UCLA UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology Title Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0227n3wp Journal UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 1(1) Author Arp-Neumann, Janne Publication Date 2020-12-12 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California AMARNA: PRIVATE AND ROYAL TOMBS ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﺭﻧﺔ: ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻜﻴﺔ ﻭﻣﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﺍﺩ Janne Arp-Neumann EDITORS WILLEKE WENDRICH SOLANGE ASHBY Editor Upper Nile Languages and Culture Editor Geography; Editor-in-Chief Associated Researcher UCLA, USA University of California, Los Angeles, USA ANNE AUSTIN MENNAT –ALLAH EL DORRY Editor, Individual and Society Editor, Natural Environment Flora and Fauna University of Missouri-St. Louis, USA Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt JUAN CARLOS MORENO GARCÍA WOLFRAM GRAJETZKI Editor, Economy Editor, Time and History Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique University College London, UK UMR 8167 (Orient & Méditerranée), Sorbonne Université, France CHRISTINE JOHNSTON RUNE NYORD Editor, Natural Environment, Landscapes and Climate Editor, History of Egyptology Western Washington University, USA Emory University, USA ANDRÉAS STAUDER JULIE STAUDER-PORCHET Editor, Language, Text and Writing Editor, Language, Text and Writing École Pratique des Hautes Études, Swiss National Science Foundation & Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, France Université de Genève, Switzerland TANJA POMMERENING Editor, Domains of Knowledge Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany Short Citation: Arp-Neumann 2020, Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs. UEE. Full Citation: Arp-Neumann, Janne, 2020, Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs. In Willeke Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles. ISSN 2693-7425. http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz002knv2r 8556 Version 1, December 2020 http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz002knv2r AMARNA: PRIVATE AND ROYAL TOMBS ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﺭﻧﺔ: ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻜﻴﺔ ﻭﻣﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﺍﺩ Janne Arp-Neumann Amarna: private und königliche Gräber Amarna: tombes privées et royales The monumental tombs of el-Amarna (also Tell el-Amarna) were constructed for members of the elite and for the royal family. They are considered to be a main source for the study of the history, religion, and art of the so-called “Amarna Period.” All tombs are located on the east bank of the Nile. The private rock-cut tombs are located in the crescent of foothills and cliffs east of the ancient city. They are decorated with reliefs and inscriptions, and among the texts, the “hymns to the Aten” are of special interest. Special features include columned halls and statues of the tomb owners. The Royal Tombs were constructed in remote wadis behind the cliffs, descending from the ground floor and featuring pillared halls. They too are decorated with reliefs and inscriptions, but suffered much more from destruction than the private tombs. Due to the comparatively short period of occupation of the city, most of the monumental tombs were not completed, and supposedly not many of them had been used for burial. ﺷﻴﺪﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻷﺛﺮﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﺭﻧﺔ (ﻳﻌﺮﻑ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ ﺑﺘﻞ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﺭﻧﺔ) ﻟﻄﺒﻘﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﺨﺒﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻌﺎﺋﻠﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﻟﻜﺔ. ﺣﻴﺚ ﺗﻌﺘﺒﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺪﺭ ﺍﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻲ ﻟﺪﺭﺍﺳﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺎﺭﻳﺦ ﻭﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻭﺍﻟﻔﻦ ﺧﻼﻝ ﻓﺘﺮﺓ ﺍﻟﻌﻤﺎﺭﻧﺔ. ﺗﻘﻊ ﺟﻤﻴﻊ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻀﻔﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻗﻴﺔ ﻟﻨﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻨﻴﻞ. ﻣﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﺍﺩ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺤﻮﺗﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺼﺨﺮ ﺗﻘﻊ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺤﺪﺭﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﺼﺨﺮﻳﺔ ﺷﺮﻕ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ. ﻭﻫﻲ ﻣﺰﻳﻨﺔ ﺑﻤﻨﺎﻅﺮ ﻭﻧﻘﻮﺵ ، ﻭﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﺼﻮﺹ ، ﺗﺤﻈﻰ "ﺗﺮﺍﻧﻴﻢ ﺁﺗﻮﻥ" ﺑﺄﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﺧﺎﺻﺔ. ﻭﻟﺘﻠﻚ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﻣﻴﺰﺍﺕ ﺧﺎﺻﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ ﺗﺸﻤﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻗﺎﻋﺎﺕ ﺃﻋﻤﺪﺓ ﻭﺗﻤﺎﺛﻴﻞ ﻷﺻﺤﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ. ﺃﻣﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻜﻴﺔ ﻓﻘﺪ ﺷﻴﺪﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﻭﺩﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﻌﻴﺪﺓ ﺧﻠﻒ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺤﺪﺭﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﺼﺨﺮﻳﺔ، ﺗﻨﺤﺪﺭ ﺗﺤﺖ ﺍﻷﺭﺽ ﻭﺗﻀﻢ ﻗﺎﻋﺎﺕ ﺫﺍﺕ ﺃﻋﻤﺪﺓ. ًﺃﻳﻀﺎ ﻫﻲ ﻣﺰﻳﻨﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻨﺎﻅﺮ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﻘﻮﺵ ، ﻟﻜﻨﻬﺎ ﻋﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺪﻣﺎﺭ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﺃﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻷﻓﺮﺍﺩ. ﻭﻧﻈﺮﺍ ً ﻟﻘﺼﺮ ﻓﺘﺮﺓ ﺷﻐﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ ، ﻟﻢ ﻳﺘﻢ ﺍﻻﻧﺘﻬﺎء ﻣﻦ ﻣﻌﻈﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ ﺍﻷﺛﺮﻳﺔ ، ﻭﻟﻢ ﻳﺘﻢ ﺍﺳﺘﺨﺪﺍﻡ ﺍﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻟﻠﺪﻓﻦ. he private monumental tombs at of the modern village of el-Hag Qandiil (fig. 1; el-Amarna (also “Tell el-Amarna”) Davies 1903: 1; 1906: 7, fn. 1). A central wadi, T lie in the crescent of foothills and Wadi Abu Hasah el-Bahri (variously called the cliffs east of the ancient city of Akhetaten (see Royal Wadi, Darb el-Hamzawi and Darb el- Stevens 2016 for the etymology of the names Malek), discharges into the bay of Amarna, of the city and its broader territory and for midway between the two groups, and extends discussion of the non-elite cemeteries). They eastward to the Royal Tombs behind the cliffs comprise north and south groupings. The (Martin 1974: 1-2). The private tombs in the North Tombs are located toward the north end north are hewn horizontally into the high cliff of the crescent, in proximity to the modern face, whereas those in the south are hewn village of el-Til. The South Tombs are located downward into the low foothills. toward the crescent’s south end, in the vicinity Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs, Arp-Neumann, UEE 2020 1 Figure 1. Map of el-Amarna. The necropolis is referred to as “Mountain In modern times, a total of 50 monumental of the East” (Dw wbnw) in inscriptions in the structures at el-Amarna have been assigned private monumental tombs and also in the first consecutive numbers designating them as set in the chain of Boundary Stelae that mark tombs. Twenty-five structures in the combined the site. The tombs are variously referred to as northern and southern necropolis of private “the place of favor” (st/spAt Hswt) and “the tombs bear the numerical designations TA 01 place of the favorites” (st/spAt Hsyw); in one to TA 25—“TA” referring to either “Tombs of instance they are referred to as “the place of Amarna” (e.g., Arp 2012) or to “Tell el- justification” (Hwt nt mAa xrw) (Murnane and Amarna” (Dodson 2018 – 2019)—while van Siclen III 1993; Murnane 1995; Arp 2012). twenty were assigned the addition of an alphabetic sub-categorization (for example, TA 01A). Five structures in the necropolis of Royal Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs, Arp-Neumann, UEE 2020 2 Tombs bear the numbers TA 26 to TA 30. TA 01A Rudu Alternatively, Marion Hesse has introduced a TA 01B no name designation system that numbers the tombs TA 01 Huya with the abbreviation “AT” (“Amarna TA 02 Meryra II Tomb”), from AT 1 to AT 45 (2013: 7). TA 03 A no name Hesse’s system was meant to overcome the TA 03 B no name differentiation between decorated and TA 03 C no name undecorated, or smaller and larger, tombs. But TA 03 D no name there are in fact clusters of tombs perceivable, TA 03 E no name and this additional information is addressed TA 03 F no name with the subordinate numbers in the TA 03 Ahmes conventional system. Another difficulty with TA 04 Meryra I Hesse’s system is its retention of the TA 05 Pentu numbering of the Royal Tombs as numbers 26 TA 06 A no name to 30, though they are designated with the abbreviation “KVA” (“Kings Valley Amarna,” TA 06 B no name Hesse 2013: 6). TA 06 C no name TA 06 D no name The northern necropolis (fig. 2) comprises TA 06 Panehesy 18 tombs, numbered as follows from north to south: Figure 2. The northern necropolis of el-Amarna: TA 03, TA 04, and TA 05. View to the northeast. Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs, Arp-Neumann, UEE 2020 3 Figure 3. The southern necropolis of el-Amarna: TA 18 and TA 19. View to the southeast. The southern group (fig. 3) comprises 27 TA 21 no name tombs, numbered as follows from north to TA 22 no name south: TA 23 Any TA 07 Parennefer TA 24 Pa-Aten-em-Heb TA 07 A no name TA 24 A no name TA 07 B no name TA 25 Ay and Tiy TA 07 C no name TA 25 A no name TA 08 Tutu The five structures in the royal necropolis TA 09 A no name (see Figure 1 above) are rock-cut, constructed TA 09 B no name by hewing into the wadi’s bed and proceeding TA 09 C no name downwards. TA 27 designates a large structure TA 09 Mahu on the south side of the Royal Wadi, about 3-4 TA 10 Apy km past the cliffs of the private tombs. Behind TA 11 Rames it, TA 28 and TA 29 were cut into a smaller TA 12 Nekht-Pa-Aten wadi branching off to the south. TA 26, known TA 13 Nefer-Kheperu-Her-Sekheper as the tomb of Akhenaten, was set into yet TA 14 May another, smaller wadi, branching northward off TA 15 Suti the main wadi. A second tomb, TA 30, was also TA 16 no name begun here. TA 17 no name A ritual complex known as the “Desert TA 18 no name Altars,” as well as the structures at the site of TA 19 Sutau Kom el-Nana (see Figure 1 above), are thought TA 20 no name Amarna: Private and Royal Tombs, Arp-Neumann, UEE 2020 4 to have been places for the cultic maintenance 26, for example, is considered the actual burial of the private monumental tombs (Stevens place of Akhenaten, the dowager queen Tiy, 2016: 4; Williamson 2017). and the princesses Neferneferura, Setepenra, and Meketaten (Gabolde 1998: 136-138). Kiya Significance and Baketaten were possibly entombed in TA 28 (Gabolde and Dunsmore 2004: 33), and TA The monumental tombs of el-Amarna are 29 was provided for Nefertiti and Meritaten sources for the study of Amarna religion (e.g., (Kemp 2016: 6 and 8). Finally, the private Bickel 2003; Hesse 2013; compare Williamson tombs attest to a much wider range of titles 2015: 6), Amarna art (Laboury 2011), Amarna than that given in the text of the Boundary history, especially the questions of coregencies Stelae.