Funerary cult and networks of social interdependence in the necropolis of El?Hammamiya during the Fifth Dynasty: the case of Djefaided

Abstract

This work analyses the figure of Djefaided, overseer of the ka?servants in the necropolis of El?Hammamiya during the Fifth Dynasty. Throughout the study of his tomb (A1) and that of the masters he served (Kaikhenet A2 and Kaikhenet A3), we can understand his role in the funerary cult developed in the necropolis, his socioeconomic status and the relationships of interdependence and patronage in which he was integrated. The figure of Djefaided is revealed as an exceptional case study to understand the impact that the establishment and management of the funerary cult had for the people who took care of its maintenance. The tombs of El?Hammamiya show an especially clear example of how the offering service played an important role as a system of social  organization
and a method of economic redistribution during the Old Kingdom.