Discovery Gisr el-Mudir

chart of lepsius expedition saqqara (1842). northern part of gisr el-mudir visible southwest of step pyramid (north @ right)

already in investigation of saqqara john shae perring in 1837, outline of enclosure detected. noted karl richard lepsius (1842-1846) , jacques de morgan (1897), not excavated.

the first excavation carried out in 1947 , 1948 director of supreme council of antiquities abdel salam hussein. nickname el-mudir (= chief ) source of modern name gisr el-mudir. results of these excavations not published.

systematic research first undertaken in 1990s archaeologists of national museum of scotland, in techniques magnetometry , ground-penetrating radar employed. before these excavations, structure considered unfinished pyramid complex third dynasty. however, pottery shards in filling of walls found date second dynasty , indicated structure constructed @ end of second dynasty (end of 28th century bc). gisr el-mudir became oldest known egyptian construction worked stone used building material.

the builder of structure has not yet been determined. rainer stadelmann saw connection between enclosure , 2 gallery tombs of second dynasty located south of step pyramid complex, have been attributed hotepsekhemwy , nebra or ninetjer. in opinion, empty rectangular structure interacted graves how valley areas interacted graves @ abydos. other scholars ascribe structure khasekhemwy on account of similarities enclosure @ abydos, shunet el-zebib, , because erection of stone building called men-netjeret attributed him in palermo stone seems fit chronologically construction of gisr el-mudir. rectangular structure represents transitional stage between enclosures @ abydos , step pyramid complex of djoser.