Hesyre (also rendered as Hesyra or Hesy) was a high court official during the reign of King Djoser (c.2667-2648 BC), one of the earliest rulers of the Third Dynasty. He held the prestigious title of ‘Overseer of the Royal Scribes’, and is widely regarded as the earliest recorded dentist in history. Our understanding of Hesyre’s life and career comes from his mastaba (S2405), a tomb situated just north of Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara, an area noted for its early dynastic burials.
Excavation of the Tomb of Hesyre
The tomb was initially identified in the early 1860s by French Egyptologists Auguste Mariette and Jacques de Morgan, who conducted only preliminary work on the mastaba. It was not until the early 20th century that extensive excavations took place. Between 1910 and 1912, British archaeologist James Quibell led two major field sessions at the site. Quibell, known for his collaborations on various digs with prominent figures such as Flinders Petrie, Cecil Firth, and Frederick Green, was supported closely by his wife Annie Pirie Quibell. Annie was a skilled illustrator and author, whose watercolours and drawings, published in the 1913 excavation report, remain important visual records of the site today.
Evidence from the mastaba
Hesyre’s mastaba is an imposing mud-brick structure, notable for its considerable scale and architectural ambition. According to measurements recorded by Quibell in 1910, the tomb extended 43 metres in length, and stood 5 metres high, even in its partially preserved state. Beneath the superstructure lies a remarkably deep substructure, descending 21 metres below ground, and incorporating a series of storerooms alongside the burial chamber. Within these vaults, archaeologists uncovered artefacts including pottery and stone vessels. Several of the reconstructed vessels were assembled from fragments found widely dispersed throughout the tomb, often across multiple chambers.
Mother of invention