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Full text of article
'Hashesh Z, 2024: HUMAN REMAINS FROM A SECONDARY CEMETERY IN THE PYRAMID COMPLEX OF KING DJEDKARE: A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW. Anthropologie (Brno) 62, 3: 0-0'. |
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Abstract | The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary results of the recent osteological analysis of the human remains discovered to the north of the funerary temple of King Djedkare at south Saqqara. The excavation began in spring 2018 as a part of Djedkare Project of the exploration and documentation of the pyramid complex of king Djedkare, directed by Mohamed Megahed. This paper will investigate some of the burials discovered in the so-called T.g area which is situated between the funerary temple of the king and the south side of the pyramid of the queen. The burials date back from the late Second Intermediate Period probably to the 1st millennium BCE based on the preliminary analysis of the pottery. The burials were discovered in three levels, the earlier burials in the bottom levels of the debris were in extended north-south or east-west position. Also, the upper-level burials were in extended east-west positions. The Middle level contains burials in ceramic coffins Besides the variety of burial customs and the correlation between age, sex, and grave good, The good preservation of bones surface allowed to record the pathological diseases. Many evidences recorded for activity-related skeletal changes, including degenerative disease in the spines and other joints in the older adult groups. Moreover, trauma (including fractures) was noted in any individuals, affecting the shoulders, femurs, hands and pelvis. It is likely that childhood stress observed in several individuals in the form of iron deficiency anaemia and dental developmental disorders. In some cases, evidence for spondylolysis, which might have been unilateral or bilateral, was observed. More unusual pathological conditions observed included infectious defects in the skull of a young adult female and a possible case of blunt force trauma. Several dental diseases were observed in Djedkare secondary cemetery individuals, including tooth attrition, abscesses, ante-mortem tooth loss and calculus, which related to age changes. This preliminary overview study will contribute to add new non-elite cemetery results and aim to make it accessible for researchers additionally, investigate the biological profile as sex, age, stature. Moreover, sheds light on the distribution of pathologies inside the assemblage. | | Keywords | Saqqara – King Djedkare – Human remains – Paleopathology – Pyramid complex – Saqqara | |
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