Nebit
Encyclopedia
Nebit was an Ancient Egypt
ian official during the reign of king Senusret III
. He held the position of vizier
. Thus he was the most important official at the royal court. Nebit is only known from his large mastaba
which was excavated next to the pyramid of the king at Dahshur
. The mastaba was built of mud bricks and then covered with stones. Already in ancient times the high quality stone was looted and used for other building projects or just for burning lime. However, one wall of the mastaba facade had already collapsed and had been covered by sand before looters dismantled the rest of the building. The preserved facade bears the name and title of Nebit, but also the name of the king.
The underground burial chamber of Nebit had already been robbed when it was discovered. However, next to the burial chamber of Nebit, there was a chamber for a woman called Satwerut, perhaps the wife of Nebit. Her chamber was found intact and still contained the coffins of the lady, her canopic jars and jewellery.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian official during the reign of king Senusret III
Senusret III
Khakhaure Senusret III was a pharaoh of Egypt. He ruled from 1878 BC to 1839 BC, and was the fifth monarch of the Twelfth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. Among his achievements was the building of the Sisostris Canal...
. He held the position of vizier
Vizier (Ancient Egypt)
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king, or pharaoh during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists...
. Thus he was the most important official at the royal court. Nebit is only known from his large mastaba
Mastaba
A mastaba, or "pr-djt" , is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with outward sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypt's ancient period...
which was excavated next to the pyramid of the king at Dahshur
Dahshur
Dahshur , is a royal necropolis located in the desert on the west bank of the Nile approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo...
. The mastaba was built of mud bricks and then covered with stones. Already in ancient times the high quality stone was looted and used for other building projects or just for burning lime. However, one wall of the mastaba facade had already collapsed and had been covered by sand before looters dismantled the rest of the building. The preserved facade bears the name and title of Nebit, but also the name of the king.
The underground burial chamber of Nebit had already been robbed when it was discovered. However, next to the burial chamber of Nebit, there was a chamber for a woman called Satwerut, perhaps the wife of Nebit. Her chamber was found intact and still contained the coffins of the lady, her canopic jars and jewellery.
Literature
- Dieter Arnold: Egyptian Archaeology 9 (1996), pp. 23–25
- Dieter Arnold: Antike Welt 6 (2002), pp. 623–624
- Wolfram Grajetzki: Court Officials of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom, London 2009 pp. 33-34 ISBN 9780715637456