Construction of Royal and Non-Royal Tombs
Two types of Medina tombs existed- freestanding and rock cut tombs, both containing an above ground public area, and below ground private area. Rock cut tombs were built by cutting into the hillside, to create a tomb located within the rock itself. Constructed tombs were made of both mud-brick and stone, with an open court leading to a small pyramid of brick and stone.
Construction of Royal Tombs
Thutmose III- tomb plan and designThe workers had maps of the valley and searched it to find an untouched site, through a foundation ritual. The architects wanted to avoid repeating the mistake they had made with Ramses III’s tomb. It had cut into the corridor of another tom and the workers had to change direction of their digging, disturbing the peace of the other person’s afterlife.
We have learnt most about tomb building from archaeological evidence. No instructions to the workers or description of work have been found, although we do know that the workers used plans. Sketch plans have been found on ostraca and papyri.
Royal tombs were the most remarkable and beautifully built tombs, constructed into cliffs of limestone, with chipped rocks used to paint and decorate the tombs walls with images and stories of their lives, and the journey to the afterlife. Designs changed over the years, providing us with the evolution of craftsmanship and royal importance’s. The left and right gang crafted with their own technique differing tombs over the dynasties, just like the infallible differences between the tomb of Thutmose III and Sety I.
The figure to the bottom shows the craftsmen and their duties of building the royal tombs
Thutmose III
The tomb of Thutmose III is said to be one of the most sophisticated tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Discovered by Victor Loret's workmen in 1898. The tomb itself can be found in a narrow gorge at the bottom of the Valley of the Kings. The entrance is 30 meters above ground level, but of course this did not stop ancient tomb robbers, who violently tore the chamber apart, suggesting evidence that village robbers weren’t from the village of Deir-El Medina, or they did not respect Thutmose III.
Thutmose III’s tomb is known as sophisticated due to the rough implications of construction to his tomb. John Romer’s investigation of Thutmose III’s tomb suggests that the hieroglyphs, painted as a guidebook to the underworld was rushed, showing mistakes, explaining how quickly they had to complete the texts. He speaks about the rough paintings on the walls, and the Am Duat (Book of the Secret Room) was painted on the wall to look like a massive papyrus sheet in black ink, not colour. This tomb was an example of the earliest of tombs of this area, showing the techniques of the first hand workers of the time.
The vestibule has two pillars, and is decorated with the 741 divinities of the Amduat that generate the daily sun. A flight of stairs leads directly from there to the burial chamber, which is oval and also has two pillars. The oval burial chamber is common also to the tombs of Thutmosis I and Thutmosis II. The burial chamber is large, and holds a beautiful red quartzite sarcophagus. However, Tuthmosis III's mummy was not found here, bur rather in tomb DB 320 at Deir el-Bahri (in 1881).
The walls of the burial chamber are designed like a huge ornamental scroll, with the complete text of the Book of Amduat. The ancient Egyptians called this book the "Book of the Secret Room". Amduat meant "that which there is in the afterlife", and the book is divided into twelve parts, representing the hours of the night. On the two square pillars of the burial chamber, and for the first time, we find passages from the Litanies of Re on seven of the surfaces, and on the eighth a unique scene in which the king is shown being nursed by a divine tree goddess labeled "Isis". It is likely, however, that these pillar decorations were added hastily, after the king's death. (www.touregypt.com Egypt: The Tomb of Tuthmosis III, Valley of the Kings)
We have learnt most about tomb building from archaeological evidence. No instructions to the workers or description of work have been found, although we do know that the workers used plans. Sketch plans have been found on ostraca and papyri.
Royal tombs were the most remarkable and beautifully built tombs, constructed into cliffs of limestone, with chipped rocks used to paint and decorate the tombs walls with images and stories of their lives, and the journey to the afterlife. Designs changed over the years, providing us with the evolution of craftsmanship and royal importance’s. The left and right gang crafted with their own technique differing tombs over the dynasties, just like the infallible differences between the tomb of Thutmose III and Sety I.
The figure to the bottom shows the craftsmen and their duties of building the royal tombs
Thutmose III
The tomb of Thutmose III is said to be one of the most sophisticated tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Discovered by Victor Loret's workmen in 1898. The tomb itself can be found in a narrow gorge at the bottom of the Valley of the Kings. The entrance is 30 meters above ground level, but of course this did not stop ancient tomb robbers, who violently tore the chamber apart, suggesting evidence that village robbers weren’t from the village of Deir-El Medina, or they did not respect Thutmose III.
Thutmose III’s tomb is known as sophisticated due to the rough implications of construction to his tomb. John Romer’s investigation of Thutmose III’s tomb suggests that the hieroglyphs, painted as a guidebook to the underworld was rushed, showing mistakes, explaining how quickly they had to complete the texts. He speaks about the rough paintings on the walls, and the Am Duat (Book of the Secret Room) was painted on the wall to look like a massive papyrus sheet in black ink, not colour. This tomb was an example of the earliest of tombs of this area, showing the techniques of the first hand workers of the time.
The vestibule has two pillars, and is decorated with the 741 divinities of the Amduat that generate the daily sun. A flight of stairs leads directly from there to the burial chamber, which is oval and also has two pillars. The oval burial chamber is common also to the tombs of Thutmosis I and Thutmosis II. The burial chamber is large, and holds a beautiful red quartzite sarcophagus. However, Tuthmosis III's mummy was not found here, bur rather in tomb DB 320 at Deir el-Bahri (in 1881).
The walls of the burial chamber are designed like a huge ornamental scroll, with the complete text of the Book of Amduat. The ancient Egyptians called this book the "Book of the Secret Room". Amduat meant "that which there is in the afterlife", and the book is divided into twelve parts, representing the hours of the night. On the two square pillars of the burial chamber, and for the first time, we find passages from the Litanies of Re on seven of the surfaces, and on the eighth a unique scene in which the king is shown being nursed by a divine tree goddess labeled "Isis". It is likely, however, that these pillar decorations were added hastily, after the king's death. (www.touregypt.com Egypt: The Tomb of Tuthmosis III, Valley of the Kings)
Sety I
The New Kingdom Royal Tombs that the workers built usually contained a long passageway leading to a burial chamber, containing the sarcophagus for the king’s mummy. Sety I tomb was the most significant tomb, with 6 significantly long passageways, filled with side chambers filled with scenes from the Amduat and scenes from past kings. Sety I is the most excellently preserved mummy, regarded as the finest example of Egyptian mummification.
Fig to the side, shows the chamber of Sety I, the construction and structure of the tomb, Valley of the Kings, 19th Dynasty.
The New Kingdom Royal Tombs that the workers built usually contained a long passageway leading to a burial chamber, containing the sarcophagus for the king’s mummy. Sety I tomb was the most significant tomb, with 6 significantly long passageways, filled with side chambers filled with scenes from the Amduat and scenes from past kings. Sety I is the most excellently preserved mummy, regarded as the finest example of Egyptian mummification.
Fig to the side, shows the chamber of Sety I, the construction and structure of the tomb, Valley of the Kings, 19th Dynasty.
Construction of Non-Royal Tombs
Kha and Meryt's TombThe tombs of the Medina workers, like all Egyptian tombs, were designed to be used. They provided a resting place for the body, a house for the spirits of the dead and a visiting place for the living.
Non-Royal tombs were significantly different to the royal tombs in a variety of ways; size, construction, contents, foundation rituals and even religious rituals towards the end of the New Kingdom Period. Non-Royal tombs were constructed in comparison to your wealth, if you were able to afford a larger tomb or anything extra; it was possible unless, you were a noble of the society. Tombs were usually relatively small in size and consisted of basic decorative, alongside only necessary contents buried along side the person for the afterlife. Although, tombs such as Sennedjem, Kha and Meryt’s tomb were significantly different to non-royal tombs, even though they were only village workers. Their tombs were almost royal-like. This signifies to us that these people at the time were extremely wealthy, respected, and must have had a significant role to the society. Respected foremans usually instructed his workmen to work on his own tomb during off days as a form of @unofficalwork, and as we know, the villagers of the society were extremely talented craftsmen, allowing their personal tombs to be filled with their own unique talent through ostracas, ushabtis and paintings. Paintings usually portrayed gods in the afterlife and their inner serenity of heaven.
These tombs are so important towards our knowledge of information on this topic because, they are the only ones that have not been robbed.
The tomb of Sennedjem
The tomb of Sennedjem, the village foreman, is one of the most beautifully decorated and best preserved in the Deir-el Medina cemetery. Sennedjem, a significant foreman of the Deir- El Medina society’s tomb had remained untouched since the 19th Dynasty, allowing excavators and the whole world to observe the tombs contents, and help reveal how these people lived so long ago. The tomb was excavated in 1885; the grave goods and tomb furniture were removed to Cairo, displayed in the museum. Sennedjem’s tomb was structured with stairs leading down to the burial chamber, which had a low curved ceiling. A majestic painted door opened towards his chamber were he and 19 members of his family, were contained. Nine bodies were found in wooden coffins, the other eleven were mummified. Alongside, his three generations of family, the tomb contained chairs, stools, shabtis (small statues), and jars. In the tomb of Sennejdem, both the burial chamber and the chapel were brightly painted with lively scenes that included religious texts depictions of the gods and the afterlife, as well as scenes showing the deceased with his friends and family (Antiquity 1: Past Perspectives- J. Hurley, P. Medcalf, C. Murray, J. Rolph, pg. 180).
John Romer’s Ancient Lives suggests that Sennedjem’s designs within his tomb especially along his wall paintings, were crafted to represent Sennedjem, worshipping past souls (probably kings/gods), hoping that one day he will be their after death (the stars). The large wall painting of Osiris is mentioned as a symbolic religious reference, linking the gateway between the two worlds, that his destiny was his heaven. Alongside the wall painting of worshipping others, a large painting extrapolated the belief of arriving to a heaven belonging to his personality. John Romer states “Sennedjem saw his heaven as a beautiful garden, lots of canals running through it with day palms, with beautiful flowering plants and perfumes”… “he plows the field”. Sennedjem’s heaven is represented through his own serenity. He was a foreman however, his tranquillity was his real occupation.
The contents and condition of Sennedjem’s tomb show aspects of peoples lives at the time. What they created and how? What they ate and what contents were regular villagers buried with. It gives archaeologists such as John Romer and Gaston Maspero (excavated Sennedjem’s tomb) an idea of what village life was like during the time and how these miraculous tombs were structured and built.
The tomb of Kha and Meryt
The tomb of Kha and Meryt, despite many of the scenes being in a poor condition, show aspects of people’s lives. Almost all ancient Egyptian tombs have been disturbed and robbed. In Medina, the only other worker’s tomb saved from robbery besides Sennedjem, was the tomb of Kha and his wife Meryt was cut into the hillside overlooking the village. Kha lived within the 18th dynasty. With evidence from his tomb (it’s size, burial chamber and contents), archaeologists believe that he must have been a chief workmen of the village, a chief foreman and architect for King Amenhotep III.
Kha and Meryt were each placed in sarcophagus’, at right angles to one another. The coffins were set within the sarcophagus, and when excavated, their original outer cloth or shroud covered them. In Meryt’s coffin there is a drawing outline of the sky goddess, Nut. The Egyptians believed that Nut swallowed the sun at night and gave birth to it at dawn. Kha and Meryt’s tomb have given us many insights to the life of Deir-El Medina workers due to the amount of contents intact, providing us with information to how the people live, how women were treated in the society @women, what they were buried with and how they prepared these people for the afterlife. Most importantly, they provide us with questions to how these ordinary people, were buried in such a semi-royal condition.
Kha
• Wore two earrings.
• An amulet placed on his neck, the ‘Isis knot’, like the famous ‘ankh’ sign to magically protect them.
• ‘Cobra’ amulet, place on his forehead gave him the exact protection as the king.
• He also wore a gold collar, probably a gift from Amenhotep III (evidence for social importance), very similar to the ones the king gave to his finest officials.
• The scarab amulet as well, to help him past Judgement of the Dead successfully.
Meryt
• Meryt’s mummy was crowned by a linen mask, covered with a thin layer of gold. Although, it was damaged by archaeologists workmen, although has been restored.
• She wore a collar of eight strings of hard stone, gold earrings, and blue glass beads.
Significant burial objects were placed in the chamber of the couple’s burial that have significant value and importance. A statue of Kha to attract his ‘Ka’ (spirit) to live inside. There were also many ushabtis, with their own coffins installed to work for the couple. A board game called senet, to vs an opponent to receive the prize of immortal life if won.’
Objects such as professional equipment from Kha’s ‘workbox’ such as colour palettes, tubes of ink, cubit rod, were all symbols of his tools of trade. Kha and Meryt both had staffs, lond sculpted sticks which showed social status and helped this soul get through the journey to the after life.
Baskets of food were also present and materials such as copper, silver and pottery, used for trade.
Kha and Meryt’s tomb is a perfect example of what every Egyptian was expected to do- build a tomb, decorate it and fill it with belongings from this world and for the next.
Non-Royal tombs were significantly different to the royal tombs in a variety of ways; size, construction, contents, foundation rituals and even religious rituals towards the end of the New Kingdom Period. Non-Royal tombs were constructed in comparison to your wealth, if you were able to afford a larger tomb or anything extra; it was possible unless, you were a noble of the society. Tombs were usually relatively small in size and consisted of basic decorative, alongside only necessary contents buried along side the person for the afterlife. Although, tombs such as Sennedjem, Kha and Meryt’s tomb were significantly different to non-royal tombs, even though they were only village workers. Their tombs were almost royal-like. This signifies to us that these people at the time were extremely wealthy, respected, and must have had a significant role to the society. Respected foremans usually instructed his workmen to work on his own tomb during off days as a form of @unofficalwork, and as we know, the villagers of the society were extremely talented craftsmen, allowing their personal tombs to be filled with their own unique talent through ostracas, ushabtis and paintings. Paintings usually portrayed gods in the afterlife and their inner serenity of heaven.
These tombs are so important towards our knowledge of information on this topic because, they are the only ones that have not been robbed.
The tomb of Sennedjem
The tomb of Sennedjem, the village foreman, is one of the most beautifully decorated and best preserved in the Deir-el Medina cemetery. Sennedjem, a significant foreman of the Deir- El Medina society’s tomb had remained untouched since the 19th Dynasty, allowing excavators and the whole world to observe the tombs contents, and help reveal how these people lived so long ago. The tomb was excavated in 1885; the grave goods and tomb furniture were removed to Cairo, displayed in the museum. Sennedjem’s tomb was structured with stairs leading down to the burial chamber, which had a low curved ceiling. A majestic painted door opened towards his chamber were he and 19 members of his family, were contained. Nine bodies were found in wooden coffins, the other eleven were mummified. Alongside, his three generations of family, the tomb contained chairs, stools, shabtis (small statues), and jars. In the tomb of Sennejdem, both the burial chamber and the chapel were brightly painted with lively scenes that included religious texts depictions of the gods and the afterlife, as well as scenes showing the deceased with his friends and family (Antiquity 1: Past Perspectives- J. Hurley, P. Medcalf, C. Murray, J. Rolph, pg. 180).
John Romer’s Ancient Lives suggests that Sennedjem’s designs within his tomb especially along his wall paintings, were crafted to represent Sennedjem, worshipping past souls (probably kings/gods), hoping that one day he will be their after death (the stars). The large wall painting of Osiris is mentioned as a symbolic religious reference, linking the gateway between the two worlds, that his destiny was his heaven. Alongside the wall painting of worshipping others, a large painting extrapolated the belief of arriving to a heaven belonging to his personality. John Romer states “Sennedjem saw his heaven as a beautiful garden, lots of canals running through it with day palms, with beautiful flowering plants and perfumes”… “he plows the field”. Sennedjem’s heaven is represented through his own serenity. He was a foreman however, his tranquillity was his real occupation.
The contents and condition of Sennedjem’s tomb show aspects of peoples lives at the time. What they created and how? What they ate and what contents were regular villagers buried with. It gives archaeologists such as John Romer and Gaston Maspero (excavated Sennedjem’s tomb) an idea of what village life was like during the time and how these miraculous tombs were structured and built.
The tomb of Kha and Meryt
The tomb of Kha and Meryt, despite many of the scenes being in a poor condition, show aspects of people’s lives. Almost all ancient Egyptian tombs have been disturbed and robbed. In Medina, the only other worker’s tomb saved from robbery besides Sennedjem, was the tomb of Kha and his wife Meryt was cut into the hillside overlooking the village. Kha lived within the 18th dynasty. With evidence from his tomb (it’s size, burial chamber and contents), archaeologists believe that he must have been a chief workmen of the village, a chief foreman and architect for King Amenhotep III.
Kha and Meryt were each placed in sarcophagus’, at right angles to one another. The coffins were set within the sarcophagus, and when excavated, their original outer cloth or shroud covered them. In Meryt’s coffin there is a drawing outline of the sky goddess, Nut. The Egyptians believed that Nut swallowed the sun at night and gave birth to it at dawn. Kha and Meryt’s tomb have given us many insights to the life of Deir-El Medina workers due to the amount of contents intact, providing us with information to how the people live, how women were treated in the society @women, what they were buried with and how they prepared these people for the afterlife. Most importantly, they provide us with questions to how these ordinary people, were buried in such a semi-royal condition.
Kha
• Wore two earrings.
• An amulet placed on his neck, the ‘Isis knot’, like the famous ‘ankh’ sign to magically protect them.
• ‘Cobra’ amulet, place on his forehead gave him the exact protection as the king.
• He also wore a gold collar, probably a gift from Amenhotep III (evidence for social importance), very similar to the ones the king gave to his finest officials.
• The scarab amulet as well, to help him past Judgement of the Dead successfully.
Meryt
• Meryt’s mummy was crowned by a linen mask, covered with a thin layer of gold. Although, it was damaged by archaeologists workmen, although has been restored.
• She wore a collar of eight strings of hard stone, gold earrings, and blue glass beads.
Significant burial objects were placed in the chamber of the couple’s burial that have significant value and importance. A statue of Kha to attract his ‘Ka’ (spirit) to live inside. There were also many ushabtis, with their own coffins installed to work for the couple. A board game called senet, to vs an opponent to receive the prize of immortal life if won.’
Objects such as professional equipment from Kha’s ‘workbox’ such as colour palettes, tubes of ink, cubit rod, were all symbols of his tools of trade. Kha and Meryt both had staffs, lond sculpted sticks which showed social status and helped this soul get through the journey to the after life.
Baskets of food were also present and materials such as copper, silver and pottery, used for trade.
Kha and Meryt’s tomb is a perfect example of what every Egyptian was expected to do- build a tomb, decorate it and fill it with belongings from this world and for the next.