Egypt Exploration Society

A New Old Kingdom Inscription from Giza (CGC 57163), and the Problem of SN-T in Pharaonic Third Millennium Society Author(s): Juan Carlos Moreno Garca Source: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 93 (2007), pp. 117-136 Published by: Egypt Exploration Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40345833 . Accessed: 14/10/2013 09:08
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A NEW OLD KINGDOM INSCRIPTION FROM GIZA (CGC 57163),AND THE PROBLEM OF SN-DT IN PHARAONIC THIRD MILLENNIUM SOCIETY
By JUANCARLOS MORENO GARCIA
monument from thepoorly tomb D 203 botha newinscribed PanelCGC 57163provides preserved term sn-dt 'brother of theendowment'. totherather obscure of reference at Giza andanother Study documents from theOld Kingdom shows that evidence as wellas theadministrative theepigraphic tothefunerary italso refers to individuals whoreplaced wasnotlimited theuse of thisterm sphere: bothof a ritual andadministrative In a in theperformance of certain nature. another duties, person an administrator of institutional to a a sn-dt was context, goodsformerly granted particular funerary - to a secondary - undercondition The probable allotted butsubsequently recipient. functionary In anycase,thesn-dt from assetsseparate. the was to keeptheir disappears goalof thisprocedure thebeginning oftheSixth record from andpapyrological Dynasty. epigraphic

thetombof NfrandJtj-sn from abouttheinscriptions Little is known (D 203), in the West Field of Giza. two false-doors in theSteindorff located Just Cemetery nor neither ofwhich havebeenproperly described inPorter andMoss,1 arerecorded in theOriental and drum consists of a panel,lintel, The first preserved published. 1081 1 and 10812;only a the numbers where it bears Institute of Chicago, inventory to date.2 The of thepanelhavebeenpublished and a brief description photograph collection of theLeipzigMuseum formed secondfalse-door partof theEgyptian theSecondWorldWar.Some yearsago during (inv.no. 2556),butwas destroyed stelabelonging to an Italian false-door a panelof another Edda Bresciani published monument.3 which came from the same 'Hatun collection stela') funerary (the private of thepanelof a this Giventhescarceinformation concerning tomb, publication allowfor better intheCairoMuseum false-door further (CGC 57163)may preserved as well thistombnow dispersed from of themonuments world-wide, knowledge because it offers the of the fora moreaccurate as allowing tomb, especially dating term sn-dt 'brother of the of theproblematic thediscussion to reopen opportunity endowment'. to thetopicis thetombof Pttj,withitswellrelevant recent Another discovery which can be datedto theFourth This known threat monument, important spell.4 whodeclares himself tobe the ofan individual a newexample alsodisplays Dynasty,
1 PMIII/i, 116. 2 von Abusir',Orientalia41 (1972), 244, pl. vi. Chicago Or. Inst. 10812: P. Kaplony,'Das Papyrusarchiv 3 E. Bresciani,'"La stele Hatun": II pannellodi una falsa-porta a nome di Nefere di It-sen,dalla necropoli deirAnticoRegno a Giza', EVO 18 (1995), 19-21. 4 Z. Hawass, 'The Tomb of the PyramidBuilders:The Tomb of theArtisanPetetyand his Curse , in G. N. World:Studiesin Honourof Donald Mediterranean Israel,and theAncient Knoppersand A. Hirsch(eds), Egypt, B. Redford (PdA 20; Leiden, 2004), 21-39. TheJournal Archaeology 93 (2007), 117-36 ofEgyptian ISSN 0307-5133

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MORENO

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dt of an official.The titlepublished by Hawass should be read shd nfr(w)rh nzwtJtjsn dt 'the inspector of recruit(s), the dt of the acquaintance of the kingJtj-sn',where Jtj-snwas a dignitarysuperior in rank to Pttj and importantenough forPttj to decide to give the name Jtj-sn nds 'Jtj-snjunior' to one of his own sons. This example of the use of the term dt must be added to those already known fromthe Old Kingdom sources,5and it is also interestingbecause it shows a case of a multiple patron-client relationship, in which an individual defined as the dt of another turns out also to be the patron of a person of lesser status, in this case a dt and mit{r)t 'mourner' mentioned in Pttfs tomb. Though sn-dtand dt figureprominentlyin the epigraphic record of the Old Kingdom, mainly froma funerarycontext and fromthe decorated tombs of the Egyptian elite, freshevidence concerning sn-dt,as well as dt of humble status, appears in administrative documents from the Fourth Dynasty on. Taking these new documents into account, it is possible to get a betterunderstanding of the terms. sociological realitylying beneath these ratherdifficult Panel CGC 57163 fromthe tomb of Nfr and Jtj-sn at Giza This limestone panel (55 x 30.5 cm), probably belonging to a false-door stela, is number CGC 57163. 6 currently preserved in the Cairo Museum bearing the inventory The inscriptionsread as follows (fig. 1 and pl. V.i): Over the deceased: sn-dtNfrjmj-r UwJtj-sn the sn-dtNfr, the overseer of the ^-ferrymen* Jtj-sn Over the attendant on the leftside of the panel: Mrjj Mrjj (name) Lintel: jmihwhr nb.fJtj-snsn-dtrh nzwtjmihwhr nb.fjmj-rhrq(w)Nfrh the revered before his lord Jtj-sn; the sn-dt,the acquaintance of the king,the revered before his lord, the overseer of barbers Nfr Notes: (a) Titles formed with the element Uw are extremelyrare in the Old Kingdom, only being attested in the tomb of Nfr and Jtj-sn, in the Abusir papyri, and on the statue of Jntj-Sdw at Giza.7 Three variants of the title are known fromthe mastaba of Nfr and Jtj-sn:jmj-r Uw 'the overseer of the m;-ferrymen' ,jmj-r Uwn wji 'overseer of the w-ferrymen of the bark5and jmj-r Uw n wji ri 'overseer of the Uw-ierrymen
5 D. Jones, An IndexofAncient and Phrases (BAR IS 866; Oxford, Titles, Epithets of theOld Kingdom Egyptian

6 I wouldliketo his as wellas for for hiskindassistance to Dr. Mahmud El-Halwagy express mygratitude topublish this monument. permission 7 The reading AnIndex is tobe preferred review of D. Jones, tew to tew-r, cf.P.Andrassy, ofAncient Egyptian which ofthetitle Titles references. As for thereading nfw 'skipper' (Oxford, 2000), JESHO 45 (2002),397-8with intheGebelein intheabsence ofphonetic several times itcouldalsobe readtew (cf. complements appears papyri, I papiri di Gebelein P. Gebelein I rt.Di 51; IV rt.92; V rt.72; V vs.A25and29): P. Posener-Krieger, (scaviG Farina1935) (SMET Gebelein xl-xli. 1; Turin, xxxiv, xxxix, 2004),pisiv,

2000),

II, 1012-15.

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of the greatbark'. Anotheroccurrence of the termUwappears in the papyriof the in whichan official, fromthe FifthDynasty, funerary templeof king Neferirkare, who was a shd under Uww of the Dwi-Rr> 'inspector fcftw-ferrymen' the controlof a htmw ntr'treasurer of the god', was in chargeof a teamof threeindividualsdefined m [bj?]tm as Uwwy and who had the missionof ftw[w] collectively jnnw htp-ntr[w] As who bringthedivineofferings from theResidencein a ft/jf-bark'.8 hn[w]'ferrymen forthetitle for read Bresciani in the 'Hatun the stela', hieroglyph hrq jmj-rwdpw by from has perhapsbeen misinterpreted in thesequencejmj-rhrq(w), as can be inferred the similarwriting of this titlein the inscription preservedin the Cairo Museum. who thetitle Finally, jmj-rUwappearson thestatuesofJntjSdw of Giza,9an official also bore the titlesof jmj-r Uwn wji 'overseerof the fcw-ferrymen of the bark',and rhnzwt.10

Fig. 1. Panel CGC 57163.

(b) Anothertitleprobablycarriedby Jtj-snwas jmj-r hst 'overseerof singers', excavation quoted in SteindorfFs journal.11 The parallelsfromthe AbusirPapyrisuggestthatthe controlover the Uwwas of a ritualnatureand was connectedto servicein the funerary of the king, monument in a special bark.Bearingin mind moreprecisely to thetransport of divineofferings
8 P. and J.-L. de Cenival, HieraticPapyri in theBritishMuseum , FifthSeries: The Abu Sir Posener-Krieger Les archives du temple de Neferirkare-Kakai Papyri(London, 1968), pl. lxxxiicol. c; P. Posener-Krieger, funeraire dy et commentaire (Les papyrus Abusir): Traduction (BdE 65; Cairo, 1976), I, 110-12; II, 520 n. 2, 691. 9 Cf. Andrassy, JESHO 45, 397-8. IO Cf. JE 98945-8: Z. Hawass, 'A Group of Unique Statues Discoveredat Giza, III: The StatuesofJnty-Sdw from Tomb GSE 1915*, in N. Grimal(ed.), Les criteres a I'AncienEmpire de dotation (BdE 120; Cairo, stylistiques 1998), 193, 203 (figs11-12). 11 Les archives du temple I, 112 n. 1. Posener-Krieger, funeraire,

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thatthe ownersof the mastabawere also an overseerof singersand an overseerof thattheirpositionin the barbers,doubtlessat the royalpalace, it can be inferred in the ceremonies of Memphis allowed themto participate devoted royalentourage to the kingand to obtain the rightto build a tomb in the necropolisat Giza. The of theraretermUwin thepapyrifrom theNeferirkare occurrence on templearchive, and on thepanel CGC 57163might also have a chronological thestatueofJntj-Sdw, sincetheseofficials value fordatingthetombof NfrandJtj-sn, mayhave livedabout or somewhat later.In fact, theonlydocumentin theAbusir thereignof Neferirkare the tnvis dated from the reignof Djedkare Izezi.12The building Papyrimentioning of the tomb of Nfr and Jtj-snin the FifthDynastyseems plausible in the lightof of the dead on the panel in the Cairo Museum. Firstof all, the the representation absence of cushionsand backs in the chairs suggestsa datingfromthe Fourthor down to the reignof Niuserre.13 FifthDynasty, Second, the bull paw formof the foundin the iconographic recorddown to the reign footof the chairsis frequently the form of the offering later(Pepi I).14And, finally, loaves is of Izezi or somewhat the regularformfromthe reignof KhafreuntilPepi I.15As forJntj-Sdwof Giza, discoveredin his tomb dates to the Fourthor FifthDynasties,but the the pottery of his mastabaseem typicalof the FourthDynasty;thedating features architectural features of the statuesis less clear,stretching betweenthe Fourth of thetypological all thisevidence,it is possiblethatthetombof Nfr and SixthDynasty. Considering be datedto about thesecondhalfof the FifthDynasty. andJtj-sn might Corpusof sn-dtin the Old Kingdomsources documents Administrative I vs. B, 5: 1 P. Gebelein andsn-dt oftheking' 'theserf Hm-nzwt Jr[...]. Date: Fourth Dynasty.16 IV vs.6: 2 P. Gebelein
Sn(t)-dtDb<-w.

Date: Fourth Dynasty.17 V rt.9: 3 P. Gebelein X. Sn(t)-dt Date: Fourth Dynasty.18

12

14Cherpion, etablispar Nadine Mastabas ethypogees, iconographiques 34 (10); M. Baud, 'A proposdes criteres de Les criteres in Grimal datation, 91. (ed.), Cherpion', 15 Cherpion,Mastabas ethypogees, de datation, 91. 47 (18); Baud in Grimal(ed.), Criteres 16 I papiridi Gebelein, pl. v. Posener-Krieger, 17 Ibid., pl. xxxv. 18 Ibid., pl. xxxvii.

13 N. Cherpion, Mastabas et hypogeesd'Ancien Empire: Le problemede la datation (Brussels, 1989), 26 (1).

du temple Les archives II, 491. funeraire, Posener-Krieger,

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V rt.21: 4 P. Gebelein Sn-dt X. Date: Fourth Dynasty.19 V vs.6: 5 P. Gebelein Sn-dt X. Date: Fourth Dynasty.20 6 CairoJE66844,C 4 ('coffret de Gebelein'):

Sn{t)-dtjtw.
Date: Fourth Dynasty.21 vs.: 7 P. Berlin 15723 snpr-ri sn-dt 'thesn-dt of thehairdresser of thepalaceNj-mM-Pth? Jrw Nj-rmrt-Pth Rf-htp. Date: Fifth of Izezi.22 Dynasty, reign 8 P. BM EA 10735 frame 19: Wr-k? sn-dt hm-ntr 'thepriest thesn-dt of the [hmw-]ntr Jrj-n-Pth Jmj-ht Jrj-n-Pthy ofpriests controller Wr-ki\ Date: Fifth of Izezi.23 Dynasty, reign monuments record: Giza Epigraphic from 9 CCG 1480.PMIII/i, 309: with in themonument Sn-dt therhnzwtWts of a third X, mentioned together person whose nameis notpreserved. Date: Fourth Dynasty.24 PM III/i, 80;W.Wreszinski, mastaba ofjht-mr-nzwt. 10 G 2184, Atlaszuraltaegyptischen III, pl. lxix;TheGiza Archives (Berlin, Kulturgeschichte 1923-40), Project <http://www. photograph AAW1876: gizapyramids.org>, A sn.fn is accompanied minor eachtermed figures, dt.f bythree sn.f. Date: Fourth Dynasty.25

19 Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pl. xxxvii. 20 Ibid., pl. xl. 21 P. 'Le coffret de Gebelein', in C. Berger, G. Clerc,and N. Grimal(eds), Hommages a Jean Posener-Krieger, Leclant(BdE 106; Cairo, 1994), I, 322 (fig.8). 22 Les archives and de Cenival, The Abu Sir Papyri,pl. lxxxiii;Posener-Krieger, du temple Posener-Krieger II, 397-8. funeraire, 23 Posener-Krieger Les archives du temple and de Cenival, The Abu Sir Papyri,pl. xvn.A; Posener-Krieger, II, 472-5. funeraire, 24 L. Borchardt, vonKairo (CCG Nos 1295-1808; Denkmdler desAltenReiches(ausserdenStatuen) imMuseum Berlin,1937), 167; Urk.I, 228.15-17. 25 Cherpion, Mastabas et hypogees, 123 n. 257.

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11 G 4940 = LG 45,tomb of Ssm-nfr I. LD II, 28; PM III/i, 142-3: V Bw-nfr; Sn-dthrj-tp nzwt of thekingSsm-nfr 'thesn-dt of thechancellor Ssm-nfr V sn-dt nzwt 'the sn-dt of the chancellor of the hrj-tp Ssm-nfr king Ssm-nfr Wnj;sn-dt nzwt V Wnn-nfr. 'the sn-dt of the chancellor of the hrj-tp Ssm-nfr Ssm-nfr king Date: Fourth Dynasty.26 A History of Hwfw-rnh. PM III/i, 129; G. A. Reisner, 12 G 4520,mastaba of theGiza I (Cambridge, TheGiza Archives lxvii; Necropolis, 1942), 215-16(no.16),503-7, pislxv, andA 2o63_NS. AAW1990 Project <http://www.gizapyramids.org>, photographs the A procession of three snw-dt 'bringing jn sn(w)-dt bringing offerings (jntprt-hrw at thetop of theleft (theparallel offerings by thesn(w)-dty) jamb of thefalse-door on theright three hmw-h 'fo-ritualists'): procession Kipy Hwfw-mrjj-ntrw, jambshows restricted andJw-mn-jb; ofthemost another wasrepresented as a member sn(t)-dt,Jtj> with the core of Khufuankh of the on the lower father, stela, family part together and of the owner. mother, wife, son, daughter Date: Fourth of Menkaure. Dynasty, reign of Tntj.LD II, 30,31b;PM III/i, 141-2: 13 G 4920= LG 47,mastaba rhnzwtjtzn, Sn-dt sndt[...] 'thesn-dt thesn-dt andacquaintance oftheking [...]'. Jtzn, Date: Fourth aboutthereigns of Khufu/Redjedef. Dynasty, tomb ofH^f-R^nh. LD II, 9; PM III/i, 207-8: 14 G 7948,rock-cut n pr-r; of the n Wr-Hr.f-Rr 'his sn-dt and companion Sn.fn dtf smr Jttjshdwrb(w) of theWfe-ritualists of thepyramid of Khafre'. had also his palaceJttj, inspector Jttj ownmastaba intheGiza necropolis (G 7391). Date: endof theFourth or beginning of theFifth Menkaure (from Dynasty Dynasty to Sahure).27 of Whm-ki. PM III/i, 114-15;H. Kayser, Die Mastabades Uhemka: 15 D117, mastaba Ein Grab inderWuste (ZMH 15;Hannover, 1964),24,32: Rh nzwt shdwrb sn-dt 'theacquaintance ofwrbof theking andinspector Nfr-hr-Nmtj 'the and of the ritualists, \sn-df; Nfr-hr-Nmtj sn(t)-dt rh(t)-nzwt sn(t)-dt acquaintance and sn-dt zs the 'his the sn-dt and scribe of king'Dfit-ki; ms.f pr-mdn descendant, Archive' Snb.2* Date: beginning of theFifth Dynasty. 16 Tomb of Mrw-ki. PM III/i, 118-19;H. Junker, des WestGiza, IX: Der Mittlefeld s (DOAW 73/2; friedhof Vienna, 1950),73,80,pl. xi.c: The sn.f dtNj-k;-Rr is represented thesonsofMrw-ki. was His wife justafter Ndm-pt and nzwt. sn(t)-dt rh(t) Date: Fifth of Niuserre. Dynasty, up tothereign
26 de datation, Baud, in Grimal(ed.), Les criteres 55-6 (24). 27 According to thedatingcriteria 226; Baud, in Grimal(ed.), Les proposedby Cherpion,Mastabas ethypogees, criteres de datation, 64-5, 91-2. Cf. also Y. Harpur,'Two Old KingdomTombs at Giza', JEA 67 (1981), 24-35. 28 On the title in the tomb of Sstt-htp, fromthe Fourth Dynasty, ms.fsn-dt,cf. ms.fdt hm-kirnh-m-r-k? PM III/i, 149-50, H. Junker, V.Dynastieauf demWestfriedhof Giza, II: Die Mastabas derbeginnenden (Vienna, 1934), 182 (fig.28).

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17 G 2370, mastaba of Sndm-jbjntj. PM III/i, 85-7: The sn-dt.fhm-ks'the sn-dt and fe-ritualist' Qir and sn-dt.fhm-fa 'the sn-dt and foritualist' T^w appear in a procession of offering bearers. Date: Fifth Dynasty, reign of Izezi.29 18 Tomb of the sn-dt Nj-mM-Rf. PM III/i, 282-4; S. Hassan, Excavations at Giza, II: ig3O-ig3i (Cairo, 1936), 205 (fig. 226), pl. lxxviii.2: The sn-dtjmj-r hs(w)t pr-r; 'the sn-dt and overseer of palace singers' Nj-rn;rt-Rr states that he had a chapel built forthe lady Nfr-srsin his own tomb. Date: Fifth Dynasty, up to the reign of Izezi. 19 CGC 57163 + Chicago Or. Inst. 10811-2, from the tomb of Nfr and Jtj-sn (D203). PMIII/i, 116: Sn-dt Nfr. Date: second half of the Fifth Dynasty. 20 Cairo JE 37716, statue of the jmj-ht zi-pr 'controller of the palace' Ki-pw-Pth. H. G. Fischer, 'Old Kingdom Inscriptions in the Yale Gallery', MIO 7 (i960), 301 (fig. 2): The snt-dtHhj declares that she offeredthe statue to Ki-pw-Pth when he was buried. Date: second half of the Fifth Dynasty. 21 Mastaba of Nfr-htp.PM III/2, 286-7; S. Hassan, Excavations at Giza, IX: TheMastabas of theEighth Season and theirDescription(Cairo, i960), 68 (fig. 29a), pl. xxvi: His wife is represented twice on a false-door stela, where she bears, among other titles, that of sn(t)-dt. Date: Fifth Dynasty. 22 G 4710 = LG 49, tomb of Ztw. LD, Ergdnzungsband, pl. xxvii.b; PM III/i, 135-6: zs sn-dt 'the scribe and sn-dt' Tntj. Date: Fifth Dynasty. 23 Tomb of Hnmw-htp.PM III/i, 213; A. Fakhry,Sept tombeauxa Vestde la grandepyramide de Guizeh (Cairo, 1935), fig.6: Sn-dt zib zs 'the sn-dtand scribe of the jackal' rnh-wd.s(?). Date: end of the Fifth Dynasty.

monuments record: Saqqara from Epigraphic

24 Tomb of Ki-m-hzt. Urk. I, 207.2; PM III/2, 542-3; A. McFarlane, Mastabas at Saqqara: Kaiemheset, Kaipunesut, Kaiemsenu, Sehetepu and Others (ACE Reports 20; Oxford, 2003), 42-4, pis xv and 1: The sn-dtjmj-r qd(w) 'the sn-dtand overseer of architects'Htp-k? built a funerarymonument forhis fatherand brothers in spite of being a younger son, and he received two

29 E. Brovarski, Inti (G 2370), Khnumenti I: The Mastabas of Senedjemib The Senedjemib (G 2374), Complex, Mehi (G 2378) (GMas 7; Boston,2001), 75, pl. xxxviii, and Senedjemib fig.61 fifth register.

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arourasof land, probablyin exchangeforthe funerary he was supposed to offerings to them. present Date: FourthDynasty, reignof Djedefre.30 the tombof Nj-hw-Pth. PM III/2, 744-5; 25 Univ. Mus. Manchester10780,blockfrom Urk.I, 227.11-12; N. Strudwick, 'The Overseerof theTreasuryNy-k;w-Pth\ RdE 38 H. G. Nova New Varia Studies (1987), 139-46; Fischer, York,1996), 34-6 3; (Egyptian
(% 4):

The zs pr-hdsn.fdt 'scribe of the treasury statesthathe has and his sn-dt" Pth-hr.f buriedthejmj-ht Rr wrb nzwt 'controller of the hm-ntr hm-ntr m Nhn-Rr S;hw-Rr pr-hd of of in wrb-ntuo\ist Re the solar Nhn-Rr, treasury, prophet Sahure,prophet sanctuary of theking'Nj-hw-Pth. Date: Fifthdynasty, reignof Sahure or later. PM III/2, 581-2; A. Mariette, de Vancien 26 D 51, tombof Pth-htp. Les mastabas empire: du dernier de A. Mariette(Paris, 1889), 315: Fragment ouvrage The sn-dt is represented betweentwo sons of the tombowner;the Nfr-hr-nj-Hntj-htj snt-dt is in also attested the tomb. Nfrt-Hwt-Hr Date: FifthDynasty, reignof Sahure or later. LD II, 46-7; PM III/2, 491-2; Urk.I, 227.8-12: 27 D 70 = LS 15, tombof Ph.n-wj-kt. the scribeof thejackal of the docuSn.f dt zib zs rnzwtn hft-hr zibjmj-rzs 'his sn-dt, mentsof the kingin the presence,the overseerof the scribesof thejackal' Kt.j-tzw, sn-dt z?bjmj-rzs r nzwthft-hr 'the sn-dt, his reveredone, the overseerof the jmthw.f scribesof thejackal of thedocuments of thekingin thepresence'Ki.j-tzw. Date: FifthDynasty, from Neferirkare to Niuserre. 28 Tomb of the singersof the palace Nfr and Ki-hij. PM III/2, 639-41; A. M. Moussa and H. Altenmiiller, The Tomb and Ka-hay (AVDAIK 5; Mainz, 1971),pl. viii. ofNefer Sn-dt rhnzwtjmj-htpr-r? the acquaintanceof the king,the jmj-rwptpr-ri'the sn-dt, of thepalace, theoverseer controller of themissionsof thepalace' Tntj. Date: FifthDynasty, from Neferirkare to Niuserre. 29 Tomb of Shm-te.PM III/2, 596; M. A. Murray, Saqqara Mastabas, I (BSAE/ERA 10; London, 1905), pl. vii: Sn-dtwrb 'thesn-dt, and belovedof thegod' Mmj\sndtzib zs 'the mrjj-ntr wr6-ritualist, sn-dt and scribeof thejackal' Nj-k;-rnh. Date: FifthDynasty, from Niuserreto Izezi. PM III/2, 485; Murray, 30 D 1 = S 901, tombof Ntr-wsr. Saqqara Mastabas, pl. xxiv: The wifeof Ntr-wsr was also sn(t)-dt. Date: FifthDynasty, from Menkauhorto Izezi. PM III/2, 599-600; N. de G. Davies, The Mastaba of Ptah31 D 64, chapel of iht-htp. and Akhethetep at Saqqara (ASE 8-9; London, 1900-1), II, pl. xxxiv: hetep
30 Cherpion, Mastabas ethypogees, 112-15. Cf.nevertheless therecent discussionaboutthedatingof thistomb about the reignsof Niuserreor by McFarlane,Mastabas at Saqqara, 19-23, who places it in the FifthDynasty, Izezi.

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sn-dt 'thecarpenter The mdh whrt of thegreat of thepalace, ri(i) pr-ri tnrjj.f dockyard and his beloved'Ssm-nfr is shownin a lineof bearers thesn-dt led by thesonsof iht-htp.
Date: end of the FifthDynasty. PM III/2, 694-6; W. Kaiser,Agyptisches Museum Berlin(Berlin, 32 Tomb of Nj-rnh-nzwt. 28 1967), (no. 237): zc;r6-ritualist of theking,and sn-dt" Hm-ntr wrb nzwtsn-dt'theprophet, Nj-nmtj. of the SixthDynasty. Date: theverybeginning II. PM III/2, 600-5; R. F. E. Paget and A. A. Pirie, The Tomb 33 D 64, chapelof Pth-htp xxxviii: (ERA 2; London, 1898), pis xxxi,xxxii,xxxiv-xxxvi, of Ptah-hetep in thetomb:Iht-wr; of thescribes arementioned z^bjmj-rzs 'theoverseer Fifteen snw-dt shdzs, shd zib zs 'thescribeof thejackal' iht-htp; of thejackal' iht-htp; Jpj; Wp-m-nfrt; of singers' Wp-m-nfrt; 'the lectorof scribesand inspector hsw 'the inspector hrj-hb 'the of the scribes of the shd zs ztb zib jackal' Pth-htp; zs 'the inspector priest'Wsh-k?; shdhsw'the inspector of singers'Sbk-htp; zib shdzs scribeof thejackal' Nfr-hww-Pth; wrbt 'theoverseer of of thescribesof thejackal' Ssm-nfr 'theinspector jmj-r fnhw Tfw; of thegranary of thezurfo-workshop' theofferings Stf;jmj-rsnwt jmj-rpr 'the overseer of singers'Tfw; whrt 'the and administrator' jmj-rpr smsw Ki-hp;shdhsw'theinspector and elderof thedockyard'Ttwj. administrator of the SixthDynasty. Date: theverybeginning at Saqqara, III: ig3y-igj8, Mastabas ofPrincess 34 PM III/2, 606. S. Hassan, Excavations and Others Hemet-Rr 4), pl. v: (Cairo, 1975), 9 (passage 1 and fig. of the palace', jmj-rwpt of the palace', jmj-ht The shdpr-^ 'inspector pr-ri'controller of the pyramid of Wenis' '&>rft-ritualist 'overseerof missions',and wrb Nfr-swt-Wnjs II. he was the sn-dt of that Tzmwstates Pth-htp Pth-htp, probably of the SixthDynasty. Date: theverybeginning Epigraphicrecord:provincial monuments 35 Tomb oijj-mrjj at Gebel el-Teyr.PM IV, 127: bearersis describedas being the woman in a processionof threeoffering The first mistress of honourbefore(her) mother and 'the hr sn{t)-dt sn(t)-dt nbtjmih mwtjtmjtt and (her) father'. Date: probablyFourth-Fifth Dynasty.31 services theorganisation Textsconcerning of privatefunerary Giza. PM III/i, 308; Urk.I, 163-5; H. Goedicke, of Tntjfrom 36 CCG 57139,inscription aus demAltenReich(BWZKM 5; Vienna, 1970), 122-30, DieprivatenRechtsinschriften pl. xiii:

andfe-ritualist' 'thesn-dt hm-ki Sn-dt Ki-m-nfrt. Date: Fifth Dynasty.

31 A. Kamal, 'Fouilles a Gebel-el-Teyr',ASAE 4 (1903), 87; D. Kessler,Historische derRegion Topographie Mallawi undSamalut (TAVO 30; Wiesbaden,1981), 314-17. zwischen

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'Deux inscripofPn-mrw from Giza.PM III/i, 82-3;B. Grdseloff, 37 G 2197, inscription II. - L' inscription tions deTAncien I .- L' inscription deKhenemty. juridiques Empire, de Penmerou', ASAE 42 (1943),39-43(fig. Dieprivaten ten, Rechtsinschrif 3); Goedicke, I Western W. K. Mastabas the Boston, 68-74,pl-vi; (GMas 4; Simpson, Cemetery, of xlvii: 1980),24,pisxlvi.b, Sn-dt 'thesn-dt hm-k? andfo-ritualist' Neferhotep. Date: endof theFifth Dynasty. The sn-dtof the Old Kingdom:historicaland sociological interpretation The interpretation Since the of the termsn-dtcontinuesto raise manyquestions.32 most extensivetextsconcerning were found,unsurthe role played by the snw-dt in tombs and deal withthe organisation serviceof their of the funerary prisingly, carriedout researchers have stressed the of the activities owners, funerary aspects An additionalproblemis the elusivesignification of the termdt,freby thesnw-dt. quentlyfound in compositetermsfromthe Old Kingdom, and which raises also the possibilityof ambiguity it can stand forpr-dt.As a since, in some contexts, a sn-dt has sometimes been as consequence, interpreted a fiduciary agent,appointed or the the owner in tomb the of an administered the absence who by king heir, serviceof the dead, as well as beingin chargeof the goods allocatedto the funerary of funerary thereare exampleswherea son or a delivery Nevertheless, offerings.33 close relativeis also definedas a sn-dt,whereasin otherinstancesthe people who fulfilled thisritualdutywerenotdescribedas beingsnw-dt. In othercases,thesnw-dt contexts whichhave nothing to do withfunerary appear in administrative activities, and the frequent existenceof multiplesnw-dt at the serviceof a single dignitary mustbe also takenintoaccount.Even in the case of the mostdetailedsourcesfrom theepigraphic such as theinscription of Tntj,his wifeand a sn-dt sharedthe record, forcarrying out the ritualfunctions. responsibility Finally,one has to considerthe of othermeansof transmission of goods and property to a third availability partyin orderto organise thefunerary serviceof a dignitary, wherethepresence of a sn-dt was not in as the it is that neither apparently necessary, documents;34 noteworthy jmjt-pr Niankhkhnum nor Khunmhotep are defined as sn-dtin thetitlesin theirtombor in thetextregulating theorganisation of theirfunerary service,in spiteof being,in all brothers.35 probability, Sn-dt in administrative documents The oldest attestedreference to a sn-dtis probablyto be foundin the onomastic calledJw-sn-dt is known at Helwanand he certainly antedates domain,sincean official
in der Vorstellung der Agypter des Alten Reichs,tr. R. MiillerJEA 67, 31-5; J. J. Perepelkin, Privateigentum

32Cf.W. Boochs, 'Zur Funktion dessndt\VAi (1985),3-9,with Cf.alsoY. Harpur, previous bibliography.

Wollermann Index Titles Zum (Tubingen, 1986),29-62;Jones, ofAncient Egyptian , II, 907-8;M. Fitzenreiter, imAlten Reich Toteneigentum (Achet A4; Berlin, 2004),59,62-4,67. 33Boochs, VA1,6-7; Perepelkin, Privateigentum, 58-9;Fitzenreiter, Toteneigentum, 59,63-4. 34Cf.,for thetexts in Goedicke, Privaten example, published 82,95, 108,113,133,144.In Rechtsinschriften, cf.T. Logan,'TheJmyt-pr Document: andSignificance', general, Form, Function, JARCE 37 (2000),49-73. 35The inscription is published inA. M. MoussaandH. Altenmiiller, Das Grab desNianchchnum undChnum(AVDAIK 21; MainzamRhein, hotep n, pl. xxviii. 1977), fig.

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But it is the administrative recordwhichprovidesadditional the reignof Snefru.36 from evidenceabout thesn-dt an earlydate,as the recent relevant of the publication archivecan be dated to the FourthDynasty Gebeleinpapyrishows.This important and on a solid archaeological and it providesa new insight basis,37 palaeographical in Egyptiansociety. intotheroleplayedby thesn-dt P. Gebelein IV vs. is an administrative book-keepingaccount which recordsa of a village committed list of the inhabitants to delivera certainamountof textile Papyridealingwithsimilarsubjectsare well documentedin textsfrom production. of P. GebeleinIV vs. is thateach columnof buttheparticularity theNew Kingdom,38 thefunction and name of thepersonsupposed to deliverthe thetextmentions, first, - usuallya woman theduty and,second,thepersonwhoactually performed garments - althoughin determinative) (z?(t) 'daughter',hm{i) 'wife',or simplythe feminine threeinstancesthe wordjt 'father'followsthe name of a woman. In column6 the Briefas thisinformation the titleand name of Dbrw.39 scribewrotesn-dtafter may that the masculine name must be in nevertheless shows a broad it be, interpreted sense,because it does not necessarily designatethe personwho actuallyperformed forproviding the labourworkor thetaskbut thehead of the householdresponsible theworkhimself, a dutyout.4It seemsthatwhenhe did notaccomplish forcarrying his wife,daughter, or sn-dt. the taskpassed on to someoneelse in his family: father, of the Gebelein papyri: sn-dtcoverstwo basic meaningsin the context Accordingly, on the one hand, it had an administrative meaningthat went beyond the private and identify a person in a bureaucratic record; sphere,since it was used to classify a to a to the it close other on the hand, designated relationship person, pointof and, forhim or her and to be consideredas the equivalentof a being able to substitute in an administrative document. of his or herfamily member The male inhabitants of two thisinterpretation. PapyrusGebeleinV rt.confirms in P. Gebelein as the certain to deliver were examplesprovidedby goods and, villages IV vs. just mentioned,their titles and names were usually followedby a brief notation:ds if theyhad accomplishedtheirduties themselves or, more frequently, and snzi 'son', sn 'brother', mwt'mother',zi{t) 'daughter', hm(i) 'wife',sn(t)-dt,41 the names of the without wrote dt.*2 Sometimesthe scribesimply substitutes, any
36 P. Kaplony, Friihzeit derdgyptischen Die Inschriften (AA 8; Wiesbaden,1963), I, 23 1 (no. 19). Cf.also Fitzenreiter, 65 n. 233. Toteneigentum, 37 For thepalaeography, a Gebelein discovered P. Suppl. 14062,from cf.theparallelsprovidedby therecently fourof thembeingmjtr: E. Fiore Marochetti, whichcontainsa listof ninepersons, tombof the FourthDynasty, 'Le paquet: Sepultureanonyme de la IVe dynasF. Cesarini,and R. Grilleto, A. Curti,S. Demichelis,F. Janot, de Gebelein',BIFAO 103 (2003), 246-8, 256 (fig.11). tie provenant 38 Cf., for example, P. Brooklyn35.1453A-B: V. Condon, 'Two Account Papyri of the Late Eighteenth 'Two VariantAccounts?', 35.1453 A and B)', RdE 35 (1984), 57-82, pis iv-vii,J.J.Janssen, Dynasty(Brooklyn Late Egyptian Miscellanies VA 1 (1985), 109-12; P. AnastasiVI: A. H. Gardiner, (BAe 7; Brussels,1937), 73.1074.9, R. A. Caminos, Late EgyptianMiscellanies(BEStud 1; Oxford,1954), 280-93; or Gurob FragmentY: of the Documents Administrative Ramesside A. H. Gardiner, (Oxford,1948), 24.6-26.14. For a generaloverview at Amarna The AncientTextile cf. B. J.Kemp and G. Vogelsang-Eastwood, fortextiles, Industry quota-system (EES EM 68; London, 2001), 427-36. 39 P. Gebelein IV vs. 6, Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pl. xxxv. 40 Cf.,for the the thecase of thewomanand hmt-nzwt jrj-mdnjrw, Tpj,in whosehouse(pr.s)werelisted example, I papiridi Gebelein, thejrjhtjtn and thejz(?) Nfr(l) (P. GebeleinII vs. H: Posener-Krieger, pl. xvi). zsMdw-nfr, 41 P. GebeleinV rt.9, Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pl. xxxvii. 42 P. GebeleinV rt.21, Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pl. xxxvii.

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additionalqualification. The information containedin R Gebelein V vs. is of the same nature a numberof women(hmt, mwt, z?t) and a sn-dtreplacedthe persons are definedas dt.*A who had to deliverproducts.43 In two instancesthe substitutes documents of the The samepractice in personnel is attested listsfrom administrative Middle Kingdom,wheresome individuals are statedto appearpersonally (jnj hr-tp.f 'to bringin person') in orderto carryout theirdutieswhereasin some othercases theywerereplacedby theirwifeor theirmother.45 of snIt is noteworthy the condition that,as in the case of the epigraphic record, textsclearly dt encompassedboth men and women; in additionthe administrative on the written showthata sn-dt could also be of humblecondition. The inscriptions wooden box whichcontainedthe Gebelein papyriconsistof a list of persons,male and female,includingthe sn(t)-dt and the hm-nzwt sn-dt Jr[...] who appears Jtw;*6 All these as the purchaserof a house in a sale documentfromthe same archive.47 showthatthetermsn-dt documents was notrestricted to theprivate sphereand that, to label people who it was used in the administrative documents quite the contrary, in others a where of the context members replaced family mightbe expected.It is difficult to stateprecisely thenatureof theclose tiesexisting betweenthesepersons, or whatis expressedby means of the termsn-dt, but theywereconsideredrelevant records. enoughto be notedin official References to thesn-dt also occurin thepapyrifrom thefunerary complexof king thesn-dt the Fifth-Sixth whichmention'Rr-htp, Neferirkare, datingfrom Dynasty, of thehairdresser of the palace Nj-m^t-Pthy in a listof officials in chargeof certain administrative or ritualactivities(doc. 83), and 'the prophetJrj-n-Pth, the sn-dt of the controller of prophetsWr-k?y in a (probably)royaldecree (doc. 17A).48 The names of the officials in doc. 83 were in some instancesfollowedby the termds.f, the notationusuallyattestedin listsof personnelin orderto expressthata person had himself fulfilled a certaindutyor task. In othercases thename of thesubstitute was written after thatof a worker or a ritualist, as in the case of Rr-htp. Again it is evident thatnoting thatsomebody was a sn-dt of another had an administrative value, as if his own titleswereinsufficient to expresshis fullidentity or his presencein an official who was also a hm-ntr. record;forexample,in thecase of thesn-dt Jrj-n-Pth, One important is not limitedto thesn-dtin the aspect is thatthe role of substitutes of in as in theGebeleinpapyri, or individuals papyri Neferirkare; fact, only dt-people mentioned name also the same role.49 by played The generalimpression from theadministrative documents is thattheyonlystress some of theactivities carriedout by thesn-dt thatof substitute foranother person
43 P. GebeleinV vs. 6, Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pl. xl. 44 P. GebeleinV rt.4 and 61, Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pis xl, xlii. 45 Cf. P. Berlin 10047, H-4> 7> J9~2i, U. Luft, Urkunden zur Chronologie derspdten 12. Dynastie:Brief e aus Illahun (DGOAW 34 = CCEM 7; Vienna,2006), 91-6, pl. xxix. 4 Cairo JdE 66844 (C 4), Posener-Krieger, in Berger, a Jean Leclant,I, Clerc, and Grimal (eds), Hommages 322 (fig.8). 47 P. Gebelein I vs. B, 5, Posener-Krieger, I papiridi Gebelein, pl. v. 48 Documents83 and 17A respectively: and de Cenival,TheAbu Sir Papyri, Posener-Krieger pis xvii.A,lxxxiii; Les archives du temple Posener-Krieger, II, 398, 472-3. funeraire, 49 Document 82 mentions some dt: Posener-Krieger and de Cenival, The Abu Sir Papyri,pl. lxxxii;PosenerLes archives du temple Krieger, I, 109. funeraire,

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of a different in the fulfilling of a task. It mightbe expectedthatdocuments nature will show othersets of context(such as funerary or froma different inscriptions) sn-dt. into out the consideration all the areas in which carried activities by Taking can providea morebalancedpicture of theroletheyplayed,and intervened thesn-dt a pictureby relying too restricted avoid the riskof getting on a rather exclusively The papyrialso show thatthe role of thesnset of documents. limitedand specific was not exclusiveto thisgroup of people. Nevertheless, dt as substitutes theywere tied to otherpersonsto the point of being consideredmore or less as membersof could be an elite or a humbleone. The and theirsocial background theirfamilies, and people simplymentioned betweensn-dt, difference dty by theirnames,without relevance forthe factof being indication, pointsto a bureaucratic anytitleor family a Gebelein V rt. shows that sn 'brother' and a sn-dtcould a sn-dt.Finally, papyrus thisfactit can be inferred thatthetwoterms were replaceanother person,and from twodistinct kindsof social links. notsimilarand that,consequently, theydesignate The sn-dtin funerary dispositions from about theactivSeveralinscriptions provideinformation funerary dispositions in theorganisation of thefunerary serviceor thebuilding itiesperformed bythesn-dt of a tombforanother person. inthetombof Nj-mirt-Rr thefollowing statement: The inscription (no. 18) contains jr n.sjz pn dt.ssk s(j) m hnwmjpt-nzwt m-swj pr-<iNj-m;rt-Rr jn sn.sdtjmj-rhs(w)t of thepalace singers nb'it was hersn-dt hrnzwtrr , theoverseer Nj-m;rt-Rry nfr jmsh.s forher when she was at the Residence,in who built this tomb of her endowment condition of beingrevered before thekingevery the royalharem,due to herperfect in this mentioned notethatthetomb(jz) of theladyNfr-srs It is of particular day\5 That the textconsistsin factof a chapel built in the tomb of her sn-dtNj-m?rt-Rr. of Nj-m;rt-Rr is explicitly statedin severalother tombbelongedto the endowment tomb of 'this in his tomb:jz pn dt(.j) myendowment',51 jrjzpnjr.n(.j) sw inscriptions of being m-swj jnuh(.j) [...] 'as forthistomb,I have builtit because of mycondition revered [...] 'as forthe [...]\52andjrjz n dt(.j)jr.n(.j) sw m-swj[...] rdj.n(.j)n hm(w)t I have builtit due to [...] and I have givento the artisans tombof myendowment, mentions one of the sourcesof the offerings inscription [...]\53Anotherinteresting wdb-rd at the disposal of Nj-m?rt-Rr: htp(i)-ntr [...] n mwtnzwtmwt bjtj [...] n jn.sn of theLower of thekingof Upper Egyptand mother jmj-r[...] 'it is [. . .] tothemother of) divineofferings (consisting [...] to the offerings Egyptthattheybringreversion of twodifferent dt anomalousexistence overseer [...]'.54These textsrevealtherather n the tomb of 'the in monument: a involved 'endowments' (jz dt(.j) Nj-m?rt-Rr single built inside his mastaba (jz pn tomb of my endowment')and the chapel of Nfr-srs statethata (pr-)dt dt.s 'thistomb of her endowment').Since Egyptianinscriptions
s Hassan, Excavations at Giza II, 205 (fig.226). *' Ibid., 213 (fig.231). 52 Ibid., 205 (fig.226).

53Ibid.,fig. A Visit intheOld Kingdom: tothe Economics ofTomb-Building 'The Practical 240;A. M. Roth, Ka: in For His in P. Silverman D. in a (ed.), Essays Offered Memory ofKlausBaer Chair', Necropolis Carrying 16.3). 1994), 231(fig. (SAOC 55; Chicago,
54 Hassan, Excavations at Giza II, 214 (fig.232).

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was grantedby the kingto an official,55 it can be inferred thatthe buildingof the because chapelof Nfr-srs mayhaveposed someadministrative problems, particularly thereis no reference link betweenNj-m?rt-Rr The only to a family and Nfr-srs.56 of them both from the texts was a because one, relationship apparent professional were involvedwiththe controlof dancersand singersin the royalpalace. Another and a templewere of a royalmother problemcould be the factthatthe endowment in thedelivering The use involved of funerary to thetombof Nj-m?rt-Rr.57 offerings of the termsn-dtmay indicate,in this context, a procedurewhereby a person (the could benefit fromthe goods not originally secondaryrecipient) grantedto him or The intervention of her,but allocatedto anotherdignitary (the originalrecipient). a sn-dtas a middlemanallowed the secondaryrecipient fromthe goods to benefit conferred these to another but without originally goods as his person, considering own. So, Nfr-srs was the secondaryrecipient of the offerings and the monument As her chapel is statedto belong to her {pr-)dt> grantedto or built by Nj-m;rt-Rr. even if it was builtinsidethe funerary of anotherperson,one can infer monument thatNj-rmrt-Rr administered or had access to the goods of Nfr-srs' (pr-)dtin order to build her chapel in his tomb.If thisinterpretation is correct, thesn-dt procedure allowedthe goods whichconstituted of the two different those (pr-)dt, originaland to be keptclearly sn 'brother' secondary recipients, separate.And theuse of theterm in thisoperation as wellas the emphasizedboththeclosenessof thepersonsinvolved of their sharing goods. The case of Htp-ki(no. 24) further out the procedure fleshes just described.An inscribed woodendoor leaf foundnearthetombof thearchitect Ki-m-hztmentions his father, as well as Sn.f-rnhys fivesons: Ki-m-hzthimself, Sn.f-rnh, Ki-pw-nzwt, and It Ki-hnt. must be stressed that the wooden door leaf was notfound Mmj,Htp-hy in themastabaof Ki-m-hzt buton theeast side of an unexcavated tombimmediately to thewest; Gunn thought thatalthough Ki-m-hztwas the donorof the door,it did notbelongtohimorhistomb, butperhapsto another In member of thesamefamily.58 the tomb of Ki-m-hzt withthetombs fact, belongsto a largefamily complextogether of two of his brothers, a factthatcould explain the presenceof some monuments commissioned in orderto honourthe most prestigious by membersof this family member and builderof thefirst and largest tombof thegroup.Nevertheless itmight be keptin mindthatin spiteof the prominent of Ki-m-hzty the onlybrother figure with him was An in of Ki-mrepresented together Htp-k;. inscription running front hztandHtp-h states n.sn :jr( .j) nwnjt(.j) nsnw(.j)n-mrwt prt-hrw hnr(.j) mjst(.j)'itwas in orderthattheymighthave invocation withme, from offerings together my(own)
territoriale 210-22. (BEHE SHP 337;Paris, 1999), 5 The tomb ofNj-m?rt-Rr contains textual andiconographic evidence about hiswife andsons, butthere is no information about in herchapel. Cf.thecontrast with who was wife family Nfr-srs Hnwt, Htp-hr.s Nj-mirt-Rr>s andwhobears theepithets mrt ofherhusband' andjmih(w)t hrhj.s'revered onher hj.s'beloved byherhusband' ownfalse-door stela Excavations at Giza II, 210fig. (Hassan, 230). 57The use of theterm 'divine that a temple to Nj-m?rt-Rr, delivered htp(t)-ntr offerings' suggests offerings orperhaps theendowment oftheroyal mother. Forsomeparallels, cf.Moreno perhaps directly through Garcia,
55J.C. Moreno Garcia,Hwt etle milieu rural du IIP millenaire: etorganisation administration Economie, egyptien

Hwt et le milieu ruralegyptien, 110-11. 58 McFarlane,Mastabas at Saqqara, 42.

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and my brothers'(Urk. I, 206.14-15). But that I built this formy father property, of Ki-m-hztand Htp-k?, another running just below the representations inscription, and overseer ihtstlt2 'thesn-dt grgt Hm-dfi qd Htp-kirdjn.fmNrrt says:sn-dtjmj-r in the of Naret the of architects Hemdjefa province (= nomes Htp-kr. grgt-domain 20-21 of Upper Egypt)has been givento him (consisting of) a fieldof two arouras' 59 thissentenceas a continuation and a specification of (Urk. I, 207.2-3). I interpret of the previousone, whichwould make Htp-k?the donor of the door the contents the dimensions of thehieroglyphs his elderbrother: of the as a meansof honouring to explainif thedoorhad secondsentence (whichconcerns Htp-ki)wouldbe difficult been orderedby Ki-m-hzt.Consideringthe textsand scene, it seems reasonableto monument commissioned doorleafwas a commemorative thattheinscribed think by was thathe had obtaineda domain,and thatthemonument sincehe stressed Htp-k?, of theprotagonist of theseactivities. and brothers tothefather consecrated Moreover, who the tomb of a Ki-m-hzt was not the near the monument person appears The identity of the personwithwhomHtp-ki of the inscriptions. main protagonist is therefore maintaineda sn-dtrelationship problematic. Perhaps he was the sn-dt reveal that a in fact, and brothers; of his father personcould be thesn(t)-dt parallels As the or husband (cf.nos 15, 16, 21, and 30 in the repertory). of a father, brother, fromhis own thathe receiveda fieldand thathe deliveredofferings textmentions similar thegeneralcontext seemsrather of his family, to theothermembers property It would seem that,once again,an official to thatdiscussedforNj-m?rt-Rr. (Htp-ki) on behalf of to finance activities resources his own at least people used, partially, brother and the father of endowment of the who werenottheoriginal (the recipients of the originof the donation,the Htp-ki). In spiteof the absence of any indication and theverbemployed(rdj insteadof,forexample, area of thefields(two arouras)60 suggestan official, jrj orjn, theverbsthenused to expressthe acquisitionof land),61 the sn-dtof royaldonationinsteadof a privatepurchase.If Htp-kiwas effectively we would have another and brothers, his father exampleof theroleplayedby thesnincomewere usufructs and official whereindirect in transactions dt as intermediary involved. The epigraphicrecordof the singerof the palace Hwfw-rnh (cf. no. 12) points - a since his son statesthathe had also built a monument in the same direction, - to honouranothermemberof his family, came froma stela Hwfw-rnh. Hwfw-rnh and he himselfbore thistitle)and he also had of hntjw-s mother, (his father, family of singerof the palace and of his functions because close ties withthe royalcircle
59Alternatively, 2 'it Nrrt ihtstlt as sn-dtjmj-r onecanalsoreadthissentence grgt Hm-dfi rdjn.fm qdHtp-ki intheprovince of Naret whogavehimthegrg-domain of architects andoverseer is thesn-dt Hemdjefa Htp-ki of twoarouras' 20-1 of UpperEgypt) (J.C. MorenoGarcia,'Administration of)a field (consisting (= nomes avant etle titre millenaire enEgypte au troisieme de l'espace etorganisation territoriale J.-C:grgt r(n)d-mr grgt\ ZAS 123(1996),117). 60This CT III, 88h, Urk.I, 25.4,163.14; texts for andritual bothin private (cf., example, appears quantity of minimal standard landed endowa kind n8g, i37g,153c;VI, 248d;VII, 505a,506a),as ifitwasconsidered ofofferings. totheproduction devoted ment 61Cf.thecontrast oflandin Urk. theacquisition intheuseoftheverbs I, 2.8-9.Forthe jn andrdjconcerning cf.J.C. Moreno inthethird to landpurchase intexts terms Garcia, millennium, 'Acquisition relating employed du IIP millenaire', sociale dansl'Egypte d'histoire Uneetude Intermediate: Periode la Premiere durant de serfs RdE 51(2000),123-39.

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chief of flautistsresponsible for the entertainmentfor the king. The inscriptions on the false-door in his mastaba stress the fact that the king himself furnishedthe hr hm.fsk sw rnhhr rdwj.f funeraryequipment forhis tomb: jr.n n.f hm.fnw rjrrnh.f 'it was when he was alive on his feetthat His Majesty did this forhim because of his ' condition of being honoured before His Majesty', and jr gs nzwt ds.f hr pgi n dldw 'done in the presence of the king himself at the entrance of the audience-hall'. By contrast,his own son could only dedicate a stela to him: rh nzwt Hwfw-rnh jr.n n.f nw zi.f [...] 'the acquaintance of the king Hwfw-rnh, his son [...] built this for him'. The presence of at least four snw-dt in his funerarymonument, including a snt-dt who very close to the inner core of Hwfw-rnhys family, points to an importantofficial from snw-dt;one of these, K?p, is probably managed to obtain invocation offerings one of the homonymous hntj-s(pr-ri)whose statues were found in the tomb of Hwfwrnhand, consequently,he was a colleague of his. The inscriptionsof Pn-mrw(no. 37) and Tntj (no. 36) doubtless provide the richest informationabout the role played by the sn-dt in a funerarycontext. Tntj was a middle rank officialwho received invocation offerings fromthe pr-nzwt,which were administered by his wife: 'with regard to the invocation offerings which have come to me fromthe house of the king in the formof barley,wheat, and clothing,it is my who will provide my invocation offerings, wife, the royal acquaintance Tp-m-nfrt, for she is an honoured one for me' (Urk. I, 163.11-13).62 But the main concern of the funerarydispositions in his tomb was to participate in the funeraryendowment originally granted to his mother, the rh(t) nzwt Bbj, consisting of two fields. The measures taken by Tntj were twofold. On the one hand, he asked royal permission to dispose of one field fromBbj's endowment, apparently invoking his status as eldest son who had accomplished the pious act of burying his mother: 'I am her eldest son, her heir. It was I who buried her in the necropolis' (Urk. I, 164.2-3). This field was to be administered by his wife, and its income devoted to the remunerationof several hmw-kt in charge of the funeraryservice for Tntj and Bbj: 'with regards to the first of two fieldswhich provide the invocation offerings formy mother,the royal acquaintance Bbj, it now belongs to my wife, the royal acquaintance Tepemnefret. She is the one who shall make the invocation offerings for me and my mother,the royal acquaintance Bbj. It was I who begged them (= the plots of land) fromthe king because of my condition of being honoured' (Urk. I, 163. 14-164. 1). On the other hand, some otherinstitutionalofferings formerly grantedto Tntfs mother,Bbj, as well as another field,were to be administered by the sn-dtKij-m-nfrtin order to provide invocation offerings for Tntj and his mother: 'with regard to the invocation offerings formy mother,the royal acquaintance Bbj, consisting of barley and wheat fromthe who granary,and clothing fromthe treasury,it is my sn-dt,the ka priest Kij-m-nfrt, shall provide the invocation offerings thereformy mother,the royalacquaintance Bbj, and formyself. As regards the second of these two fieldswhich provide the invocation formy mother,the royal acquaintance Bebi, it shall belong to my sn-dt,the offerings fe-ritualistKij-m-nfrt.It is he who shall provide the invocation offerings there for
2005), 202-3 (no. 115).

62 For a recenttranslation of thistext,see N. C. Strudwick, Texts fromthePyramid Age (WAW 16; Atlanta,

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theroyalacquaintanceBbj, and formyself. (Urk. I, 164.13-165.2).The mymother, describesthemeasureshe tookin orderto ensure in thetombof Pn-mrw inscription that invocationofferings subsequently originallydeliveredto the vizier Ssm-nfr 'with to thesn-dt thekito himthrough reverted (lines2-4): Nfr-htp regard mysn-dt, and mother, and his children of father ritualist theyareto be thefo-ritualists Nfr-htp, forthe invocation formytombof of mypersonalendowment offerings responsible of Khufu; theyare also thosewho in the necropolisof the pyramid myendowment In exchange of thevizierSsm-nfr\63 me the reversion to offerings mysovereign, bring of Pn-mrw was paid witha fieldoverwhichthedescendants forthisservice, Nfr-htp wouldnothave anyrights (lines4-8): 'withregardto theone kha (=10 arouras)field whichI have givento him and thesehis children,I do not empowerany personto I do notempoweranyson of mineor overhimand thesehis children; haveauthority A final in thetextsprotects a field of mineto haveauthority'. disposition anychildren from thatcould be therh(t)nzwtMrt-jt.s, 's wife, to Pn-mrw anyreallocation granted made by theirdescendants (line 9): 'he shall give 5 ta measuresof land as invocation of theroyalacquaintanceMrt-jt.s\ offerings elementsin common. In both cases, the These two textshave some important been receivedgoods whichhad not originally of the invocation offerings recipients to them,and whichdid not belongto theirown patrimonies; theyhad been granted of one of them.It seemsas if thefactof having allocatedto a vizierand to themother in theiruse or administration access to thesegoods impliedsome kindof restriction as as mediators as otherpersonsintervened forthesecondary (thesn-dt beneficiaries, from these did benefit well as the wifeof one of them).AlthoughTntj and Pn-mrw goods, theycontinuedto be consideredas belongingto a separatesphere,distinct or as mediator The roleplayedbythesn-dt from thepossessionsof Tntjand Pn-mrw. with a was the for remuneration, beneficiary recompensed secondary representative of the goods. of the finalrecipient even whenhe was a close memberof the family Anothercommonaspect of the textscited seems to be thatthe goods whichwere institutional had an official, transferred royalendowment, origin(stateremuneration, of the royal a member or even a froma temple reversion high official, offerings In some cases the context and thattheywerenot privateproperty. suggests family), of or allocations the fields as thattheycame from (such as Htp-kt), (such royalgrants statedthatroyal but in otherexamplesit is clearly and Nfr-srs)y thedt of Nj-m?rt-Rr to enjoythem. was necessary permission in the tomb of thejmj-ht of the zs pr-hdHr.f-Pth The inscription pr-hdNj-hwfrom a sociologicalpointof view.It states: to interpret Pth is moredifficult jn snfdt in the beautiful he was buried 'it was when sw m-mjmihww nfrt mjmntt jr nfsk qrs{w) thathis sn-dtmade (this) forhim'. Nothingis said about west,amongthe revered, worked But sincethey betweenthesetwoofficials. sn-dt thedetailsof the relationship branch(the pr-hd) forthe same administrative , it is possible thattheircase might involved two dignitaries and Nfr-srs, show some parallelswith that of Nj-mirt-Rr the controlof dancers and singersin the royal in the same professional activities, of the evidence this interpretation in the absence of further palace. Nevertheless,
63 Cf. a recent Texts thePyramid of thistextin Strudwick, translation Age, 200-1 (no. 112). from

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thesntis purelyspeculative. and Nj-ktw-Pth betweenHr.f-Pth Finally, relationship he when dt Hhj declaresthatshe had offered a statueto thejmj-htzi-pvKi-pw-Pth could providea funerary thata sn-dt confirm was buried.These twoexamplesfurther foranother monument person. The titlesof the sn-dtand of their'patrons' The titles of sn(w)-dt sphereof thoseborne usuallybelongto thesame administrative as if theywere It seems by the 'patrons' in whose tombs theywere represented. withthe obviousexception in the same administrative branches, colleaguesworking in thecountry. official thehighest of thesn(w)-dt who wereat the serviceof a vizier, of Khafre,whereas of the pyramid and shdwrb(w) Jttj,forexample,was smrn pr-r? a scribeof the same functions. exerted his 'patron',Hr.f-Rr-rnhy Pth-fc.fwas exactly the same the treasury, whereashis 'patron',Nj-ktw-Pth, displaystitlesconcerning This example Whm-ki. likehis father And thesn-dtSnb was zs pr-mdrt, institution. as evoked by the termsn-dt> shows the fictional natureof the siblingrelationship it was displayedby wives (cf. nos 16, 21, and 30) or sons (cf.nos 15 and 24) of the own tombs(nos 14, 18, thesn(w)-dt ownersof thetombs.Sometimes, possessedtheir at the same scale as their'patrons'in the funerary and 34) or theywererepresented and Nfr of thestelaofJtj-sn as in thecase of thefragment of thelatter, monuments in the Cairo Museum. areonly to observethatsn(w)-dt itis interesting Froma chronological pointof view, in monuments dated from the Fourthto theend of the FifthDynastyor the attested betweenGiza and Saqqara: there difference of theSixth,witha slight verybeginning weremoresn{w)-dt fromthe FourthDynastyat Giza, whereasthe titlesurvivedat to be element Another of the SixthDynasty. important Saqqara untilthebeginning about the middleof the FifthDynastythe 'patrons' consideredis the factthatfrom of thesn{w)-dt knownat Saqqara wereviziers(Ph-n-w(j)-k?y II), or Pth-htp Iht-htp, Shmin theadministration of thevizier'sbureau(hwt-wrt: officials involved Ntr-wsr, at his II, had by farthe largestnumberof sn(w)-dt ki). The latestof them,Pth-htp Tzmwclaimedto be the sn-dt service(fifteen), and probablyeven more:the official in thetombof of Pth-htp II), eventhoughhe was notrepresented Pth-htp (probably II is exceptional whencomparedto other thiswell-known vizier.The case of Pth-htp werementioned in four five cases twosn(w)-dt or,perhaps, 'patrons'of manysn(w)-dt: in thetombof an official, in which three of themappear and there cases areonlythree at theserviceof a singledignitary. The commonest situation was,then,thatonlyone was no correlation sn-dt thatthere was connected to a 'patron'.It is also worth noting betweenthe display of high titlesby an official and the mentionof a numberof sn-dtin his tomb.Since the sn(w)-dt fortheir'patrons'in the appear as substitutes 64 of or betweentheir'patrons' rituals nos as intermediaries performance (cf. 7-8), and a source of revenues, one can reasonably inferthatthe sn(w)-dtat the service sourcesof of a memberof the elite revealthatthesepeople accumulatedimportant
64 Many ownersof thetombswheresn{w)-dt of thekingor a pyramid wererepresented werew>r&-ritualists (cf. nos 9, 10, 14, 16, 29, 34, and 37), or hm-ntr of a king(cf.nos 25, 26, and 29).

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in a number of official activities. The case revenues institutional by participating an exceptionally or sixteen his (at least)fifteen of Pth-htp snw-dt, II, with suggests social which led to the and of economic position, probably suppression prominent thelastone to institution thesn-dt him,sincehis tombis quiteprobably just after sn-dt. It is alsoremarkable that the'patrons' ofthe thetitle showindividuals bearing in ritual in of middle rank involved activities attested at Giza werecourtiers snw-dt a at had more administrative their whereas thepalace, prominent colleagues Saqqara in the snw-dt tombs alsodisplay viziers and as officials; represented their high profile of administrative nature. of them setof titles, a richer many and roleofthesn-dt thestatus Conclusion: as wasthecase where were ofthetombs theowners were snw-dt Several buried, they built for tomb, and,probably, Tzmw, Nfr(inhiscaseitwasa double Nj-rmct-Rr, Jttj, were stresses thefact that This circumstance andNfrhimself). for they usually jftj-sn monuments and thattheir own funerary to possesstheir richenough relationship of relationkind close but some a full didnotimply with their dependence, 'patrons' in at thesamesize as their wererepresented somesnw-dt 'patrons' ship.Moreover, their titles which confirm andthey ofthelatter, thetombs display important usually elite. of theEgyptian as members socialstatus wereusually of thekindwhere of their therange If we examine activities, they of a like have been would son of an elder theintervention expected, thebuilding in the of thechiefof thefamily or thereplacement tombfora deceasedperson, forthedead. and rituals of offerings or in theprovision of works accomplishment endowment from thefunerary a field he had received that stated for example, Tntjy field as for another buried had as a piouseldersonwho of hismother her; originally of the benefit for a sn-dt was administered it his to Tntj.The by mother, granted from wereof a very outbythesnw-dt carried activities nature, independent specific and their them between or family Brothers, 'patrons'. relationship anytruesibling his term couldalsobe designated of the'patron' orwives being despite bythis sons, of the did notbelongto thefamily truerelations, just as in thecaseswhena sn-dt dead. orsubstitute theroleofrepresentative a sn-dt other In certain of, instances, played tookplacein the which activities as in theceremonial orworker, official another for, from administrative of the lists in or of thepharaohs, personnel complexes funerary at ofthesources thescarcity suchas theGebelein documents Unfortunately, papyri. ofthesocialroleplayed definition ofa thorough theformulation ourdisposal impedes is activities documented totheir a common tomethat butitseems aspect bya sn-dt, and the in the both for a 'patron' a substitute of being thefact sphere. private public ritual of the the concern detailed The most funerary service organisation inscriptions in thetransfer mediated thesn-dt where of histomb, orthebuilding of the'patron' to him.This had notbeenoriginally of goodsto the'patron', granted goodswhich at the of therangeof goods allowedboththeenlargement disposalof procedure of ritual of a number theaccumulation moreimportantly, a 'patron' and,perhaps havebeenabletofulfil hewouldnototherwise functions effectively. which, probably,

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This procedurecould also turnout to be an important way of creatingclienteles betweenmembersof the elite,65 because of the restricted access to certainritual functions in the funerary and the where of Pharaohs, royalpermission complexes decreeswere needed, and whichwere,forthis reason,reservedforhigh officials.66 This circumstance could explain why high officials, like the viziers,were the last officials to have snw-dt at theirservice. or But the most important documentedrole played by the sn-dtas a substitute forthe middleman was to administer thegoods belonging to thepr-dtof a dignitary benefit of theholderof another a procedure whichallowedthetwopr-dtto be pr-dt, thegoods granted keptclearly by thestate separated.As theterm(pr-)dtdesignated to an official as remuneration or recompense forhis services, the literalmeaningof to sn-dt'brother of the dty but complementary impliesthe idea of a personexternal inthe(pr-)dt of an official, in theperformance of certain duties.The sn-dt especially stitution was perhapsone of themany'fictional whichenabledthe family' procedures transfer of goods betweenindividuals rulesof inheritance.67 leavingaside thefamily Withall theseconsiderations in mindthe differences betweena sn-dtand a dt can be better The term dtimpliestheexistence of somekindof patron/client appreciated. as in therecently case of Pttj quoted at thebeginning of this discovered relationship, article.68 He was thedtof theofficial shdnfr(w) rhnzwt dt 'theinspector Jtj-sn: Jtj-sn of recruit(s), the dt of the acquaintanceof the kingJtj-sny . But, on the otherhand, 'mourner'. Pttj was the patronof anotherperson of lesser status,a dt and mit(r)t themselves as being a pr-dtor n(j) dt '(member)of a (pr-)df People also identified at Elkab or Saqqara.69The natureof the as, forexample,in a numberof inscriptions sn-dtinstitution was by contrast since it expressedmainlya specific quite different administrative in which the of substitution or representation notions status/function wereimplied,and notprimarily a patron/client relationship.

65 Cf. the rhetorical claim by Hzj of having progressedin his career withoutthe supportof any backer, N. Kanawatiand M. Abder-Raziq,The Teti Cemetery at Saqqara, V: The Tombof Hesi (ACE Reports13; Warlix.b. minster, 1999), 37-8, pis xxxiii.b, 66 Cf. the listsof officials who carriedout ritualsat the funerary Posenercomplexof Pharaoh Neferirkare: Les archives du temple cf.P. Posener-Krieger, 'Decretsenvoyes Krieger, funeraire, passim.As fortheroyaldecrees, au templefuneraire de Reneferef ', in P. Posener-Krieger (ed.), MelangesGamal EddinMokhtar(BdE 97; Cairo, 1985), II, 195-210. 67 Cf. J.C. Moreno Garcia, reviewof N. Kanawati and M. at Saqqara, III Abder-Razig,The Teti Cemetery (Warminster, 2001), BiOr 60 (2003), 346 n. 25, and S. Allam,'PapyrusTurin 2021: Another AdoptionExtraordiin C. Cannuyer and J.-M.Kruchten(eds), Individu, societe etspiritualite dansVEgypte etcopte: nary1, pharaonique au Professeur AristideTheorides Melangesegyptologiques offerts (Ath, 1993), 23-8. Cf. also P. Rylands28, where a man and his family become the sons of a ritualist. Similarprocedures in Near Easternjuridiare well attested cal documents;cf.,forinstance, B. Lion, 'Les adoptionsd'hommesa Nuzi (XIVe s. av. J.-C.)',RHD 82 (2004), 537-76. 68 Mediterranean Hawass, in Knoppersand Hirsch (eds), Egypt, Israel,and theAncient World, 21-39. 69 Cf. LD II, 117.I, p, u; G. Jequier, Tombeaux de particuliers de Pepi II (Cairo, 1929), 101 (fig. contemporains 116). Cf. also titleslikehwt-r!t '(member)of thehwt-rn\ pr-r? '(member)of thepalace', and so on.

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