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The title imy-rA pr 'overseer of the house/estate, the Steward' during the Old Kingdom

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2019

Abstract

The title imy-rA pr is already known from the Fourth Dynasty wall decoration, where its bearer habitually appears together with other officials near the tomb owner. At that point, he functioned mainly at the head of the household of a higher official, managing his estates, as the title never appears in the central administration or in the royal service during the Old Kingdom.

The article examines the social standing of the imy-rA pr holders by concentrating on known tombs of owners of this title (e.g. the tomb of Uhemka) - specifically tombs that contain a complete list of titles. It likewise studies the social hierarchy reflected in the scenes with the aim to reconstruct the specific position of the imy-rA pr within the household, as well as the title's diachronic development in order to trace a possible shift in status at the end of the Old Kingdom.