/101 to 4/150, which date to the Early Dynastic and early Old Kingdom periods. There are brief chapters by different authors on the main categories of finds, that is the tomb structures, human remains, pottery, non-ceramic artefacts as well as archaeo-zoological and botanical materials. The main part of this publication is taken up by the catalogue of tombs where the archaeological context of the individual graves and burials together with their artefacts are briefly described and documented in the form of line drawings and photographs. The authors of vols. III to VI have deliberately avoided to engage in further analysis and interpretation so as to allow sufficient space for the primary archaeological data. They will be comprehensively analyzed and interpreted starting with volume VII of the series. Dies ist der fünfte Band der Publikationsserie, anhand derer die Forschungsergebnisse aus den archäologischen Ausgrabungen in der altägyptischen Nekropole von Helwan ausführlich vorgestellt werden. Dieser Friedhof ist mit über 10.000 Gräbern einer der größten seiner Zeit und kann der ersten Hauptstadt Altägyptens, dem nahegelegenen Memphis und seinem direkten Umfeld zugeordnet werden. Die Hauptbelegungszeit des Fundortes fällt in die ägyptische Frühzeit [1. und 2. Dynastie; um 3000-2700 v.u.Z.], also einer Phase, in der der ägyptische Territorialstaat gerade entstanden war. In Helwan fanden sich vor allem Gräber der allgemeinen urbanen Bevölkerung der Hauptstadt, die den mittleren und unteren Schichten der Gesellschaft zugeordnet werden können. Die Ausgrabungen fanden anfänglich im frühen 20. Jahrhundert und nach einer langen Pause dann zunächst als Projekt der Macquarie University in Sydney ab 1997 statt. Von 2010 bis 2017 wurden die örtlichen Forschungen in Kooperation mit der Universität Wien fortgeführt. Dieser Band setzt die Darstellung der primären archäologischen Daten zu Gräbern in einem als Operation 4 bezeichneten Bereich fort, der in den Jahren zwischen 1998 und 2011 unter Leitung der Autorin ausgegraben wurde. Der Band folgt damit der bereits in den Bänden III und IV etablierten Zählung, indem hier die Gräber 4/101 bis 4/150 besprochen werden, die in die ägyptische Frühzeit und das frühe Alte Reich datieren. Es finden sich einzelne kurze Überblickskapitel von verschiedenen Autor*innen zu den Hauptfundgruppen, also den Grabstrukturen, menschlichen Überresten, Keramik, Kleinfunden sowie archäozoologischen und botanischen Materialien. Der Hauptteil dieser Publikation ist der Gräber-Katalog, in dem der archäologische Kontext der einzelnen Gräber und Bestattungen sowie die Funde kurz beschrieben und in Form von Strichzeichnungen und Fotographien dokumentiert werden. Die Autor*innen der Helwan-Bände III bis VI verzichten dabei bewusst auf weiterführende Analysen oder Interpretationen, um den archäologischen Primärdaten zunächst möglichst viel Raum zu geben, bevor ab Band VII der Helwan-Serie die Auswertung dieser erfolgen soll.

This is the fifth volume in the comprehensive publication series of research results from the archaeological excavations in the ancient Egyptian necropolis at Helwan. With over 10,000 graves, this cemetery is the largest of its time; it can be associated with Egypt’s first capital, the city of Memphis and its direct environment. The main occupation period is during the Early Dynastic Period [Dynasties 1 and 2, ca. 3000-2700 B.C.E.], which is a time when the ancient Egyptian territorial state had just emerged. Helwan primarily served the city’s general urban population which can be related to the lower and middle classes of society. The first excavations at Helwan took place during the early 20th century and after a long interruption, archaeological work was continued initially by a project of Macquarie University in Sydney starting in 1997. From 2010 until 2017, the work at the site was then conducted in cooperation with the University of Vienna. This volume continues the presentation of primary archaeological data from tombs in an area designated Operation 4, which were excavated between 1998 and 2011 under the direction of the main author. The volume follows the nomenclature of graves as established in vols. III and IV of the series and introduces tombs 4/101 to 4/150, which date to the Early Dynastic and early Old Kingdom periods. There are brief chapters by different authors on the main categories of finds, that is the tomb structures, human remains, pottery, non-ceramic artefacts as well as archaeo-zoological and botanical materials. The main part of this publication is taken up by the catalogue of tombs where the archaeological context of the individual graves and burials together with their artefacts are briefly described and documented in the form of line drawings and photographs. The authors of vols. III to VI have deliberately avoided to engage in further analysis and interpretation so as to allow sufficient space for the primary archaeological data. They will be comprehensively analyzed and interpreted starting with volume VII of the series.