Provider: Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

TY  - JOUR
JO  - Anthropologie (Brno)
TI  - Re-Investigation of the Remains Thought to Be of King Djoser and Those of an Unidentified Female from the Step Pyramid at Saqqara
AU  - Strouhal E
AU  - Fawzi Gaballah M
AU  - Bonani G
AU  - Woelfli W
AU  - Němečková A
AU  - Saunders SR
Y1  - 1994
VL  - 32
IS  - 3
PB  - Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic
SN  - 0323-1119
SP  - 225
EP  - 242
KW  - King Djoser
KW  - Unidentified female
KW  - 1st-2nd and 3rd Dynasty
KW  - History
KW  - Archaeology
KW  - Anthropology
KW  - Histology
KW  - Histomorphometry
KW  - Radiocarbon dating
N2  - 
N2  - Human remains found in the granite chamber beneath the Step Pyramid at Saqqara by B. G. Gunn in 1926 and J.-P. Lauer in 1934, together with the skull and two postcranial bones of an unidentified female found at another place in the Step Pyramid, were re-examined macroscopically, radiologically, histologically, histomorphometrically and by radiocarbon dating. The embalming technique of the fragments alleged to be those of Djoser did not conform with that of the Old Kingdom. Histology showed a remarkable preservation of soft tissues. Macroscopic examination and histomorphometric analysis revealed different ages for individuals represented by single fragments. Radiocarbon tests demonstrated various dates, in no fragment, however, corresponding to the Third Dynasty date. On the other hand, the defleshed bones of the unidentified female gave date some hundred years earlier than the range of 2700 - 2600 yrs B.C. accepted for the Third Dynasty. The supposed remains of Djoser can be considered as belonging to Saite, Late Period or Early Ptolemaic secondary burials inside the Pyramid. The bones of the unidentified female were either from a burial deposited before the Third Dynasty or, if they belonged to the period of construction of the pyramid, then the dating of the Third Dynasty should be put back about 300 - 500 years earlier.
ER  -