Eugène Warmenbol

Trois Seshemnefer et trente-six domaines

The tomb of Seshemnefer-Heba in Saqqara was excavated in 1860 by Mariette. Only the false-door was published, and allegedly transferred to the Cairo Museum, while the reliefs decorating the chapel were reburied. These resurfaced as separate blocks in private collections in the 1960s. A remarkable addition to the series is a block from the north wall seen in a Belgian collection, showing six female personifications of estates. This new discovery makes it very probable that there were originally 36 estates represented in the mastaba of Seshemnefer-Heba. It also appears that the number 36 is a recurring and significant one, to be found in other tombs, mainly dating from the reign of Djedkare-Isesi, who subjected Egypt to extensive administrative reforms. It is clear that there were already 42 nomes by then, so the 36 estates probably correspond to an ideal and not a real geography: with 36 estates the deceased could have access to all the means of the country.