Egypt Exploration Society
The Tomb of a Much-Travelled Theban Official Author(s): Alan H. Gardiner Source: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan., 1917), pp. 28-38 Published by: Egypt Exploration Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3853790 . Accessed: 22/06/2011 18:37 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=ees. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
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28
THE TOMB OF A MUCH-TRAVELLED THEBAN OFFICIAL BY ALAN H. GARDINER, D.LITT. THE splendid jewellery discovered in Egypt bears silent testimony to a trade intercourse, direct or indirect, with many remote and little-known lands; and it would be of considerable interest to learn through what channels the precious stones that adorned the necks of the Mlemphite and Theban ladies found their way to the Egyptian markets. Thanks to the work of the Egypt Exploration Fund at Sinai, we are tolerably well informed concerning the expeditions that journeyed thither almost annually in quest of the turquoise; but with regard to other mnuchused stones-some of them, like lapis lazuli, fromncountries further afield-our ignorance is almost complete. All the more welcomne,therefore, are the side-lights thrown upon this subject by the stele to be published in this article. The record which Akhthoy caused to be displayed in front of his Theban tomb has the defects common to mnostEgyptian inscriptionsa laconic concision and a most tantalizing allusiveness. None the less, the narrative contains more details, and is more explicit, than usual: it names mrnany foreign lands whose and whose future research will have to determine. nature, whereabouts, many products If the text solves no problems, at least it gives a new direction to our questionings; and this, in dealing with times so ancient, is no small gain. The tomb (no. 65 of Lord Carnarvon's excavations) was discovered in the season of 1913-14, and Mr Howard Carter has furnished me with a valuable account of the find, which I herewith quote in extenso : "The tomb of Akhthoyl is situated above, and cuts into the roof of, the great corridor-tomb no. 412 (see CARNARVON-CARTER, Five Years' Explorations at Thebes 1907-1911, P1. 30, to the left in the plan), discovered by Lord Carnarvon during the seasons 1911-12 and 1912-13, the report of which is yet to be published. This corridortomb belonged to a certain 9 , 'revered Antef, justified,' a noble or prince
of the end of the Twelfth or beginning of the Thirteenth Dynasty. Tomb 41 was afterwards used by poor people during the Intermediate Period down to the early part of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and in some cases the chambers and smaller tombs of relatives in its courtyard were employed by the workmen of Hatshepsut for housing burials disturbed by them while making her Valley-temple. I Mr Carter writes Khetty; in accordance with his expressed wish I have made a few minor modifications in his account. 2 In describing the find to me orally, Mr Carter elaborated this statement thus: "the whole tomb cuts into the rock forming the roof of the inner chambers of tomb 41."
Plate VI
Fig. I. THEBAN
EXCAVATIONS,
Fig. 2. WOODEN STELE (65,
19I3-
I)
4. TOMB
IN SITU
65
THE TOMB OF A MUCH-TRAVELLEDTHEBAN OFFICIAL 29 "One is therefore led to believe that the tomb of Akhthoy (no. 65) is of later date than that of Antef (no. 41). "Among the Middle Kingdom tombs of pit and corridor type found in the Birabi-tomb no. 41 belongs to this group-the earliest date discovered was Amnenemhet IV (see op. cit., p. 54, tomb no. 25). The antiquities obtained from these tombs were not abundant, but seem certainly more characteristic of the late Middle Kingdom than of an earlier period. "The tomb of Akhthoy, which was found to be much damaged, is of the simple corridor type: before the doorway of the facade (see PI. VI, Fig. 1) is a plaint open space (forecourt), whence one gains access to a long passage painted on both sides and ending in a small rectangular sepulchral chamber. In general style it differs both from the Twelfth Dynasty tombs and from those of the early Eighteenth. But the peculiar feature was the arrangement of its three stelae before the fa9ade-doorway, as described in the next paragraphs. " 65, 1. Stele consisting of a wooden panel 47 cm. high by 79 cm. broad, thickness 10 cm., finely carved with eleven lines of incised hieroglyphs (see PI. VI, Fig. 2). Over the doorway a niche was made expressly for this wooden stele, the decayed remains of which were found therein. After its insertion, the niche was bricked up', and its appearance on the discovery of the tomb is shown in the (_ accompanying Fig. 1. It was only on the removal of the brickwork that the remains of the stele became visible; had it not been attacked by white ants it would have been found in perfect condition, as the brickwork was intact. With the help of Prof. Newberry I was able to make out the Fig. 1. following signs: Top right-hand corner, 1. 1
,, ,,
,,
l
__
I. 2 ~' 1. 4
Middle of right side, 1. 7 Bottom line, towards end, 1. 11
///
/
>
[The first lines gave the titles, predicates, and name of the owner of the tomb. The following phrases can be recognized or guessed: "(1) .........energetic (?) in all am loved of Truth undertakings, finding a word (2) [in the lack of it?]2..................I to the hungry]..... I man. timid the [bread (4) (3).................. gave(?) [protecting] 1 There are parallels for this procedurein the Fourth Dynasty mastabas found by ProfessorJunker at Gizeh, and also perhaps in the sunk tablets on the interior walls of the tomb of Senenmflt (Thebes no. 71). 2 Gm ts [m g?wf], not a rare phrase, e.g. Beni Hasan I, 9; or else gm ts [sndm ksnt] 'finding a word and sweetening misery,' Cairo M.K. stelae 20538, 20539.
ALAN H. GARDINER
30
............ [Akbthoy], justified." The remaining seven lines may well have been autobiographical; the four signs that are visible provide no clue to the meaning.] "65, 2. Limestone stele 37 cm. high, bearing an incised inscription (PI. IX). Though actually found lying on the floor in front of the doorway, this came from a recess high up on the left side of the fagade near the door, a mud-brick staircase leading up to it (see Fig. 2 and PI. VI, Fig. 1)." [For translation and remarks see below.]
FN
DOORWAY
B
q\
c
B
C Fig. 2.
A. B. B'. C. C'.
Niche containing the wooden stele 65, 1. Place where the stele 65, 2 was found. Conjectural original position of same. Place where the stele 65, 3 was found. Conjectural original position of same.
" 65, 3. Limestone stele, 43 cm. high, bearing an incised inscription with hieroglyphs coloured blue, and showing at bottom Akhthoy seated before a table of offerings (PI. VIII). This was discovered, like 65, 2, displaced and lying on the ground; its original position was on the opposite (right) side of the fa9ade. [Translated below.] "It is impossible to say whether these two stelae (65, 2. 3), both of them now in the Cairo Museum, were ever bricked up in the same manner as 65, 1. As regards their position, the small staircase is inexplicable unless it was intended to lead to one of them. "65, 4. In the forecourt were found several lumps of white plaster, hemispherical Lf3 in shape. "65, 5. In the rubbish of the forecourt was a rough wooden rectangular coffin j/\ A l," ~ bearing the following legends painted, in black. Right side: > sitc
ac A
