Original Research Article The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 1–17 Funerary Objects and an Intact Secondary © The Author(s) 2023 Article reuse guidelines: Burial in the Early Ramesside Tomb of sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/03075133231210882 Iurokhy at Saqqara journals.sagepub.com/home/ega Khaled Hassan Cairo University, Egypt Abstract The area of the North Saqqara plateau south of the causeway of King Unas became one of the most prominent necropolis sites of Memphis during the New Kingdom. It is where the archaeological expedition of the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University discovered dozens of temple-shaped tombs dating to the Ramesside Period. Recently, the expedition led by Ola El-Aguizy uncovered the tomb of Iurokhy (Urhiya), an army general during the early reign of Ramesses II. This paper focuses on the unusual finds discovered in one of the tomb’s chapels. These comprise an intact secondary burial in a wooden coffin along with wooden shabtis. This paper proposes to identify the individual buried in the chapel as a member of the personnel that serviced the mortuary cult of Iurokhy. Further objects deposited in the chapel shed light on the continued use of the chapel as a space of burial and commemoration. -±ŕŝƕ§řƔƆƄřŝŸŗªſŮśƄ¥¼ƊƈƑžřŝƔ¯ţƅ§řƅïƅ§±ŰŷªŕƊŕŗŠÀƍ£ÁƈƋ¯ţ§Ã³ŕƊã¾Ɔƈƅ§À±Ǝƅ¯ŷŕŰƅ§½Ɣ±·ƅ§Áƈ¨ÃƊŠƅ§Ƒƅ¥řŸƁ§Ãƅ§©±ŕƂŬ¿ŕƈŮƌƂ·Ɗƈ¯Ÿś IJƔŠŸƅ§ƜŷřŬŕœ±ŗřŝŸŗƅ§ªƈŕƁ±Æ§ Ŧ¤ƈřŝƔ¯ţƅ§řƅïƅ§±ŰŷƑƅ¥®±¤śƑśƅ§Ã¯ŗŸƈƅ§²§±·°ŦōśƑśƅ§±ŗŕƂƈƅ§Áƈ©±ƔŗƄřŷÃƈŠƈřƂ·Ɗƈƅ§¾ƆśƑž©±ƍŕƂƅ§řŸƈ੠©¯ÃŠÃƈƅ§±ƔŰŕƂƈƅ§¯ţ£ƑžŕƎƔƆŷ±ÃŝŸƅ§ÀśƑśƅ§ƌƔ¯ƔƆƂś±Ɣżƅ§ƑƂƆƅ§Áƈ¯¯ŷ¿ŕƂƈƅ§Ƌ°ƍÀ¯ƂśƑŦ±ÃƔ£Ãŷ¯ƈƅ§ƑƊŕŝƅ§³ƔŬƈ±±ŰŷƑž´ƔŠƅ§¯œŕƁ©±ŗƂƈÁŷ¼ŮƄƅŕŗ µŦŮÃƍƌƊž¯ƅ§Ƌ°ƍ¨ţŕŰÁōŗ¶§±śžƛ§¿ŕƂƈƅ§¿ÃŕţśƌƈƔƆŬřƔÃƊŕŝƌƊž¯Ƅ¡ŕƔƈÃƈƌŗƑŗŮŦªÃŗŕś©±ÃŰƂƈƅ§Ƌ°ƍƑžÆŕŲƔ£ƌƔƆŷ±ŝŷŕƈÁƔŗÁƈ©±ŗƂƈƅ§Ƌ°ƍƑž ƌƔ±±§ ƈśŬ§ƑƆŷ¿ƅ¯śƑśƅ§Ã©±ÃŰƂƈƅ§³ſƊƑžŕƎƔƆŷ±ŝŷƑśƅ§ıŦƗ§ƌƔ±ŝƗ§ƑƂƆƅ§ÁƈřŷÃƈŠƈƑƅ¥řžŕŲƙŕŗ©±ŗƂƈƅ§ƑžƌƔ²œŕƊŠƅ§³ÃƂ·ƅ§ƌƈŕƁ§ƑƆŷÆŕƈœŕƁÁŕƄ ıƄ°ƅ§¡ŕƔţ¥ÃÁž¯ƆƅÁŕƄƈƄ©±ÃŰƂƈƅ§Ƌ°ƍÀ§¯ŦśŬ§ Keywords Heriherneferher, ear stela, Saqqara, shabti, Iurokhy A Brief Overview of the Archaeological modern-day archaeological exploration of the cemeteries Exploration of the Saqqara in the last half a century has led to the re-discovery of a selection of these tombs.4 Thus, in 1977, the late profes- New Kingdom Necropolis sor of Islamic Architecture Soad Maher of the Faculty of During the New Kingdom, Saqqara was extensively used Archaeology at Cairo University initiated work in an area for the burial of senior administrators resident at Memphis, south of the causeway of King Unas.5 She searched for including army generals.1 To date, there is archaeologi- a Coptic monastery but instead found structures dating cal evidence of four main clusters of tombs on the North to pharaonic times. Due to her disinterest in these earlier Saqqara plateau: 1) the eastern cliff above the village of remains, work at this site was closed shortly afterward. Abusir; 2) the area south of the causeway of King Unas; 3) The late professor Sayed Tawfik resumed work at the the Cliff of Ankhtawy, now better known as the Bubasteion; site in 1984 and continued to work there until 1988. Unlike and 4) the area to the north and east of the pyramid of King Teti.2 It is estimated that at least 509 high officials built their 4 For a concise overview of the history of the exploration of the tombs replete with a superstructure at Saqqara during this site, see Staring 2023: 84–88. period.3 A large number of these tombs were excavated in 5 El Aguizy 2007: 41; Leclant 1978: 278. the early nineteenth century and subsequently were lost. The Corresponding author: 1 El Aguizy, et al. 2020: 427. Khaled Hassan, Egyptology Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo 2 Staring 2023: ch. 3. University, Giza 12613, Egypt. 3 Staring 2023. Email: dr.khaled_hassan@cu.edu.eg