Representations of the Family

in the Old Kingdom

Women and Marriage

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

by

Kim McCorquodale
B.A. Dip. Ed. (Sydney)
M.A. (Macquarie)

Department of Ancient History

Faculty of Arts
Macquarie University
Sydney Australia

2010
DECLARATION

I certify that my thesis entitled: “Representations of the Family in the Old Kingdom: Women
and Marriage” has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other university or institution
other than Macquarie University.

The research within is my own work and the contribution of others is duly acknowledged
where it has been used.

Dated this day of , 2010

Kim McCorquodale

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ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to identify and investigate family members of the elite class in the
Old Kingdom to reveal the role of women in the family and the institution of marriage. The
method of investigation is an analysis of the iconography and inscriptions of female relatives
and children of these officials in order to identify the place of wives and other females in the
tomb owner’s family and to arrive at an understanding of the nature of marriage in the Old
Kingdom. The latter aim involves the issue of polygamy and the status of the tomb owner.

The data for this study are the reliefs, paintings, inscriptions and statuary in the tombs of
Memphite and provincial cemeteries dating from the early Fourth Dynasty to the Eighth
Dynasty, or objects with a secure provenance in these locations and times. The iconography
and inscriptions of women designated as wives, mothers and sisters was investigated to
determine the way in which they were portrayed, which allowed for the analysis of women
shown in the tombs who had no designated connection to the tomb owner. The absence of
the depiction of a wife was explored across time and location. Instances where more than
one wife was portrayed were examined to determine whether the marriages were consecutive
or concurrent. Instances where more than one child was designated as smsw - ‘eldest’ were
analysed to determine whether they were twins, one had died prematurely or whether they
were children of different wives - either consecutive or concurrent. The rare occurrences of
children designated as ‘her son/her daughter’ were examined to try to determine the paternity
of the child. The possibility of consanguineous marriages was also explored.

As a result of this study, it has been possible to identify many of the undesignated women in
tombs and while the basic family unit of male, wife and children continued to be practiced
throughout the period it was possible to identify changes in the nature of marriage over time,
particularly in relation to divorce and polygamy.

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 For my mother, Phyllis
who instilled a love of learning

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

REPRESENTATIONS OF THE FAMILY IN THE OLD KINGDOM:

WOMEN AND MARRIAGE

VOLUME I

DECLARATION i
ABSTRACT iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix
CHRONOLOGY ABBREVIATIONS x

PART 1 INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 1
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 3
1.1 The Place of Women in the Family and the Institution of
Marriage in the Old Kingdom 3
1.2 The Nature of the Investigation 3
1.3 Studies 4

CHAPTER 2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 9
2.1 Research Methodology 9
2.2 Data Preparation 10

PART 2 WOMEN IN THE OLD KINGDOM FAMILY 13

CHAPTER 3
THE WIFE OF THE TOMB OWNER: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 15
3.1 Wives Identified by Inscription Only 16
3.1.1 Data Summary 16
3.2 Wives Designated and Pictorially Represented in the Tombs of their Husbands 17
3.2.1 Terminology 17
3.2.2 Positioning of Wives 19
3.2.3 Stances of Wives 29
3.2.4 Clothing /Accessories of Wives 42
3.2.5 Data Summary 49
3.3 Absent Wives 52
3.3.1 Data Summary 54
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CHAPTER 4
THE MOTHER OF THE TOMB OWNER: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 55
4.1 Mothers Designated and Pictorially Represented in theTombs of their Sons 56
4.2 Mothers Identified by Inscription in the Tombs of their Sons 74
4.3 Data summary 80
4.3.1 Designations 80
4.3.2 Stances 81
4.3.3 Accessories 84
4.3.4 Scenes 85
4.3.5 Purpose 86
4.3.6 Conclusions 92
4.4 Possible Mothers without Designations 93
4.4.1 Data summary 107
4.5 Mothers-in-Law Pictorially Represented in the Tombs of
their Sons-in-Law and Daughters 108
4.5.1 Data summary 109
4.6 A Possible Mother-in-Law 110
4.7 Mothers Pictorially Represented in the Tombs of their Daughters 111
4.8 Mothers Named Only in Inscriptions in their Daughters’ Tombs 113
4.9 Data Summary 113
4.9.1 Designations 114
4.9.2 Stances 114
4.9.3 Accessories 114
4.9.4 Scenes 115
4.10 A Possible Mother of a Woman 116

CHAPTER 5
SISTERS OF THE TOMB OWNER: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 117
5.1 Sisters of Tomb Owners 117
5.1.1 Data summary 124

CHAPTER 6
WOMEN WITH THEIR OWN BURIALS: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 129
6.1 Women with their Own Tombs 129
6.2 Women with their Own Objects 135
6.3 Data Summary 137

CHAPTER 7
DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE FAMILY 139

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PART 3: MARRIAGE IN THE OLD KINGDOM 143

CHAPTER 8
MULTIPLE MARRIAGES AND POLYGAMY: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 145
8.1 More than One Wife Shown 147
8.2 Data Summary 167
8.3 Polygamy 167
8.3.1 Dating 167
8.3.2 Titles 168
8.3.3 Children 168
8.3.4 More than one wife but one with no apparent children 171
8.3.5 Parallel scenes 172
8.3.6 Possible hierarchy of wives 172
8.3.7 Hierarchy of wives 173
8.3.8 Wives as equals 173
8.4 Possible Cases of Polygamy: One wife and possibly a second 174
8.5 Data Summary 192

CHAPTER 9
CHILDREN: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 193
9.1 Eldest Children 193
9.2 More Than One Eldest Child 201
9.2.1 Data summary 242
9.3 Children Designated as ‘her son/her daughter’ 244
9.3.1 Data summary 268

CHAPTER 10
CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGES: DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA AND DATA SUMMARY 271
10.1 Possible Brother-Sister Marriages 272
10.1.1 Data summary 274
10.2 Possible Father-Daughter Marriages 274
10.2.1 Data summary 276

CHAPTER 11
DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS OF THE NATURE OF OLD KINGDOM MARRIAGE 277

BIBLIOGRAPHY 279

VOLUME II

STANCES OF WOMEN AND TOMB OWNERS

A – Contact with one arm Stances 1
B – Contact with both arms Stances 4
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 C – Woman Passes her arms through his Stances 7
D – Embrace face to face Stances 9
E – Women as a small figures Stances 10
F – no contact at all Stances 16
Size Grid Stances 19

TABLES
A: Family Members
B: Depictions of Wives
C: Inscriptions of Wives
D: Wives on False Doors
E: Diminutive Wives
F: Possible Wives
G: Absent Wives
H: Depictions of Mothers
I: Inscriptions of Mothers
J: Possible Mothers
K: Mothers-in-Law
L: Mothers of Women with their Own Tomb
M: Inscriptions of Mothers of Women with their Own Tombs
N: Sisters
O: Tombs and Finds of Women
P: More than One Wife
Q: Polygamy
R: Possibly More than One Wife
S: ‘Eldest’ Children
T: One ‘Eldest’ Child
U: More than One ‘Eldest’ Child
V: ‘Her’ Son or ‘Her’ Daughter
W: Brothers and Sisters

INDICES
Index of Monuments by case numbers, with dating and bibliographic references
arranged by location
Giza (G 001 – G 379)
Saqqara (S 001 – S 254)
Provinces (P 001 – P 148)

Index of Names with corresponding case numbers

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As a High School teacher I have been privileged to become a student again. At Macquarie
University I have worked in an atmosphere of intellectual generosity and support.

I am greatly appreciative of the encouragement and opportunities extended to me by my

supervisor, Prof. Naguib Kanawati. He has facilitated my participation in excavations at
Saqqara and Giza over a number of years, initiated the publication of a book on Egyptian
Art, of which I was co-editor and gave me the opportunity to lecture to undergraduates in
Egyptian Archaeology. I would like to thank him for his patience, humour and sound advice.

I would also like to thank Assoc. Prof. Boyo Ockinga, Dr Susanne Binder and Dr Ann
McFarlane for their support over the years. Dr Joyce Swinton’s advice with editing was
invaluable; when I couldn’t ‘see the forest for the trees’ she could.

One of the great benefits of travelling 150 kms to start an MA at Macquarie was that I met
Leonie Donovan, a great friend to whom I am indebted, not only for her support over the
years, but also for her formatting of my thesis. Her great patience in dealing with my large
number of tables was amazing.

My family have always been supportive: my father Wal and my mother Phyl, who completed
a BA (Hons) after she retired, have been an inspiration. Mum’s constant inquiries as to where
I was up to, kept me working. The support that my partner Phil Murray has given me has
been unwavering. I am sure he regrets encouraging me to start teaching Egyptian History in
high schools 20 years ago. When we travel in Egypt he is usually willing ‘for just one more
tomb’.

May there always be ‘just one more tomb’.

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 CHRONOLOGY ABBREVIATIONS
(following Harpur)

IV.1 Snefru
IV.2 Khufu
IV.3 Djedefre
IV.4 Khafre
IV.5 Menkaure
IV.6 Shepseskaf

V.I Userkaf
V.2 Sahure
V.3 Neferirkare
V.4 Shepseskare
V.5 Neferefre
V.6 Neuserre
V.7 Menkauhor
V.8 Isesi
V.9 Unas

VI.1 Teti
VI.2 Pepy I
VI.3 Merenre
VI.4 Pepy II (Years 1-34)
VI.5 Pepy II (Years 35-54)
VI.6 Pepy II (Years 55-85)
VI.7 VI.L - VIII

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PART 1

INTRODUCTION
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