Julia Budka Berlin
Ankh -Hor Rev i s i ted :
S tudy , Documen ta t ion and Pub l ica t ion o f Forgo t ten F ind s from the A sa s i f
Of all areas within theextensive Theban necropolis, a specific part was without doubt the most significant during theLate Period: the Asasif. This toponym refers to the plain in front of thevalley of Deir el-Bahari thatiscrossed by theroyalcauseways leadingtothefamous templesof Mentuhotep Nebheptre, Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.1 Although itsearliest remains date from as early as the Middle Kingdom, the Asasif flourished in particular during theLate Period (8th to4th centuries BC). This iswell attested by theconsiderable number of monumental tombsthatwere erected by thehighest officials of theTwenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties (ca. 722-525 BC) inthearea.
Compared toother periods, such as theNew Kingdom, Theban history fromthe8th to 4thcenturies BC isstill poorly understood.2 One exception tothislacunainTheban archaeology isthearchitecture and decoration of thesemonumental tombs.Their huge, temple-like,mud brick superstructures are still well preserved and visible, and have been thesubject of scholarly work since the19th century.3 Previous studies have focusedon the architectural layoutand decoration of these‘templetombs’, but littleattention has been paid totheobjects foundinthesetombs,such as theremainsof funeraryequipment and pottery. Thus, thepresent state of knowledge on theburial customsof Late Period Thebes, especially thetombequipment of thehighest officials recovered fromthe burial grounds in theAsasif, must be regardedas incomplete.This paper aims toillustratethepotential of an analysis of archaeological artefactsfrom such a monumental ‘templetomb’ togenerate a better understanding of Late Period material culture ingeneral and funerary customsin particular.
The Au s tr ian m i s s ion in the A sa s i f
The Austrian excavations directed by Manfred Bietak (Instituteof Egyptology, University of Vienna and Austrian Archaeological Institute,Cairo) were undertaken intheeastern part of theAsasif from1969 to1977 (fig.1). These works uncovered many small tombs with mud brick superstructures of theTwenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties as well
1 Forthestrong connection between theAsasif and Deir el-Bahari throughoutmuch of Egyptian history cf. M. Bietak, E. Reiser-Haslauer, Das Grab des Anch-HorI, Obersthofmeister der Gottesgemahlin Nitokris, UZK 4, Vienna 1978 (hereinafterreferred toas: Bietak, Reiser-Haslauer,Das Grab des Anch-HorI), pp. 19- 29; D. Eigner, Die monumentalen Grabbauten der Spatzeit,UZK 6, Vienna 1984 (hereinafterreferred to as: Eigner, Die monumentalen Grabbauten),p. 21; N. Strudwick,Some aspects of thearchaeology of the Theban necropolis inthePtolemaic and Roman periods, [in:]N. Strudwick, J.H. Taylor(eds),The Theban Necropolis, Past, Present and Future,London 2003 (hereinafterreferred toas: Strudwick,Some aspects of thearchaeology), p. 174 with note 83; A. Lajtar,Deir el-Bahari intheHellenistic and Roman Periods, A study ofan Egyptian templebased on Greek sources,The Joumal of Juristic Papyrology, Supplements, vol. IV, Warsaw 2006, passim.
2 Cf. D.A. Aston, The Theban West Bank ffomtheTwenty-fifth Dynasty tothePtolemaic Period, [in:] N. Strudwick, J.H. Taylor(eds),The Theban Necropolis, Past, Present and Future,London 2003 (hereinafter referred toas: Aston, The Theban West Bank), p. 138.
3 Fora concise history of archaeological research intheAsasif see: Eigner, Die monumentalen Grabbauten, pp. 18-20.
as numerous shafts and saff-tombs,mostly dated fromtheMiddle Kingdom but showing featuresof repeatedreuseinsubsequent periods,especially during theLate Period (5th-3rd centuries BC).4
The small funerarychapels excavated intheAustrian concession are contemporaneous and similar tothemonumental ‘templetombs’ of theTwenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties, but usually with simple types of substructures. The chain of small tombs situated along theso-called ‘Hill 104’, which liesnorth of thecauseway of Thutmose III,includes probably theearliest burial sites dated totheTwenty-fifth Dynasty.5 Tomb no. VII, built against Hill 104 and discovered in1971, yielded relativelycomplete equipment of several burials. Interestingly,thissmall burial place can be attributed toa family of Kushite origin (Irwand Kherirw) who used itduring theTwenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties.6 The non-monumental tombsof theLate Period inthe Austrianconcession thatare situated at thebottom of Hill 104 and are equipped with freestanding,temple-likesuperstructures, originated in theTwenty-sixth Dynasty.7
The ma jor d i scovery :
a monumen ta l tomb in the Au s tr ian conce s s ion
In1971 theremainsof a largemud brick structure were cleaned and laterturnedout to comprise themission’s majordiscovery: a monumental ‘templetomb’ belonging tothe jmj- ri jmj hn.t dwi.t-ntr Ntrk.t, High Steward of theDivine Adoratrice Nitocris with thename rnh- Hr, Ankh-Hor (TT 414, fig.1).8 This tombwas excavated, thenrestoredand openedtothe public in1982 -and tothepresent day isaccessible totourists.Itsstratigraphic evidence, architecture, decoration and the objects foundin situ were published soon after excavations as a two-volume monograph by Manfred Bietak and Elfriede Reiser-Haslauer.9
Other thanthematerial discovered insitu, thegeneral corpus of finds did not receive special attention -despite thefactthatmany of theobjects would nicely contribute toany
4 Cf. M. Bietak, Theben-West (Luqsor).Vorbericht iiberdie ersten vier Grabungskampagnen (1969-1971), Sitzungsberichte der OAW 278, 4, Vienna 1972 (hereinafterreferred toas: Bietak,Theben-West (Luqsor))-, J. Budka,Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur imAsasif. Eine Untersuchung der spatzeitlichen Befunde anhand der Ergebnisse der bsterreichischen Ausgrabungen in den Jahren 1969-1977,UZK 34, Vienna 2010 (hereinafterreferred toas: Budka, Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur imAsasif). For other findingsintheconcession area suchas theRamesside templeand royal causeways seeJ. Budka, The Ramesside Temple intheAsasif: Observations on itsconstruction and function,based on theresults of the Austrian Excavations, [in:]R. Preys(ed.),Structuring Religion, Proceedings of the7"' Egyptological Tempeltagung, Leuven 2005,Konigtum, Staat und Gesellschaft friiherHochkulturen 3,2, Wiesbaden 2008, pp. 17-45; J. Budka, Non-textual marks fromtheAsasif (Westem-Thebes):Remarks onfunction and practical use based on extemal textualevidence, [in:]P. AndrAssy,J. Budka,F. Kammerzell(eds),Non-textual marking systems, writing andpseudo scriptfromprehistorytopresent times,Lingua Aegyptia -Stud. mon. 8, Gottingen 2009 (hereinafterreferred toas: Budka, Non-textual marks fromthe Asasif), pp. 179-182. 5 Cf. Aston, The Theban WestBank, p. 146; Budka,Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur imAsasif
p. 78.
6 See Bietak, Theben-West (Luqsor),pp. 30-35, J. Budka,Tomb VII intheAsasif: Its owners, date and implications,[in:]J. Goyon, C. Cardin (eds),Proceedings of theNinth International Congress for Egyptologists inGrenoble,OLA 150, Leuven 2007, pp. 241-250; J. Budka,F. Kammerzell, Kuschiten in Theben: Eine archaologische Spurensuche, Der Antike Sudan18 (2007),pp. 170-174.
7 For details on thesenon-monumentaltombs seeBudka, Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur im Asasifpp. 95-162; cf. as a summary J. Budka,The Asasif revisited: new results from the Austrian concession,
[in:] P. Kousoulis(ed.),Tenth IntemationalCongress ofEgyptologists, University oftheAegean, Department of Mediterranean Studies, Rhodes 22-29 May 2008,OLA (Leuven2010, forthcoming).
8 Bietak,Theben-West (Luqsor),p. 30, pl. XlVa.
9 See Bietak, Reiser-Haslauer,Das Grab des Anch-HorI (seefootnote1); M. Bietak,E. Reiser-Haslauer, Das Grab des Anch-Hor, Obersthofmeister der Gottesgemahlin NitokrisII, UZK 5, Vienna 1982 (hereinafter referred toas: Bietak, Reiser-Haslauer,Das Grab des Anch-HorII).
collection of Egyptian culture. Indeed,some of thefindsfromTT 414 were distributed to museums. In the early 1970s, ‘find sharing’ was still a custom inEgyptian archaeology - the best preserved and most representativefindsunearthed during excavations were divided between Egypt and theinstitutionof themission. Up until 1974, objects fromtheAustrian mission were brought tothemuseums inCairo and Vienna, where some of themare on display. Objects classified as being of ‘secondary importance’ (becauseof their fragmentary state and thelike)were lefton site, inthemission’s storeroom at Thebes. After 1974> no more ‘findsharing’ tookplace and even objects likealmost complete coffins were leftin the mission’s storeroom.Some of thesepieces and assemblages were never documented or studied, for various reasons,especially due to lack of timeand short-staffed seasons during the years when therestorationof thetombof Ankh-Hor was considered themain priority.
Until now, only a minority of thefinds coming fromthework of theAustrian mission intheAsasif have been published. In2001, thiswriter tookover thetaskof studying and publishing all thesmall tombsand artefacts belonging totheLate Period thathad been discovered, apart fromTT 414. As part of thiswork, a season of clearance and study was conducted under thesupervision of theSupreme Council of AntiquitiesintheAsasif in 2002. Tomb No.Iof the Austrian concession, a Middle Kingdom sqff-tomb (fig.2) located opposite Theban Tomb 27, was used as themission’s storeroom, which was re-openedin 2002, and most of its contents were re-arranged and catalogued.10 This work was continued inthreefield seasons from2007 to2009.11 The main goal of thesestudy seasons was to clarify theexact number and character of theobjects stored intheAustrian mission’s storeroom in order toarrange the necessary means to study these findsand to prepare their final publication.
Ankh -Hor rev i s i ted
Since theinventoryand study of thesmall tombsintheAustrian concession was completed in2006,12 thepresent focus ison thelargeamount of objects fromTT 414. The initialclassification of thefindsand theinventoryof thecontents of thestoreroom were completed in2008. The artefactual data isvery richand comprises all periods from theMiddle Kingdom up toRoman and Byzantine times.Almost 200 fragmentsof coffins and fragmentedcoffins as well as a selection of 300 baskets of findswith wooden objects (fragmentsof coffins, shrines,statuettes, etc) remain to be consolidated and documented in order to be published and preserved.
The study seasons in2007 and 2008 revealedtheexact number and specific character of theobjects stored inthemission’s storeroom. Most of thefindsare not of ‘secondary importance’, but -especially thelargegroup of coffins -were leftinthestoreroom due toshortages of both staff and timeand tomodified regulationsafter 1974, (asdiscussed above), not because of any lack of scientific relevance.
In2009, a timetableforfuturecampaigns was set up. Allowing forrestorationwork, the archaeological documentation (bothdrawings and photographs) of theconserved objects can be completed within a minimum of twomore study seasons. As a resultof previous unsatisfactory storage conditions, many objects are close todisintegration and most of
10 For theresults seeJ. Budka,Die Spatzeit inTheben-West: Das Asasif Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur anhand der Ergebnisse der bsterreichischen Ausgrabungen inden Jahren 1969-1977, 4 vols, unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Vienna, Vienna 2006.
11 Cf. J. Budka,Wiedersehen mit Anch-Hor: Neue Arbeiten inder osterreichischen Konzession des Asasifs (Theben-West),Sokar 16 (2008), pp. 74-79; J. Budka, Neues zu den Nutzungsphasen des Monumentalgrahes von Anch-Hor, Obersthofmeister der Gottesgemahlin Nitokris (TT 414), Egypt&Levant18 (2008),pp. 61- 12 See85-now Budka, Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur im Asasifpp. 491-745.
thepieces are inurgent need of conservation. The main goal istomove all theregistered finds to thegeneral storeroom of the West Bank, which requires thecollaboration of several specialists, especially restorers of wood, cartonnage and papyrus.
Survey o f the con ten t s o f the m i s s ion’s s toreroom
For a classification of theobjects inthestoreroom, eight main categories were established:
1. Coffins (fragmentsand complete ones): in general, most of the coffins and coffin fragmentsthat were studied come from TT 414, thetomb of Ankh-Hor. The totalof coffins (includingfragmentsand almost complete ones) now numbers 260, rangingindate from theLate Period toRoman times.
Some of thenewly studied fragmentsattest toan interestinguse-life of thecoffins -they were secondarily used as building material in the opencourtyard and later shaft systems of TT 414.13 For instance,largefragmentsof Arsw-coffins fromtheLate Period had been used as part of mud brick walls intheopen courtyard of TT 414 during theThirtieth Dynasty.14 On theother hand, coffins datedto theinitialphase of TT 414’s use as a burial place were not completely demolished. Iteven seems tobe thecase thattheburial chamber of Ankh- Hor had some kind of special value during thephase of reuse(see theburial of Padiaes below). From theselatertimes,thecoffins are ingeneral better preserved. Reg. 614 serves as anexample: within an almost complete coffin of tamarisk wood with inciseddecoration, datable totheThirtieth Dynasty, remainsof theBook of theDead were foundinsitu at the base of thecoffin next tothemummy (fig.3). One of thereally spectaculardiscoveries in shaft 10/2 ofTT 414 was theintact burial of Wahibre, dated totheThirtieth Dynasty.15 16His complete innercoffin (Reg. 865), wooden with incisedand gilded decoration,was foundin pieces in2007 and sucessfully consolidated and repaired.Itisnow stored inthegeneral storeroom and will be published before long.
Another remarkablecoffin ensemble of thephase of secondary reuseof TT 414 isthe set of twocoffins by Padiaes, an Amun-priest of theearly Ptolemaic Period (Reg. 655 and Reg. 655a). He was buried intheoriginal burial chamber dedicated to Ankh-Hor and thecoffins were foundinsitu (fig.4).16 While theouter anthropoid coffin was completely covered inblack paint, his innercoffin was beautifully painted incolour and remainedlargely intact(fig.5). The lidhad been demolishedin antiquity by robberswho also removedthe mummy.
Many fragmentsof coffins date totheRoman period, includingcorniches and various appliques.17 At least twoalmost complete coffins from theRoman period, which have fallen intopieces, remainto be consolidatedand documented.18
2. Cartonnage: a considerable amount of thecollection of cartonnage had not been studied before 2007. During thelatestwork conducted inthemission’s storeroom, seven largepieces of cartonnage, which can be dated totheRoman period because of their
13 Bietak,Reiser-Haslauer, Das Grab desAnch-HorI, pl. 27.
14 Cf. J. Budka, Neues zum Grab des Anch-Hor (TT 414, Asasif): Der „Lichthof‘, Sokar18 (2009),pp. 89, fig- 9-
15 Bietak,Reiser-Haslauer, Das Grab desAnch-HorII, pp. 182-220. 16 Cf. Bietak, Reiser-Haslauer,Das Grab des Anch-HorII, figs67-68.
17 Budka,Egypt & Levant18 (2008),pp. 79-82, fig. 16; Budka, Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur im Asasif,pp. 296-297, fig. 131.
18 This significantly increasesour knowledge ofthe importanceof the Asasif during Roman timeand thebroad usage of theLate Period ‘templetombs’; cf. theshort paragraph on previously known, thenrare material fromthearea: C. Riggs, The Egyptian funerary traditionat Thehes intheRoman Period, [in:]N. Strudwick, J.H. Taylor(eds),The Theban Necropolis, Past, Present and Future,London 2003, p. 190.
stylistic features,were registeredas single objects. Many fragmentsof differing sizes were documented from158 baskets of finds.A considerable amount of cartonnage was recovered during the excavations from Tomb no. I, since this Middle Kingdom burial place was reusedserveral times,starting with theThird IntermediatePeriod and continuing intothePtolemaic and Roman times.19 Most of thecartonnage, however, was, likethe coffins, foundinthetombof Ankh-Hor (TT 414) and attests tolateburials within this Saite ‘templetomb’.
3. Wooden objects (shrines,boxes, statuettes):thelargegroup of wooden objects comprises stelae, shrines, boxes and different typesof statuettes and funeraryequipment (e.g. ba birds, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures,falconstatuettes, etc) (figs6-8). An analysis of thewooden funerarystelae fromTT 414, focusingon theirfindposition and patterns of decoration, suggests thattheremight have been a change intheirfunctionand use during the4,h-3rd centuries BC, as compared totheTwenty Fifthand Twenty-sixth Dynasties. The later stelae maybe considered as freestanding monuments that were erected in the rooms for cultic use of the tomb whereas the earlier ones were deposited next to the coffin in the burial chamber.20 Similar differences can be attested fortheuse of funerarypottery (seebelow). Here, thematerial evidence corresponds with textualdata concerning specific changes in funerary customs during the1st millenniumBC.21
4. Stone blocks: themixed baskets of finds yielded some small fragments of relief from TT 414. 65 fragmentsof stone blocks, offering plates and architectural featuresinstone were identified within the storeroom; a large number of blocks dated to the New Kingdom is stored outside thestoreroom inthe areaof theformerconcession (mostly belonging tothe causeway of Thutmose IIIand theRamesside temple).22
5. Small finds(funerarycones, shabtis,amulets, clay figures,fragmentsof papyri, mummy bandages): thesefindscome fromall parts of the Austrian concession and date fromtheMiddle Kingdom totheRoman Period. From TT 414, a considerable amount of shabtisindifferent materials (mostlymud and faience)was recovered. These funeraryfigurescan be attributed toboth original and secondary burials within the burial place and have yieled importantgenealogical data.
6. Pottery (completevessels and sherds):thepotteiy fromtheAustrian misson comprises a totalof 193 baskets and some isolatedsherds as well as 230 complete vessels. From the tombof Ankh-Hor (TT 414), mostly Ptolemaic material was studied, which attests tothefunctionaluse of thetombduring this period.The high concentration of votive cups, incenseburners, goblets and libationjarsisstriking and findsstrong parallels inother monumental tombs of the area(e.g. thetomb of Harwa, TT 37).23 According tothe study of thepottery, the Asasif and itslargestructures fromtheLate Period were not only favourite burial places forpriests and other personell of thetempleprecinct of Karnak (asitiswell attested from the coffinsand funerary equipment), but also a central site for cultic activities inThebes during the4th and 3rd centuries BC. The pottery confirms ritualacts relatedto burials such as burning incenseand other offerings. Some acts attested by theceramic evidence are, however, possibly connectedwith thecult of Osiris and most likelywith the Beautiful Feast of the Valley.Taking intoaccount other sources and groups of objects, as,
19 Cf. Budka,Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur im Asasifpp. 83-95. 20 Cf. Budka, Egypt & Levant18 (2008),pp. 72-78.
21 See inmore detail J. Budka, The use of pottery infunerarycontexts during theLihyan and Late Period, [in:]Proceedings ofthe International workshop “Social and Religious Development ofEgypt intheFirst Millennium BCE”, Charles University in Prague 2009(inpreparation).
22 Budka, Non-textual marks fromthe Asasif, pp. 182-198.
23 See the preliminary remarks by F. Tiradritti, Archaeological Activities ofthe Museum ofMilan in the tombof Harwa (TT 37) and Akhimenru (TT 404). October 2002-January 2003, ASAE 79 (2005),p. 170. The pottery from TT 37 iscurrently being studied by Sabine Laemmel.
forexample, thewooden funerarystelae, thematerial evidence from4th (to 3rd) century BC Asasif seems todisplay a merging of thecult forthedead, thecult of Osiris and festivals with a funerary connotation.24 This can be correlated with textualdata concerning a specific adaptation of thetheology of Amun intheLate Period Thebes and corresponding changes in theritualand festive practice.25
7. Baskets of mixed material (pottery and fragments of cartonnage and wood):
a total of 6,200 potsherds and almost 6,500 objects, including wooden remains,cartonnage fragments,small finds,etc, were documented inbaskets as ‘mixed material’. Apart from a few finds originating fromtheMiddle and theNew Kingdom (e.g. pottery canopic jars, clay offering plates, wooden statuettes, funerarycone fragments,etc), theobjects can be dated to theLate Period,thePtolemaic Period as well as totheRoman Times.
8. Human remains fromtheAustrian mission cover several skeletons and a large number of mummies fromvarious, mostly lateperiods. These remaintobe studied (in thefuture)by physical anthropologists. Especially noteworthy are theskeletal remainsof Wahibre, whose burial was discovered insitu in chamber10/2 inTT 414 (cf. footnote31).
One of thehighlights identifiedin2007 istheinnercoffin of thetombowner, Ankh- Hor. Because of itsrathercrude excecution (fig.9), itdoes not seem very spectacular at firstsight, but neverthelessitderives special importancefrom being one of thefew datable coffins from Thebes between 600-300 BC (ca. 585 BC). Since the datespertaining to Ankh- Hor’s career and death can be closely dated because of his position inthecourt of the Divine Adoratice Nitocris, thecoffin should have been made around 585 BC.26 Like most of thewooden pieces, thecoffin, as foundin2007, was inurgent need of consolidation. Conservation workisan integralpart of thegeneral work by the AustrianMission since it enables a full study and publication of theobject. This holds also true for theouter coffin of Ankh-Hor that still requiresconsolidation.
The f ind s from TT 414 in con tex t
Considering the well-preserved condition of the ‘temple tombs’ in the Asasif and the list of relevant publications from past and on-going excavations,27 it is striking how littleis known about theoriginal contents of thetombsof theTwenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties.
24 For thisgeneral development,and inparticular theincreasingimportanceof Osirian aspects, cf. J.F.Quack, Grab und Grabausstattung imspaten Agypten, [in:]A. Berlejung,B. Janowski(eds),Tod und Jenseits im alten Israel und inseiner Umwelt,FAT 62, Tiibingen 2009,pp. 597-629, especially p. 621.
25 E.g.theassimilation of theFestival of theValley with theFestival of theDecades/Ritual of Djeme, see C. Traunecker,F. leSaout, O. Masson,La Chapelle d’Achoris a Kamak,Recherche dur lesgrandes civilisations, Synthese no. 5, Centre Franco-Egyptien d’Etude des Temples de Kamak 2, Paris 1981, pp. 134- 137 and pp. 145-146.
26 Cf. J.H. Taylor, Theban coffins fromthe Twenty-secondtotheTwenty-sixth Dynasty: dating and synthesis of development,[in:]N. Strudwick,J.H. Taylor(eds),The Theban Necropolis, Past, Present and Future, London 2003 (hereinafterreferred toas: Taylor, Theban coffins fromtheTwenty-second totheTwenty- sixth Dynasty), p. 119.
27 Fora summary seeBudka,Bestattungsbrauchtum und Friedhofsstruktur imAsasif,pp. 31-36; forcurrent work seee.g. F. GomaA, Bericht iiberdie Freilegung des Grabes Tr.197 des Padineith, Memnonia15 (2004), pp. 197-201 and F. GomaA, Die Arbeiten am Grab des Monthemhet, Sokar12 (2006),pp. 62-64.Published monographs dedicated totheLate Period tombsintheAsasif comprise of thetwovolumes on Ankh-Hor (TT 414, see n. 3) and the following: J. Assmann,Das Grab des Basa (Nr. 389) in der Thebanischen Nekropole, AV 6, Mainz am Rhein 1973, J. Assmann, Das Grab der Mutirdis,AV13, Mainz am Rhein 1977; E. Graefe, Das Grab des Ibi, Obervermbgenverwalters der Gottesgemahlin des Amun (ThebanischesGrab Nr. 36), Publication du Comite des Fouilles Belges en Egypte, Bruxelles 1990; E. Graefe, Das Grab des Padihoressnet, Obervermogensverwalter der Gottesgemahlin des Amun (ThebanischesGrab Nr. 196),Monumenta Aegyptiaca IX, Toumhout 2003(hereinafterreferred toas: Graefe, Das Grab des Padihoressnet)-,K.- P. Kuhlmann, W. Schenkel, Das Grab des Ibi, Obergutsverwalters des Amun, Band 1 (Textund Tafeln), AV15, Mainz am Rhein 1983.
This is due to the repeated robberies and reuseof the tombs in ancient times, but it has been further strengthened by theearlier scholarly tendency to ignore fragmentaiy or uninscribed objects fromthetombsinfavourof theirarchitectural and decorative programmes.28 The inventoryof monumental tombsof theLate Period inThebes ispresently only vaguely known. There are few datable coffins (stonesarcophagi and wooden coffins29), shabtis, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris-figures, stelae and boxes or shrines. The reconstructionof a typical tomb group as proposed by Aston islargelybased on a collection of data fromdifferent tombs, mostly fromnon-monumental structures.30 Intacttombgroups frommonumental tombs thatwere used as familytombs by thehighest officials, likeTT 414, are exceptional.31 But, as was written above, thecurrent difficulties inreconstructingan elite burial within one of the‘temple tombs’ of Kushite orSaite date are at least partly theresult of past Egyptological practice, and can be largely resolved by a detailed study of theseexcavated objects.
Although lackingtheimmediatespectacular popular appeal of new archaeological digs, much invaluableinformationcan be gained fromthereinvestigationof objects buried in thestorerooms. Inthisrespect,theAnkh-Hor project has thepotential toresolve many unanswered questionsregarding burials of high officials during theTwenty-sixth Dynasty. From TT 414, fragmentsof thecoffin of Ankh-Hor himself have already been published and provide an almost unique example of a dateable coffin within theperiod between 600-300 BC; however, during work on theinventoiyof thestoreroom even more pieces fromfamilymembers, includinga daughter, a sister (fig.10), brothers and cousins were identified.32
The frequentreuseof theAsasif ‘templetombs’ likethoseof Harwa, Padihorresnet, Mutirdis, Basa, Ibiand Ankh-Hor inthe4th and 3rd centuries BC iswell known.33 Vast amounts of latercoffins, shrines, cartonnage cases, papyri, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figuresand pottery were foundinall thesemonumental tombs,but once again, few of thesefinds have been published. The most importantand already published intactburial isthatof Wahibre inTT 414.34 Since this burialwas foundinsitu, itgives a very good indicationfor boththe reconstructionand dating of other remainsinThebes and especially thosewithin IT 414 itself.The inventoryof theAustrian mission’s storeroom has shown thatseveral family members of Wahibre are attested as well,35 thus a typology of coffins from the 4th and 3rd centuriesBC, basedon a correlation of stylistic featuresand genealogical data,might be established in thefuture.The complete corpus of coffins and other objects from the tombof Ankh-Hor (TT 414) will help us to fill one of the major blanks in thedevelopment of Theban coffins during thetimeperiod from600 to300 BC.36
28 The only exception isGraefe, Das Grab des Padihoressnet.This volumepresents all findsand pottery ffom thetomb,but lacksan interpretativeapproach (theobjects are merely catalogued and mostly are not even dated). In addition, linedrawings and descriptions do not meet modem standards.
29 Cf. M. Nasr,A New 26th Dynasty Sarcophagus fromThebes, Journal of theAncient Chronology Forum 2 (1988),p. 82; A. Awadalla,A. El-Sawy, Une Sarcophage de Nsi-Ptah dans latombede Montouemhat, BIFAO90 (1990),pp. 29-39 and theshort list of dated Theban sarcophagi and wooden coffins from the8th to 6th centuries BC by Taylor,Theban coffins fromtheTwenty-second totheTwenty-sixth Dynasty, pp. 98-99. 30 Aston,The Theban West Bank, figs 7and 11.
31 Cf. theintactburial of Wahibre inTT 414, Bietak, Reiser-Haslauer, Das Grab des Anch-HorII, pp. 182- 220.
32 Budka, Egypt & Levant18 (2008),pp. 66-69.
33 See Aston, The Theban West Bank, p. 162 with literature;add here Graefe,Das Grab des Padihoressnet, where muchmaterial ffom the4th century was discovered.
34 Bietak, Reiser-Haslauer,Das Grab des Anch-HorII, pp. 182-220.
35 Cf. already the‘Genealogisches Register’ as composed by E. Reiser-Haslauer,[in:]Das Grab des Anch-Hor II, pp. 267-282. The reinvestigation of thematerial allows someadditions tothisstudy.
36 Forthedevelopment of Theban coffins fromtheTwenty-second toTwenty-sixth Dynasty see: J.H. Taylor, The Development ofTheban Coffins during theThird IntermediatePeriod,unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Birmingham 1985; Taylor, Theban coffins ffomtheTwenty-second totheTwenty-sixth Dynasty, pp. 95-121.
