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enclosure of
Khasekhemwy was in use, neither its Ancient Egyptian name is known. Because of its thick and interlaced walls, it was long time thought that Shunet El Zebib was a military fortress, which led to its alternative designation as "Middle Fort". But archaeological findings provide only cultic and religious activities and a location so close to cemeteries speaks rather against any military use. Khasekhemwy's enclosure domain is now evaluated as the most advanced and most massive version of a
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183:. They burrow their nests into the walls, hollow out the inner bricks and thus make the walls highly unstable. Another danger to the structure are wild jackals, which attentively observe excavators' diggings and then burrow under the foundation of the structure in the hopes of catching roused prey.
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rubble, covered with mudbricks and forming four flat steps. It is located at the very midst of the court, its true purpose is still unknown. The only cultic building that can be archaeologically attested is a small chapel close to the south-eastern corner. Its ruins are also made of hardened mud
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Shunet El Zebib is made of hardened mudbricks. It consists of two rectangular surrounding walls, interlaced like a shoe box. The outer wall measures 137 × 77 m and is c. 5 m thick and 12 m high. The inner wall (perimeter wall) measures 123 × 56 m and is c. 3 m thick and
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were buried at Abydos and had their funerary enclosures at the same location, some
Egyptologists believe that both kings belonged to a royal dynasty line named Thinite Dynasty. This could indeed explain Peribsen's and Khasekhemwy's choice of place. However, it is unknown how long the mortuary
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8 m high. The facade of the outer wall was niched, imitating a royal palace facade. The enclosure provides two entrances, one at the eastern corner, one at the northern corner. These entrances once consisted of massive, stone-made door jambs, the material of the door wings is unknown.
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led and promoted several preservation campaigns between 2002 and 2007, mostly focused on the enclosure walls. These are heavily damaged and at some sections in danger of collapse. Most damage comes, beside natural aging due neglect after abandonment, from local
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and David O'Connor, preservation works still focus on the filling of gaps and holes in the enclosure walls, approximately 250,000 new mud bricks were already created. In the meantime, the southern entrance has been reconstructed at the site.
206:, archaeologists and Egyptologists often describe the "Middle Fort" as a direct forerunner of the step pyramid complexes. The flat, stepped inner mount of the Shunet El Zebib is even considered a "proto-pyramid".
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Matthew
Douglas Adams & David O'Connor. "The Shunet El Zebib at Abydos: Architectural conservation at one of Egypt's oldest preserved royal monuments". In: Sue D'Auria:
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131:. The Shunet was built as a so-called funerary enclosure, a place where the deceased king was worshipped and memorized. Such a place was named "house of the
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The inner area consists of a largely empty court; it is unknown if there were some substructures and/or larger buildings (such as a
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139:-house" by the Egyptians and it was some kind of forerunner to the later mortuary temples known from the
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Shunet El Zebib is of great importance to archaeologists, Egyptologists and historians alike. The
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tomb with a separated funerary enclosure close by. Because
Khasekhemwy and his predecessor
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Offerings to the
Discerning Eye: An Egyptological Medley in Honor of Jack A. Josephson
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Because of the stunning architectural similarities between Shunet El Zebib and the
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262:. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, vol. 38. BRILL, Leiden 2010,
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Shunet El Zebib was founded around 2700 BC. by the ancient
Egyptian king
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290:. Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford: Open University Press, 2000,
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143:. As usual for the Early Kingdom, abydene rulers had their own
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Buildings and structures completed in the 27th century BC
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barn" or "storage of the raisins"), alternatively named
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86:North-eastern wall with well preserved niches.
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110:discovered a square, flat mount made of fine
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160:Archaeological and Egyptological importance
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23:South-eastern wall of the Shunet El Zebib.
806:3rd-millennium BC establishments in Egypt
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62:(c. 2700 BC.), and was built by the
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522:Second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
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392:Mahat chapel of Mentuhotep II
16:Archaeological site in Egypt
58:. The edifice dates to the
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230:. Routledge, London 2002,
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127:, the last ruler of the
226:Toby A. H. Wilkinson:
186:Under the guidance of
166:Institute of Fine Arts
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402:Temple of Ramesses II
322:26.18944°N 31.90778°E
188:Matthew Douglas Adams
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50:structure located at
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459:Tomb of Senusret III
228:Early Dynastic Egypt
801:Abydos, Egypt sites
382:Great Osiris Temple
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34::شونة الزبيب lit. "
561:Sekhemib-Perenmaat
327:26.18944; 31.90778
141:Old Kingdom period
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733:Nefer-Setekh
721:Other people
690:Shepset-ipet
668:Other royals
618:Neferkasokar
480:Abydos boats
464:Umm El Qa'ab
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425:Necropolises
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102:). In 1988,
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675:Khenmetptah
613:Neferkara I
566:Khasekhemwy
325: /
200:3rd dynasty
129:2nd Dynasty
125:Khasekhemwy
78:Description
72:Khasekhemwy
56:Upper Egypt
44:Middle Fort
790:Categories
738:Pehen-Ptah
695:Wadjitefni
313:31°54′28″E
310:26°11′22″N
296:0191604623
286:Ian Shaw:
268:9004178740
236:1134664206
210:References
104:Australian
707:Nisuheqet
659:Nimaathap
608:Hudjefa I
427:and tombs
270:, p. 1–7.
112:limestone
747:Monument
728:Inykhnum
701:Mesen-ka
680:Satkhnum
638:Wadjenes
633:Sneferka
623:Nubnefer
603:Horus Sa
593:Horus Ba
551:Nynetjer
397:Osireion
156:-house.
149:Peribsen
115:bricks.
48:mudbrick
768:Capital
685:Sehener
375:Temples
175:hornets
145:mastaba
119:History
68:pharaoh
775:Thinis
712:Perneb
628:Senedj
368:Abydos
294:
266:
234:
204:Djoser
135:" or "
100:temple
96:shrine
66:king (
52:Abydos
40:Shuneh
36:raisin
32:Arabic
654:Menka
586:names
546:Weneg
541:Nebra
202:king
292:ISBN
264:ISBN
232:ISBN
42:and
444:S10
198:of
168:at
98:or
54:in
792::
598:Ba
439:S9
275:^
243:^
217:^
154:Ka
137:Ka
133:Ka
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699:(
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