‘Imaging and Imagining the Memphite Necropolis’ is a mixture of archaeological, literary and iconographic studies, all relating to the representation, visualization and reconstruction of the material culture and art of the ancient Egyptian burial grounds of the city of Memphis through time.

This Liber Amicorum is offered to René van Walsem on the occasion of his retirement. He has been lecturer in Egyptology at Leiden University since 1979 and was joint field director of the Dutch archaeological mission at Saqqara from 1999 until 2007. The volume contains twenty-four articles written by academics from around the world, all of whom have been part of, and have been influenced by, René van Walsem’s extensive professional career.

The contributions are divided into five themes: Material Culture – Finds at the Necropolis, relating amongst others to the (Anglo-)Dutch excavations of the New Kingdom tombs of Horemheb, Maya & Merit, Meryneith, and others, at Saqqara; Epigraphy – Texts and History, highlighting some surprising textual material connected to Saqqara; Theoretics – Religion and Theory of Egyptology, dealing with the material culture of ancient Egypt in particular, art history in general, and the scientific methodology applicable to both fields; Mastabas – Scenes of Daily Life, revolving around the interpretation of iconographic programmes in Old Kingdom elite tombs of the Memphite Area, including the necropoleis of Giza, Abusir, Saqqara, Dashur and Meidum; Funerary Equipment – Coffins and Stolas, focussing on coffins and specific iconographic details.

Touching upon the different subjects to which René has made important contributions, the authors imagine new interpretations, and offer images of the Memphite necropolis in various epochs.