Family Statue Left Behind by Grave Robbers Unearthed in Egypt
A study in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology has detailed the discovery of a rare Egyptian family statue in Saqqara unlike any previously known from the Old Kingdom. The limestone piece, unearthed in 2021 at Gisr el-Mudir, has now been analyzed by Egyptologists Dr. Zahi Hawass and Dr. Sarah Abdoh.
The statue shows a nobleman standing upright with his left foot forward, a stance symbolizing vitality and strength. He wears a short, locked wig and a half-pleated kilt. The sculptor carved his torso with precision, highlighting the shoulders, chest, and arms.
Wife depicted in familiar kneeling pose
At the nobleman’s side, a smaller woman kneels against his right leg. She wears a shoulder-length wig, a broad collar, and a sheath dress. Scholars believe she represents his wife, following a pose common in family statues.
A similar scene appears in the statue of Djedefre, where the queen clings to her husband in the same way.
Daughter shown in bas-relief with symbolic goose
The most unusual feature of the piece is the third figure, a young girl. Unlike other Egyptian family statues, she is carved in bas-relief rather than in the round. Positioned behind her father’s left leg, she extends one arm to grasp it while holding a goose in her other hand. Researchers interpret the goose as a symbol of provisions for the afterlife.
Hawass explained that while such images often appeared in tomb wall scenes, none survive in this burial. The daughter’s figure may have served as a substitute for these missing depictions.
Looting left the statue without context
The statue was found buried in the sands of Gisr el-Mudir, without a clear archaeological context. Researchers believe it was abandoned by looters who plundered nearby tombs. This loss of context complicated efforts to determine its date.
Links to the 5th Dynasty through the Irukaptah statue
To narrow the timeframe, scholars compared the piece with known examples. The closest match is the statue of Irukaptah, now in the Brooklyn Museum, also excavated at Saqqara and dated to the 5th Dynasty. Both works share similar scale, proportions, clothing, and wigs.
There are notable differences. In the Irukaptah statue, the wife is positioned on the opposite side, and the son is carved fully in the round. By contrast, the Gisr el-Mudir statue shows the daughter in bas-relief.
Based on the parallels, researchers conclude the Gisr el-Mudir statue dates to the 5th Dynasty. Its unusual portrayal of the daughter marks the first known Old Kingdom family statue to depict a figure in bas-relief, distinguishing it as a unique work of ancient Egyptian art.
By Nisha Zahid.
