Tomb Robberies
Punished Tomb RobberThe Royal Tombs in the Valley of the Kings contained a wealth of valuable objects, “Gold, the skin of the Gods” as Egyptologist John Romer proclaims. Royal tombs were filled with riches and wealth, used to accompany the pharaoh to a prosperous afterlife, maintaining the power he once had on while he was live with wealth and affluence. Evidence shows that from Tutankhamun’s tomb, contents of a magnificent collection of gold, jewellery and precious embalming oils were buried with the king. Most tombs were looted due to their ‘glowing’ inhabitance located within, and in many cases by the very workmen who had constructed and decorated the tomb itself. ‘Dramatic evidence of the plundering of the tombs in the Valley of Kings during the period of economic and political decline at the end of the 20th Dynasty came to light with the modern discovery of an important archive of judicial documents- the Tomb Robbery Papyri’ (Antiquity 1- Past Perspectives: Deir-El Medina, J. Hurley, P. Medcalf, C. Murray, J. Rolph; pg 173). This and other recorded documents allow us to review the details of the robbery, the interrogation, and sometimes, the punishment. Punishment was usually general execution although, a gruesome death (impalement on a stake).
Tomb Robbers were usually the very workers who constructed them were able to plan their thefts so as to bypass the main security features to gain access to the tomb itself. Many workers wished to increase their riches beyond compare by performing what was called the widespread belief that the act of tomb amounted to the worst of all crimes, resulting from the Egyptian perspective, in the potential for literal death of the soul. John Romer suggests, that many Thebans and foreigners attempted to rob the tombs not for the riches, but to destroy them. This suggests, that the villagers were under strife of the leadership of that pharaoh’s time and were angry about political choices, affecting their livelihood. Although the Royal Tombs were extremely protected, they were very open as well. It was easy to detect a break-in as ‘the valley was so quiet, that any sound, a foot fall, a chisel’s blow, would rise like the whisperings in a cathedral dome’ (John Romer: Ancient Lives) although, tomb robbers made their own tunnels or came in through old tombs to minimize noise. Inside jobs would be much easier to rob the tombs as they were able to break through the plaster chippings and the doors leading to the tomb; evidence shows that inside jobs were vibrant, especially towards the end of the 20th dynasty.
“They took the royal body out, tore into the mummy bands, stripped all the jewellery from him, ripped off the royal heart scarab, took the bracelets from his wrist, gold leaves were down his body- threw that to the other side, discarded. Took his coffins which were still covered in gold and took everything from the tomb to spoil, at their leisure”. John Romer describes the encounter of the spoiling act, expressing the lack of care and changed views of the people of the society, suggesting the changing world; economically and socially. Evidence shows the changed people’s perspectives of morals due to political decisions and a changing economy. For example, inflation and delay of rations made it extremely harder for the villagers to live, leaving them to rob the tombs they once built to keep themselves and their family alive. Tomb robberies had an immense impact on the practices of the villagers and the government, forcing them to eventually move many pharaoh’s bodies to one place, all because of the increase of tomb robbery.
Tomb robberies became widespread and plans began to change. People from other areas (even across seas) sought the Valley of the Kings as a gold chamber open for extortion. Villagers of other areas would rob the tombs and then retreat to a safe area by boat. A boatman ferried the thieves away and they usually stopped off to distribute the loot share. The tomb robberies increased to a regular activity which concerned tomb villagers such as Hashiri, a scribe who constructed a scheme to catch these tomb robbers, and to punish them for their deed. John Romer interprets Hashiri’s scheme as calling examiners from the committee lead by the Mayor of Thebes for a two day inspection of the tombs, while the villagers held their breath. An account was documented after the examiners left the scene, villagers stormed to Thebes to the Mayor’s doorstep accusing him of accusing them of the tomb robberies. It read: “You have rejoiced me over the very door of my house…What do you mean by it? I am the prince that reports to the King”- by now the villagers were in full force “All the Kings together with their royal wives, royal mothers, and their royal children, who rest in a great noble necropolis (Valley of Kings) are protected and ensured forever and ever”- The Mayor was angry because he knew that the villagers were trying to scam him, to get away for the robberies. “Your deeds bely your words”- as John Romer said ‘they sealed their own fate, and the Mayor was gonna get them”. This expresses the distress and distortion of a falling society, and it was the first stage of trying to prevent the robberies and to punish the culprits.
Preventing robberies was the main focus for the government and ways varied over the dynasties. John Romer explains the stopping of the robberies by isolating villages was a way to maintain the amount of robberies happening at the time which meant, no food source or transportation of foods, causing villagers to starve, even the ones who weren’t apart of the robberies themselves. The village was pretty much under severe lockdown, movements were restricted and no one was allowed in or out, making it impossible for robbers to move or hide their loot. A house to house strip search of the village allowed the government to arrest all culprits and retrieve stolen goods. Culprits were taken (usually the leader and some members of the gang) were transported to a temple across the river where they were locked in with the loot. Inscriptions show evidence for it on the walls at the Temple of Justice that they were questioned and judged based on the feather of truth (much like the underworld). For 24 days they were questioned, and then humiliation and punishment was soon to follow. Many were executed or left out to die stranded to a pole in the desert although, people who were let go had to face public humiliation, received no rations for 3 weeks.