Mastaba of Seshemnefer III

The mastaba stands on a limestone escarpment forming part of the Giza plateau, which is bounded to the west and the east by wadis. It lies in the northern part of the so-called echelon cemetery, and it is one of the twenty-five mastabas forming its three rows. In contrast to the earlier cemeteries of the complex of Khufu, laid out on a grid plan, the echelon cemetery has tombs staggered so that the entrance of a mastaba faces a street.

The tomb lies east of the tomb of Hemiunu (G 4000) and adjoins the mastaba of Seshemnefer II (G 5080). On its south side it is linked to that of Rawer I. The mastaba of the reader-priest Penmeru lies to the north-east along the same street, called the street of the vizier Seshemnefer, which runs parallel to the west face of the Great Pyramid.

The study of the titles and relatives of Seshemnefer III shows that he very probably held the office of vizier, and he is thought to have preceded Senedjemib Inti. He belonged to a line of scribes, as did his grandfather Seshemnefer I and his father Seshemnefer II, and he probably held that function himself before becoming vizier. Following family tradition, he had his tomb built close to those of his relatives and, like Seshemnefer II before him, he was buried with the remains of his mother (Henutsen).

In the middle of the nineteenth century Mariette, excavating in the western cemetery at Giza, identified on a limestone wall of the tomb of Sem-nefer one of the titles of the dignitary, Chef des écrivains, together with the names of his wife (Hétep-Hérès) and his mother (Hen-ou-sen).