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Isis Temple

Khufu Pyramid Complex

Details

  • Excavator
    George Andrew Reisner, American, 1867–1942
    Selim Hassan (Bey), Egyptian, 1886–1961
  • Attested
    Amenemipet
    Ankhpakhered (in Isis Temple)
    Djedameniufankh (in Isis Temple)
    Harbes (in Isis Temple)
    Hor (in Isis Temple)
    Horemsaef (in Isis Temple)
    Iyiry (in Isis Temple)
    Iyiry (in Isis Temple)
    Padiamen (in Isis Temple)
    Padishehededet (in Isis Temple)
    Paftjaumawishu (in Isis Temple)
    Pasherienmut (in Isis Temple)
    Pemi (in Isis Temple)
    Shebensenut (in Isis Temple)
    Shepeniset (in Isis Temple)
    Tadi-iset (in Isis Temple)
    Tasaaka(?) (in Isis Temple)
    Tja[...](?) (in Isis Temple)
    Useri[…] (in Isis Temple)
    [...]-bastet-[...]? (in Isis Temple)
  • Other No
    Temple of Isis Mistress-of-the-Pyramid
  • PorterMoss Date
    Dyn 21 with Dyn 26 enlargement
  • Shafts
    Shaft F; Shaft G; Shaft P; Shaft S; Room A; Room B; Room C; Room D; Room E; Room F; Room G; Room H; Room I; Room J; Room K; Room L; Room M; Room N; Room P; Room Q; Room R; Room S; Room T
  • Remarks
    Temple of Isis Mistress-of-the-Pyramid was constructed in Street G 7000, between east wall of G I-c and west wall of G 7140 portion of G 7130-7140.

Finds 387

Excavation Diary Pages 53

Maps & Plans 14

Drawings 50

Published Documents 4

Unpublished Documents 36

Full Bibliography

  • Breasted, James H. Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents from the Earliest Times to the Persian Conquest, Collected Edited and Translated with Commentary, Vol. 1: The First to the Seventeenth Dynasties. Ancient Records. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1906, pp. 84-85.

    Flentye, Laurel. "The Development of Art in the Fourth Dynasty: The Eastern and GIS Cemeteries at Giza." In Mamdouh Eldmaty and Mai Trad, eds. Egyptian Museum Collections Around the World: Studies for the Centennial of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Cairo: Supreme Council of Antiquities, 2002, p. 388.

    Hassan, The Sphinx, pp. 216-227.

    Hassan, Selim. Excavations at Gîza 8: 1936-1937. The Great Sphinx and its Secrets. Historical Studies in the Light of the Recent Excavations. Cairo: Government Press, 1953, pp. 101-102, 110-118, 299, 307, pls. 51-56.

    Hawass, Zahi. "The Great Sphinx at Giza: Date and Function." In Gian Maria Zaccone and Tomaso Ricardi di Netro (eds.) Sesto Congresso Internazionale di Egittologia. Atti, Volume II. Turin, 1993, pp. 181-182.

    Hawass, Zahi. "The Khufu Statuette: Is it an Old Kingdom Sculpture?" In Paule Posener-Kriéger, ed. Mélanges Gamal Eddin Mokhtar, vol. I. Cairo: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, 1985, pp. 382-383, 394.

    Lepsius in A. Z. 20 (1882), taf. i [5-6].

    Manuelian, Peter Der. "Excavating the Old Kingdom. The Giza Necropolis and Other Mastaba Fields." In Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1999, p. 139.

    Mariette, Auguste. Les mastabas de l'ancien empire. Paris: F. Vieweg, 1889, pp. 564-565 [v].

    Petrie in Sayce MSS. 27c [upper].

    Porter, Bertha, and Rosalind L.B. Moss. Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings 3: Memphis (Abû Rawâsh to Dahshûr). Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1931. 2nd edition. 3: Memphis, Part 1 (Abû Rawâsh to Abûsîr), revised and augmented by Jaromír Málek. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1974, pp. 17-19, plan 5.

    Quibell, A.A. The Pyramids of Giza. Cairo: C.M.S. Bookshop, undated, p. 15.

    Smith, William Stevenson. "The Old Kingdom in Egypt," The Cambridge Ancient History, rev. ed. of vols. I & II, Cambridge University Press, 1962, p. 29.

Photos 133

View all 133 Photos

People 22

Ancient People

  • Amenemipet

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks King of Dynasty 21 (buried in Tanis).

  • Ankhpakhered (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Fragments of limestone seated statue (26-1-1239 + 26-1-1240) inscribed for Ankhpakhered; found in Isis temple (room A). Ushabtis (fragments: 26-1-100, 26-1-151, 26-1-199, 26-1-200, 26-1-204, 26-1-205, 26-1-206, 26-1-228, 26-1-252, 26-1-296, 26-1-307, 26-1-308, 26-1-309, 26-1-310, 26-1-311, 26-1-312, 26-1-362, 26-1-1209, 36-11-19b) inscribed for Ankhpakhered; found widely scattered in debris of Isis temple (rooms E and K, and most in pit F) and surrounding area (Street G 7000 and Avenue G 4).

  • Djedameniufankh (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Possibly grandfather of washerman Tja[...]. Name appears on Late Period limestone funerary stela (26-1-87) inscribed for Tja[...]; found in Street G 7000, debris south of Isis Temple.

  • Harbes (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Son ([sA=f] his son) of Paftjaumawishu and Shepeniset. Appears kneeling on an inscribed block of relief (26-1-1244 = MFA 31.250) from north wall of Isis temple, room A (=chapel of Harbes); identified on another (still in situ) as [smr xrp aH] companion, director of the palace. Limestone offering stone (26-1-138) inscribed for Harbes. Also mentioned on fragment (lower part) of limestone seated statue (26-1-237) inscribed for mother Shepeniset, identified as [jmj-r st qbHw rx nswt] overseer of the department of libationers(?), royal acquaintance; found in Isis temple, room S.

  • Hor (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Appears in relief in Isis Temple, room G (north wall, east of cell entrance); in situ in Isis Temple.

  • Horemsaef (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Child (born) of Tadi-iset. Ushabtis (fragments: 26-1-30, 26-1-152, 26-3-38, 26-3-39) inscribed for Horemsaef; found scattered in Street G 7000 (south of Isis Temple) and Isis Temple (room E and pit J).

  • Iyiry (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Father of Useri[...]. Fragment of limestone stela (26-3-71) inscribed for Useri[...], son of Iyiry and Tasaaka(?), dedicated by his son Iyiri; found displaced in Isis Temple (pit J).

  • Iyiry (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Son of Useri[...]. Fragment of limestone stela (26-3-71) inscribed for Useri[...], son of Iyiry and Tasaaka(?), dedicated by his son Iyiri; found displaced in Isis Temple (pit J).

  • Padiamen (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Appears in relief in Isis Temple, room G (north wall, west of "cell" entrance); in situ in Isis Temple.

  • Padishehededet (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Father of washerman Tja[...]. Name appears on Late Period limestone funerary stela (26-1-87) inscribed for Tja[...]; found in Street G 7000, debris south of Isis Temple.

  • Paftjaumawishu (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Father of Harbes. Named in inscription on north wall of Isis temple, room A (=chapel of Harbes), and on fragment (lower part) of limestone seated statue (26-1-237) inscribed for wife Shepeniset; found in Isis temple, room S.

  • Pasherienmut (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Ushabti (fragment: 26-1-154) inscribed for Pasherienmut; found in Isis Temple (room E). Despite name variant, this ushabti fragment may be part of (widely scattered) set of ushabtis inscribed for Pasherimut, child of Tadihor-[...]etef.

  • Pemi (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Fragment of limestone stela (26-1-191) inscribed for Pemi; found displaced in Isis Temple (pit F).

  • Shebensenut (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Ushabtis (fragments: 26-1-32, 26-1-208, 26-1-210, 26-1-253, 26-1-322, 26-1-325, 26-1-363, 26-1-1231) inscribed for Shebensenut, son of the "priest of Isis mistress [of ...]", identified as [jrj-pat HAtj-a rx nswt stj mw] hereditary prince, count, royal acquaintance, libationer(?); found widely scattered in Street G 7000, Avenue G 4, and Isis Temple (room K and pit F).

  • Shepeniset (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Mother of Harbes. Named in inscription on north wall of Isis temple, room A (=chapel of Harbes). Fragment (lower part) of limestone seated statue (26-1-237) inscribed for Shepeniset; found in Isis temple, room S.

  • Tadi-iset (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Mother of Horemsaef. Name appears on ushabtis (fragments: 26-1-30, 26-1-152, 26-3-38, 26-3-39) inscribed for Horemsaef; found scattered in Street G 7000 (south of Isis Temple) and Isis Temple (room E and pit J).

  • Tasaaka(?) (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Mother of Useri[...]. Fragment of limestone stela (26-3-71) inscribed for Useri[...], son of Iyiry and Tasaaka(?), dedicated by his son Iyiri; found displaced in Isis Temple (pit J).

  • Tja[...](?) (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Son of Padishahededet, child (born) of (?) [...]-bastet-[...], grandchild of (?) Djedameniufankh. Late Period limestone funerary stela (26-1-87) inscribed for Tja[...]; found in Street G 7000, debris south of Isis Temple.

  • Useri[…] (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Fragment of limestone stela (26-3-71) inscribed for Useri[...], son of Iyiry and Tasaaka(?), dedicated by his son Iyiri; found displaced in Isis Temple (pit J).

  • [...]-bastet-[...]? (in Isis Temple)

    • Type Attested
    • Remarks Possibly mother of washerman Tja[...]. Name appears on Late Period limestone funerary stela (26-1-87) inscribed for Tja[...]; found in Street G 7000, debris south of Isis Temple.

Modern People

  • George Andrew Reisner

    • Type Excavator
    • Nationality & Dates American, 1867–1942
    • Remarks Egyptologist, archaeologist; Referred to as "the doctor" and "mudir" (Arabic for "director") in the excavation records. Nationality and life dates from Who was Who in Egyptology.

  • Selim Hassan (Bey)

    • Type Excavator
    • Nationality & Dates Egyptian, 1886–1961
    • Remarks Egyptologist; Sub Director General. Nationality and life dates from Who was Who in Egyptology. (1886-1961) Egyptian Egyptologist; born Mit-Nagi, 15 April 1886, he studied at the Higher Teacher's College, Cairo under Kamal (q.v.); in 1912 he became a teacher and in 1921 obtained a post in the Egyptian Museum as assistant keeper; he studied in Paris 1923-7 at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes; he was the first Egyptian to be appointed as a Professor of Egyptology in the Universitv of Cairo, 1928 - 36; he was later made Deputy Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service responsible for the care of all monuments in the Nile valley, 1936-39; Ph.D. Vienna University, 1935; stimulated by the archaeological work of P. E. Newberry (q.v.) and Junker (q.v.)he began an active career in excavations with the clearance of some of the Giza mastabas in 1929; the excavations carried on by him in this necropolis continued until 1939 by which time a great deal of digging had been achieved, published in 10 parts; he also cleared the Sphinx and its temple, for the first time completely digging out the great amphitheatre around it and ensuring that it would not be buried by send again so easily; he wrote a study on this work and on the temple of Amenhotep II here; in addition the so-called Fourth Pyramid or the palace-façade tomb of Queen Khent-kawes of the Fourth Dynasty was investigated and also the funerary town of the priests associated with it; he later worked on the Unas causeway at Saqqara and at the valley temple of this king, discovering some of the mastabas in this area and two great subterranean tombs dated to the Second Dynasty; his final excavations at Giza were carried out on the east and south faces of the Great Pyramid and at the mortuary temple of King Khufu, 1938-9; he also took part in the campaign to save the monments of Nubia, and wrote a report on this subject; he published about 53 books and articles on Egyptological subjects in English, French, and Arabic, Hymnes religieux du Moyen Empire, 1928; Le Poème dit de Pentaour et Le rapport officiel sur la bataiILe de Qadesh , 1929; Excavations at Giza, 10 pts., 1929-60; The Sphinx. Its History in the Light of recent Excavations, 1949; Report on the Monunents of Nubia,1955Excavations at Saqqara 1937-8, 3 vols., 1975; in Arabic Literature of Ancient Egpt, 2 vols.; Ancient Egypt from Prehistoric Times to the Age of Rameses 11, 6 vols.; he died in Giza, 30 Sept. 1961. AfO 20 (1963), 310 (H. Brunner); Archaeology 14, no, 4 (1961, 293; ASAE 58 (1964), 61- 84 (bibl.) (Dia Abou-Ghazi); Orientalia 31 (1962), 271; Goettinger Miszellen 76 (1984), 78-80; Reid, JAOS 105 (1985), 237, 241-44.