The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

the massive limestone revetment constructed to support the causeway east of the desert
edge.” 416 According to Zahi Hawass, this discovery has afforded the opportunity to draw
and photograph a clear view of the south side of the embankment, although a
considerable part of the north side is also exposed. 417
The extant evidence relating to the decoration of the causeway is scanty in
quantity and problematic in character. Attention should first be drawn to the fact that
Herodotus’ reference to zw|&wn e0ggeglumme/nwn and the extant relief sculpture that has
been ascribed to the valley and mortuary temples of Khufu’s pyramid complex have been
used circularly to explain each other. This treatment has, consequently, given rise to the
suggestion that the inner walls of the causeway, which functioned as the corridor linking
the two temples was also decorated with relief sculpture. 418 The outer walls of the
causeway do not feature in scholarship as a possible space for relief decoration, on the
basis of archaeological evidence, albeit not extensive, that the outer walls of Old
Kingdom causeways carried minimum decoration, in general. 419
The evidence regarding the architectural decoration of Khufu’s causeway consists
of two examples of sculpture in relief. The first is a fragment showing Khufu’s cartouche
resting on a board, and the head of a female personification of a royal estate (Fig. 23).
416 Hawass, “The Programs,” in O’ Connor and Silverman, eds., Ancient Egyptian Kingship 226.
417 Hawass, “The Programs,” in O’ Connor and Silverman, eds., Ancient Egyptian Kingship 226.
418 None of the carved reliefs ascribed to the valley and mortuary temples of Khufu’s pyramid complex has
been found in situ. They belong to fragments of stone blocks inscribed with the name of Cheops, and were
found to be reused as building material in the pyramid of the twelfth-dynasty king Amenmehet I at Lisht.
The fragments assigned to the valley temple of Khufu at Giza are executed in low relief and depict a
Libyan prisoner, the titulary of Khufu, personifications of royal estates bringing offerings to the king, and
also scenes from the palace. For a discussion and illustrations of these fragments, see Goedicke, “Re-used
Blocks,” 11-22. The fragments identified as belonging to the mortuary temple of Khufu are also in low
relief and depict ritual aspects of the Sed festival in the presence of various deities (e.g., Meret), the king,
religious personnel, and also royal officials. For a discussion and illustrations of these fragments, see also
Goedicke, “Re-used Blocks” 29-47.
419 Hawass and Verner, “Newly Discovered Blocks from the Causeway of Sahure” 179, mention, for
example, that the external decoration of the causeway of the fifth-dynasty king Nyeserre refers to its side
walls, which were battered, and their upper ends, which were decorated only with a cornice.
244