The dance scene of Wa'tetkhethor: an art historical approach to the role of dance in Old Kingdom funerary ritual

In 1979, the late Dr. Alexander Badawy asked me whether the dance scene found in chamber B3 of the mastaba of Mereruka was one dance scene or a compilation of several dance scenes. The following work is the result of this conversation. As work progressed I began to see that unimagined aspects were contained in the dance of Wa'tetkhethor. Chapter I: Preface - 1 Chapter II: Introduction - 4 Chapter III (Description and Analysis): 3.1 Description - 10 3.2 Directional Reading of B3-N - 15 3.3 Sequentiality - 17 3.4 Nature of the Dance - 19 3.5 Name of the Dance - 20 3.6 Location of the Dance Within the Funeral Procession - 21 3.7 Conclusion - 23 Chapter IV: Analysis of the Text - 25 Chapter V (Pictorial Analysis): 5.1 Spatial Arrangement - 46 5.2 Spatial Movement - 51 5.3 Significance of Dance Movements and Gestures - 52 Chapter VI: Conclusion - 75 Chapter VII: Bibliography and Abbreviations - 77 (including figures)