Vol.36.p.1007

Ancient People

• Idu (G 7102)

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Remarks Owner of G 7102. Appears multiple times in tomb decoration (chapel relief, architrave, door jambs, statuary), identified variously as [jmj-r Hwt wrt jmj-r sSw mrt xntj-S mnnfr-ppj Xrj tp nswt] overseer of the great chapel, overseer of scribes of the meret-serfs, palace attendant of (the pyramid-town) Mennefer-Pepi, he who is at the head of the king; in situ in G 7102. Possibly same individual as Idu (in G 7101), son of Qar (owner of G 7101). The relationship between Qar and Idu is difficult to determine; it seems certain that they are father and son, but it is not clear which is which since they each have a son named after the other (i.e. Qar has a son named Idu, Idu has a son named Qar). Qar (G 7101) has a sister named Bendjyt who may be identical to Bendjet, a daughter of Idu (G 7102), in which case Idu would be the father of Qar, but this is not at all certain.
• 

  Meresankh III (G 7530-7540)

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Remarks Owner of G 7530-7540.Granddaughter of King Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid, and wife of either Khafre or Menkaure. Her unique underground chapel (labeled G 7530-7540) preserves beautifully carved and painted scenes of the queen and her royal family, as well as servants, artisans, and funerary priests. The scenes also depict the sort of rich burial goods that would have been placed in Meresankh’s tomb: statues and fine furniture; boxes containing food, clothing, and jewelry; even a representation of the black granite sarcophagus that was actually found in situ in her burial chamber. Chapel entrance architrave, jambs, reveals and drum inscribed for Meresankh, idenitifed as [mAAt Hr stX wrt Hts nbwj xt Hr wrt Hst DHwtj smrt Hr mrt=f sAt nswt n Xt=f Hmt nswt mrt] seer of Horus and Seth, great one of the hetes-scepter of the Two Lords, khet-priestess of Horus, great of praises of Thoth, companion of Horus, his beloved, king's daughter of his body, beloved king's wife; in situ in G 7530-7540. Appears in chapel relief of main room: seated holding lotus (south wall); standing with her mother (east wall), idenitifed as [wrt Hts] great one of the hetes-scepter; on pillars (north wall), idenitifed as [tjst Hr] intimate(?) of Horus; seated at offering table, standing north of false door and on central pillar, and with her mother and son (west wall), idenitifed as [Hm-nTr DHwtj wrt Hts nbtj Hm-nTr bApf Hm-nTr HwtHr nbt jwnt smAwt mrjj nbtj] priestess of Thoth, great one of the hetes-scepter of the Two Ladies, priestess of Bapef, priestess of Hathor Mistress-of-Dendera, consort of him who is beloved of the Two Ladies; in situ in G 7530-7540. Also appears on all walls of offering (west) room; in situ in G 7530-7540. Architrave on north wall of north room inscribed for Meresankh; uninscribed statues may also represent Meresankh (along with other female family members); in situ in G 7530-7540. Black granite sarcophagus (Cairo JE 54935) inscribed for Meresankh, idenitifed as [xrp sSmtjw SnDt] director of butchers of the 'Acacia House'; in situ in burial chamber of G 7530-7540. Incomplete limestone statue of Meresankh (MFA 30.1457) and pair statue of Meresankh and Hetepheres II (MFA 30.1456); found displaced in debris of main room. Mother ([mwt=f] his mother) of Nebemakhet (owner of G 8172 = Lepsius 86). Appears in relief of inner chapel (above doorway in eastern wall), identified as [mAAt Hr stX wrt Hts wrt Hst Hmt nswt] seer of Horus and Seth, great one of the hetes-scepter, great of praises, king's wife; in situ in G 8172. Also mentioned in the tomb of her steward Khemetnu (owner of G 5210).
• Qar (G 7101)

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Remarks Owner of G 7101. Appears multiple times in tomb decoration (chapel relief, architrave, door jambs, pillar), identified variously as [jmj-r kAt nbt xntj-S mnnfr-mrjjra Xrj tp nswt sS a nswt xft-Hr mAa] overseer of all works, palace attendant of (the pyramid-town) Mennefer-Meryre (Pepi I), he who is at the head of the king, true royal document scribe in the presence; in situ in G 7102. Possibly same individual as Qar (in G 7102), son of Idu (owner of G 7102). The relationship between Qar and Idu is difficult to determine; it seems certain that they are father and son, but it is not clear which is which since they each have a son named after the other (i.e. Qar has a son named Idu, Idu has a son named Qar). Qar (G 7101) has a sister named Bendjyt who may be identical to Bendjet, a daughter of Idu (G 7102), in which case Idu would be the father of Qar, but this is not at all certain.

Modern People

• 

  Dorothy Ginger

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates
  • Remarks Friend of Reisner's secretary Evelyn Perkins; often present at Harvard Camp, Giza, during the 1930s and 1940s; later married a Mr. White to become Dorothy Ginger White.
• 

  Evelyn Esther Perkins

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates British
  • Remarks Secretary to George Reisner
• Hamid Genawi

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates
  • Remarks Guard at Giza (from Quft).
• Joseph Franz Schacht

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates British-German, 1902-1969
  • Remarks Identity confirmed in 2020 with additional details: Fredrik Hagen and Kim Ryholt, The Antiquities Trade in Egypt 1880–1930. The H.O. Lange Papers (Copenhagen: Specialtrykkeriet Viborg, 2016), p. 91.
• 

  Mahmud Said Ahmed [Diraz]

  • Type Translator
  • Nationality & Dates
  • Remarks Diary translator. Son of Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Head Reis 1908-1926). Brother of Mohammed Said Ahmed (Head Reis 1936-1939). Family name, Diraz, was supplied by Said Ahmed Said's grandsons in 2006.
• 

  Miss Mary Reisner

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates American, 1902–1963
  • Remarks Daughter of George and Mary Reisner
• 

  Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

  • Type Author
  • Nationality & Dates
  • Remarks Head Reis for the Harvard-MFA expedition, 1936–1939. Son of Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Head Reis 1908-1926) and brother of Mahmoud Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Translator) and Ahmed Said Ahmed [Diraz]. Family name, Diraz, was supplied by Said Ahmed Said's grandsons in 2006.
• 

  Mohamed Said Ahmed [Diraz]

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates
  • Remarks Head Reis for the Harvard-MFA expedition, 1936–1939. Son of Said Ahmed Said [Diraz] (Head Reis 1908-1926) and brother of Mahmoud Said Ahmed [Diraz] (Translator) and Ahmed Said Ahmed [Diraz]. Family name, Diraz, was supplied by Said Ahmed Said's grandsons in 2006.
• Ralph Huntington Blanchard

  • Type Mentioned on page
  • Nationality & Dates American, 1875-1936
  • Remarks Reisner had a tomb with iron door prepared in 1940 for Mr. Blanchard's antiquities. The role of Mr. Blanchard is not mentioned, but he is perhaps the antiquities dealer of the same name who was based in Cairo. This is perhaps the same Mr. Blanchard who is mentioned in H. Lyman Story's diary, Jan.-Feb. 1915. Identity confirmed with additiona detail in 2020: Fredrik Hagen and Kim Ryholt, The Antiquities Trade in Egypt 1880–1930. The H.O. Lange Papers (Copenhagen: Specialtrykkeriet Viborg, 2016), esp. pp. 68-70, 160-61, 205-206.