Umm el-Qa'ab

Umm el-Qa'ab (sometimes Umm el Ga'ab, _ar. أم القعاب) is the necropolis of the Early Dynastic [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydoskingstombs.html] Tombs of kings of the First and Second Dynasty] kings at Abydos, in Egypt [Toby Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt, Routledge, 1999] . Its modern name means 'Mother of Pots', as the whole area is littered with the broken pot shards of offerings made in later times (see picture).

Pre-Dynastic Tombs

* U-j – Unknown noble, but possibly Serket I from scorpion insignia found in tomb
* B1/B2 – Iry-Hor [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombiryhor.html] Abydos, Tomb of King Iry-Hor]
* B7/B8/B9 – Ka

First Dynasty Tombs

Known as "Cemetery B", this area contains the tombs of the kings of the First dynasty of Egypt and the last 2 kings of the Second.

* B17/B18 – Narmer [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/tomb17-18.html] Narmer's Tomb]
* B10/B15/B19 – Aha [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombhoraha.html] Hor-Aha's Tomb]
* O – Djer [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombo.html] Tomb O]
* Z – Djet [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombz.html] Tomb Z]
* Y – Merneith [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostomby.html] Tomb Y - the tomb of Merneith]
* T – Den [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombt.html] Tomb T]
* X – Anedjib [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombx.html] Tomb X]
* U – Semerkhet [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombu.html] Tomb U]
* Q – Qa'a [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombq.html] Tomb Q]

econd Dynasty Tombs

The last 2 kings of the Second Dynasty returned to be buried near to their ancestors - they also revived the practice of building mud-brick funerary enclosures nearby.

* P – Peribsen [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombp.html] Abydos Tomb P]

A seal found in this tomb contains the first full sentence written in hieroglyphs [ [http://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/pribsn.htm] Peribsen' tomb] .

* V – Khasekhemwy [ [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/abydos/abydostombv.html] Abydos Tomb V]

This tomb was on a massive scale, with several interconnecting mud-brick chambers, and the actual burial chamber being constructed of dressed limestone blocks.

When excavated by Petrie, in 1901 it contained a sceptre made from sard and banded with gold, limestone vases with golden covers, and a ewer and basin of bronze.

References