123 Original Article COURTIERS with DUAL TOMBS Soliman, R

id1034718 pdfMachine by Broadgun Software - a great PDF writer! - a great PDF creator! - http://www.pdfmachine.com http://www.broadgun.com Egyptian Journal of Archaeological and Restoration Studies "EJARS" An International peer-reviewed journal published bi-annually Volume 5, Issue 2, December - 2015: pp: 123-138 http://ejars.sohag-univ.edu.eg/ Original article COURTIERS WITH DUAL TOMBS Soliman, R. Assoc. Prof., Tourism Guidance dept., Faculty of Archaeology & Tourism Guidance, Misr Univ. for Sciences & Technology, 6th October City, Egypt. E-mail: [email protected] Received 2/10/2015 Accepted 16/12/2015 Abstract What encouraged the tomb owner to prepare two tombs? The difficulty of determining the reasons for such dual tomb ownership can be generally supplied with inconsistent variables of data. Primarily, a cautious analysis of the official’s epithets, status and career promotions will be crucial as part of any synthesis, moving from modifications in socio-economic status within the royal court, political events, and both geological and architectural formations of the tomb. The latter may include the physical location of the tombs and its rock strata. The two tombs’ owner accession to an important status, gave him the right to a special burial, afforded by his feeling of self-importance assuming such privilege of a second tomb after his promotion. Furthermore, political and socio-economic status, chronological phases of date of construction and possibly the hierarchical elevations or religious promotions sometimes required cultic dual burial sites. Keywords: Courtiers, Theban tombs, Sheikh Abdel Qurna, Deir El Medina, Deir El Bahari, UserAmun, Senenmut, Inherkhau, Djehutynefer 1. Introduction Mortuary practices changed new understandings about the lives and greatly over the different eras, the need careers of privileged officials who of mortuary provision raised complex played important roles in their community. patterns of action on the physical setting The significant influence that a family of mortuary practices of ancient must have held is reflected not only Egyptians’ landscapes. It was designed through titles and lineage, but also in the to fulfill individual and group needs location and number of tomb ownership. such as status, rank promotions, and In recent analyses, the tomb owners kinship relationships. Research resulted have been under exploration in the in proving that besides the lineage, also broader socio-historical context. The elite status and royal kinship would have difficulty of determining the reasons for affected the choice of location of a such dual tomb ownership can be tomb. Thus, the inconsistencies of generally met with an inconsistent geographic clusters of tombs were variety of data and study. These related by either family or (and) by investigations include but are not limited status. It is important to view tombs as to the necessity of two tombs for a archaeological elements that present single burial; the basis on which a 123 certain location was chosen to be importance permitted him to assume quarried for the two tombs; the size of such privilege of a second tomb after his the tomb; the position of the tomb; the endorsement. Moving from modifications royal or family kinship; the reason in socio-economic status within the behind the preparation of two tombs; the royal court and the geological and selection of tomb sites; certain rock architectural formations of the tomb, this quality and the location relative to royal paper analyzes the justifications that mortuary temples are all factors [1]. caused an official to be permitted to Unveiling the question of a dual tomb acquire more than one tomb. Such dual ownership and affirming the identity of ownership of tombs among New the same owner remains a confusing Kingdom Theban private tombs is question. The irrational concept of the recurrent of which the most famous tombs possession of dual tombs for the same belong to the steward of queen courtier is soundly puzzling in many Hatshepsut, Senenmut besides UserAmun, cases. The two tombs’ owner accession Menkheperreseneb, Djehutynefer, Qen, to an important position, gave him the Pashedu and Inherkhau were also other right to a special burial, his self- officials that owned dual tombs. 2. UserAmun UserAmun, beyond expectations, (owner of TT82), was represented as one was far more significant than any other of the courtiers before Tuthmosis III along official of the reign. According to with UserAmun. There are texts recording Dziobek, UserAmun was born during the the appointment of UserAmun as co- reign of Amenhotep I and served in the vizier. In Useramun’s case, he was Amun precinct. He was promoted to vizier appointed as ‘staff of old age’ for his by year 5 until year 28 of the reigns of aging father, as recorded in the lower Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III when tomb (TT131) in the so-called - “Co Rekhmire was first verified, as accounted Installation Text” [2,3]. Definitely, he by an event documented in the Turin constructed either two or three funerary papyrus. His father, the vizier Amethu constructions. 2.1. Theban tomb 61 Located on the upper slopes, this gods Rahaorakht and Atum, fig. (1-a). modest tomb consisted of a transverse The architecture and decorative structure passage and an oblong chamber with of UserAmun’s two tombs are excepti- decorative elements of a tomb chapel onally revealed by its decorative program including offering and hunting scenes of funerary scenes in TT 61, whereas as well as UserAmun’s adoration of daily life scenes in TT 131. Figure (1-a) Plan of the tomb TT 61. 124 2.2. Theban tomb 131 In the lower slopes TT131, a rock b). The architecture of the tomb is of the cut tomb with an elaborate niched façade classic Theban T shape tomb adorned by unlike the pillared porticos of UserAmun’s elaborate decorations of UserAmun in father and uncle followed by a long action during his office. It has no burial corridor with funerary scenes of the shaft. banquet and the funeral procession, fig. (1- Figure (1-b) Plan of the tomb TT 131 of UserAmun, Plans drawn by author following (PM I:1) [4] Surprisingly in the early 1900s, the Theban necropolis for a tomb to have Mond had cleared possibly a third such texts. The Amduat appears in no funerary construction, what he called a other non-royal tomb during the New “mummy pit” in front of TT61, fig. (2). Kingdom [5]. This official was the first The chamber was documented to have a non-royal individual to have such royal complete contemporary version of the privileges. Formerly, these funerary books Amduat found in the king’s tomb but in a were placed only in the royal tombs of the slightly re-adjusted form in comparison to Valley of the Kings. KV 35, due to lack of space. It is rare in Figure (2) The so-called mummy pit of UserAmun within the forecourt of TT61 [4] The occurrence of the funerary of his king [6]. Another text mentions royal texts in this tomb at first caused to him giving air to the commoner, a postulate usurpation of royal privileges benefit only granted to the King. but it turned out from the texts that the However, a complicated explanation to vizier was a supporter, guardian of both the latter would be that UserAmun had kingship and Maat. UserAmun has no restrictions whatsoever to grant equally divided the inscriptions of the royal consent to himself and hence he Litany of Re between his tomb and that was dear to the King who allowed him 125 such royal privilege. A spatially planned during the reign of Hatshepsut. They family cluster of tombs are all within a remained in office for such a long time very short distance of each other. They and owned elaborate tombs during this connect the family together in death as critical reign. This vizierate family they were in life and allowing enough lived untouched and honored for more space for festivals’ processions as well than two decades which is mere evidence as visits by family members to their that their impact was valued and their ancestors, fig. (3). Both UserAmun and authorities respected [7]. These viziers’ his father must have had a considerable power was derived from being related amount of authority to reach such status to the Amun precinct in Thebes. ( Figure (3) Sheikh Abd el Qurna, natural pathways along the cliff side connect the cluster of tombs of UserAmun’s family [3] From the valley looking up, or crown the tomb [8]. Accordingly, from TT61 looking down, clearly both moving down the slope it becomes clear UserAmun’s tombs are aligned with that the tombs of these family members each other, and the pyramidal shape of are intentionally placed along the same the upper tomb have been deliberately path, connecting the family together in made so that it would rise above and death as they were in life, pl. (1). Plate (1) Sheikh Abd el Qurna Necropolis: The tombs of the family members of UserAmun [3] 126 Generally tombs were known to – are all within a very short distance of function as both an offering chapel and a each other, allowing enough space for burial chamber that was prepared for both festival processions, as well as, visits by religious and ceremonial purposes. family members to their ancestors. The However, such arrangement was entirely strategy for spatially cutting the tombs allowed for royalty detaching their tombs for a commemorative purpose serves from their mortuary temples. the entire family as a cultic complex. Nevertheless, this detachment was later Finally, what could be called a “family used for non-royals equally. UserAmun ’s complex” is becoming well defined, by burial was divided into two separate examining the hypothesis of the planned constructions, including the transverse topographical locations, fig.

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