Reisner and Mace’s Excavations of Naga ed-Deir Cemeteries N500–N900, N1500, N3000 and N3500 Reconsideredإعادة النَّظر في أعمال التنقيب التي قام بها رايزنر وميس في مجموعات مقابر نجع الدير N500-N900 ،N1500 ،N3000 ،N3500

Abstract

Naga ed-Deir is located on the east side of the Nile, opposite Reqaqna, Beit Khallaf, and el‑Mahasna, and about 20 kilometres north of Abydos. In 1901-1904 the Phoebe A. Hearst Egyptian Expedition, led by George A. Reisner, carried out extensive excavations in several cemeteries across the site, leading to the discovery of tombs from the Predynastic period up to the early Coptic period. Amongst these were cemeteries N500–N900, N1500, N3000 and N3500, for which Reisner and Arthur C. Mace identified the typo-chronological tomb development between the 1st and 4th Dynasty. A combined study of the tombs, burial customs and material culture, especially the pottery, found in these cemeteries, however, suggests that Reisner and Mace’s dating and hence some of their conclusions are in need of revision, highlighting the need for a complete re-analysis of extant site data and museum objects.