A MONUMENT OF DJOSER FOUND NEAR TETI'S PYRAMID AT SAQQARA
In 1992/3, I conducted excavations at the upper temple of Queen Iput I, wife of King Teti the first king of Dynasty VI. During these excavations two interesting pieces of limestone were uncovered in the pavement of one of the rooms of the temple's offering hall; but it was obvious that this was not their original purpose. When connected, the two parts form a unique door jamb dating to the time of King Nytr-kht, known as "Djoser". since Dynasty XII.
Joined, the block is decorated on the front and two sides, while the back is blank. The front of the stone is divided horizontally into 18 compartments capped by a large lunette and separated into two sections by another large panel: 12 compartments run down the upper section and six down the lower.
The lunette has a carved serekh, or palace facade, upon which sits a falcon representing the god Horus. Within the serekh is written Djoser's Horus name, Ntry-ht. The compartments containing the recumbent jackal and lion or lioness figures are thoughtfully arranged.
The monument is unique and cannot be considered as a free-standing artifact. The original location of the monument within Djoser's pyramid complex is more problem atic. The undecorated rear face suggests that the fragments were attached to a wall. We might suggest that the monument is one of two, placed within the Sed festival court, bordered on the East and West by sanctuaries which imitate the shrines of the North and South. Since the north side of Djoser's complex remains partly unexcavated, this feature might be located amidst the sands there.
As our archaeological research continues, we will be enlightened and, no doubt, we will be perplexed just as this piece leads us to wonder where it once stood.
