Remembering Snofru: Zu einer Trouvaille aus dem Leipziger Ägyptischen Museum–Georg Steindorff. Gedanken zur Funktion und Wiederverwendung von Steingefäßen mit dem Namen Snofrus im Alten Reich

Abstract

During their excavation work at the Fifth Dynasty mortuary temple of Raneferef the Czech mission found some inscribed stone vessel fragments that refer to the former king Seneferu but not to Raneferef himself. While working on the Abusir material in the Egyptian Museum in Leipzig, one stone vessel fragment made of diorite gneiss could be identified as also being inscribed with the name of Seneferu. It is assumed that this one belongs to one of the Old Kingdom funerary complexes—perhaps even that of Raneferef. It is interesting to note the existence of inscribed stone vessels and sherds naming already deceased kings—a phenomenon which we know already from the time of the so-called formative phase in Egypt. This article presents the ‘rediscovered’ object from Leipzig and discusses the problem of ‘cultural re-use’ of such material.