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The tomb of Mereruka lies directly opposite the Pyramid of Teti. He had the important position as Vizier (tjatey>) during the reign of Teti as well as being married to the king´s eldest daughter, Watet-khet-her, (also known as Seshseshet) who is also buried in the mastaba as well as their son, Meriteti. Mereruka was also Governor of MenNefer (Gr: Memphis) and Inspector of Prophets. Later, Mereruka became the high priest of Teti´s mortuary cult. His tomb is the largest one of the Old Kingdom tombs, witn no less than 32 rooms. In it are reliefs with scenes of customs and daily life in the Old Kingdom.
The mastaba is divided into three ares, one for Mereruka, one for his wife and one for their son. The entrance faces the Pyramid of Teti, and is thus on its southern side, which is unusual for the time.
The entrance to the Mastaba of Mereruka
Copyright: www.xtec.es/~jarrimad/ antigua/tumbas.htm
Entrance
On the entrance, Mereruka is depicted with all his titles, and the small figure by his knee is his wife. As you enter, the first room is Mereruka´s and it leads to further 21 rooms. All of them are not decorated, since some were used for store rooms. On the walls of this first room, are scenes of fishing, hunting hippopotamus and fowl. On the opposite wall we see a fight between a hippo and a crocodile, more fishing and someone overthrowing a bull. There are also garden scenes.
Rooms and Reliefs
Next room has many reliefs of crafts, like jewellers, metal-workers, sculptors, carpenters. The room after that, are reliefs, although damaged, which shows Mereruka and his family inspecting fishing and food making. There are scribes keeping records and someone is being beaten, maybe for not having turned in his taxes. To the left is a small room where scribes again keep count on cattle while other men come bringing animals like gazelles and fowl. Mereruka and his wife is seen receiving the produce from his estate. To the right there are also scenes of offering. At the end of the small room are, again much damaged, four registers of poultry and a scene where cranes are being fed. In the next room is a false door which on both sides show people bringing offerings. The other reliefs are of the same nature as in the preceding room. The rest of the rooms in this part of the tomb, are storeroom, mostly undecorated reliefs in bad shape.
The rooms to the east of Mereruka´s part of the tomb consist of first a small room which leads to a burial shaft where his damaged sarcophagus was found. Of the mummy were no traces, probably it had been destroyed in antiquity by robbers. After this we come to the main hall where six square columns still stand. Five of these columns have reliefs and inscriptions with Mereruka and his titles, while the fourth one is dedicated to his son Meriteti.
Statue of Mereruka in his Mastaba.
photo courtecy of www.egyptarchive.co.uk
On the walls here are reliefs of Mereruka´s coffin as it is carried as well as transported across water. Mourners, priests and dancers are following it. On the northern wall we can see Mereruka in a sedan chair, followed by his dogs and a pet monkey and even dwarfs. There is also reliefs of him together with his wife and mother as they watch boats being built and cattle reared. Here is a scene where two men try to get a hyena to swallow some pieces of meat. It is thought that this was done to stop the hyenas from eating the wild game. In this room is also a niche with a life-size statue of Mereruka in front of an offering table. On boths sides of a doorway on the far right, we see Mereruka, his wife and mother watching childrens´games. Boys are catching birds, helping with harvesting figs and doing gymnastics. Girls swing each other around. There are also other reliefs with Mereruka and his wife playing senet, with servants standing behind them. Further along, we see them sitting under a sunshade and watch as the farmers plough and thresh, and bring in harvest on donkeys and do other farming chores. The doorway leads into Meriteti´s part of the tomb.
Meriteti´s Part of the Tomb
His is not so elaborate, nor has it the amount of reliefs as in Mmereruka´s The reliefs here are mostly the usual offering scenes. The largest room has a false door, painted in red and showing Meriteti in front of an offering table.
Mereruka´s wife Watet-khet-her shown below his knee.
Photo courtecy of www.egyptarchive.co.uk
Watet-khet-her/Seshseshet´s Part of the Tomb
The entrance to this part lies on the south side of the mastaba. Here are the usual offering scenes again but also depictions of Watet-khet-her with her children, one of them shows her with one of her sons in a lion palanquin. Female servants carry her and both men, women, dogs and a monkey are following behind. In the tomb is a false door which is painted in the likeness of hanging cloth or matting.
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