Pisa University Press S.R.L.

SOME REMARKS ON TT 136 AND ITS INTERPRETATION

Author(s): Daniele Salvoldi
Source: Egitto e Vicino Oriente, Vol. 31 (2008), pp. 39-48
Published by: Pisa University Press S.R.L.
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EVO XXXI (2008)

SOME REMARKS ON TT 136 AND ITS INTERPRETATION1

Daniele Salvoldi

TT 136 is classified in Porter and Moss2 as an anonymous burial of a Royal Scribe of

the XIXth dynasty and more precisely catalogued by F. Kampp3 as a Ramesside usurpa
tion of an XVIIIth dynasty tomb. Recently more attention was given from A. Grimm and
H.A. Schlogl in 20054. The dating of TT 136, the reading of the name of the owner, and
the identification with the Royal Scribe and Great Steward Ipy5 proposed there should be
re-discussed. This Ipy is also known for an Amarna tomb (AT IO)6 and a large documen
tation from Amarna7, Gurob8 and the necropolis of Saqqara9, as clearly demonstrated by
B. Gessler-Lôhr10. Here only archaeological internai evidence from TT 136 is discussed to
reject this attribution, neglecting the Memphis and Amarna documentation.
The tomb is currently integrated into a house (Fig. 1), south-east of TT 55 in the direc
tion of the paved road, behind the Hassan Fathy Center for Architecture, Art and Crafts,

1 I would like to thank Dr. Beatrix Gessler-Lôhr for informing me about the publication on the same tomb
by Prof. J. Assmann and Dr. F. Kampp-Seyfried, which unfortunately was not yet published before submitting
this article. Mostly I would like to thank Prof. M. Betrò for encouraging this research.
2 PM11, p. 251, map on p. 248.
3 F. KAMPP, Die thebanische Nekropole. Zum Wandel des Grabgedankens von der XVIII. bis zur XX.
Dynastie, Theben XIII (Mainz am Rhein, 1996), p. 424, map II, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part 1.
4 A. Grimm, H.A. SCHLÔGL, Das thebanische Grab Nr. 136 und der Beginn der Amarnazeit,
Wiesbaden 2005; M. Eaton-Krauss., book review, in «Bibliotheca Orientalis» LXIII n. 5/6 (September/
December 2006), pp. 524-528.
5 See also my communication in Rhodes, Xth International Congress of Egytptologists, 22nd-29th May
2008, D. Salvoldi Thebes, Amarna, Memphis: Akhenaten's officiais with double tomb, forthcoming publi
cation of the proceedings for Peeters, Leuven.
6 Ν. DE Garis Davies, The rock tombs of el Amarna. Part IV: the tombs of Penthu, Mahu and others,
Archaeological Survey of Egypt, London 1906, p. 19.
7 Lintel Berlin n. 21597, where the owner is portrayed in adoration of the cartouches of the Aten (I
form) and of Akhenaten; H. Schàfer, Amarna in Religion und Kunst, Leipzig 1931, pl. 55; Urk. IV, 17-22
n. 2024.

8 It is the famous letter dated only ten days before the king change of name from Amenhotep to
Akhenaten, W.J. Murnane, Text from the Amarna Period in Egypt, Atlanta 1995, pp. 50-51.
9 Stela Florence n. 2567, S. BOSTICCO, Le stele egiziane del Nuovo Regno, Istituto Poligrafico dello
Stato, Roma 1965, pp. 38-39; two canopic jars in Leiden, P.A.A. Boeser, Leiden XIII, 13-14, pl. XI, nr. 70
71; see also W.C. HAYES, A writing-palette ofthe chief steward Amenhotpe and some notes on its owner, in
JEA 24 (1938), pp. 9-24.
10 Β. GESSLER-LÔHR, Ahanjatì in Memphis, in SAK 2 (1975), pp. 170-72.

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in the necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. After the relocation of the village of Qurna to
New Qurna in December 2006, the house has been partially destroyed; nevertheless, the
inhabitants have continued to live using the tomb as an extension to their house11.
The tomb is composed of a north-north-west access, a first transverse hall with a row of
four Osirid pillars oriented south-west/north-east12, a seven métrés corridor and a shrine
with a niche (Fig. 2). The Osirid pillars are remarkable; despite their bad préservation
status, the mummy shape, the nemes headdress and the two crossed arms are visible. The
two on the north are almost complete; the third to the south is covered by a modem wall,
while the fourth on the south side is completely destroyed.
There is a wall in the southern section of the transverse hall, crossing the Osirid pillars
row: from the entrance to the third pillar south it reaches the level of the ceiling, while
from that point north-west in the direction of the corridor it reaches 1.5 m. Perhaps the
purpose of this wall was to screen away the rubble resulting from the bedrock13. The south
ern part of the corridor is collapsed, probably due to the digging of a passage towards a
neighbouring tomb. The whole TT 136 is covered by a black layer caused by modem fire
activities. In the shrine at knee high, there is a clear cut of a 70 cm width, leading to anoth
er tomb composed of a corridor, a painted chamber and a shaft, which should be Kampp
-290-. In the shrine, there is another opening, which was not possible to explore; accord
ing to the owner of the house it leads to a larger tomb which should be Kampp -529-.
The existence of the Osirid pillars (Fig. 3) is quite peculiar because the convention
of statuary in private tombs is usually limited to family members' portraits. The nearest
parallel is the tomb of Amenemopet, Chief Steward of Amun in the Southern City, TT 41
(Ramesse I-Sethy I)14: the southern pillars of the subterranean court are decorated with
niche-statues of Osiris. In comparison of royal Osirid pillars in temple architecture, the
mummiform pillars never have a nemes headdress15, and pillars with nemes headdress
usually have more elaborate regalia on it.
On both sides of the entrance there are reliefs showing the deceased standing in ado
ration position with many columns of text surrounding. The north side figure is mostly
preserved: the deceased is wearing a kilt, a large collar, a wig, and a short beard on the
chin; the style resembles the period of the late Amenhotep III. On the top of the same re
lief there is a graffito of an adoration scene, and eight columns of text. On the south side
only the right foot and part of the tunic of the deceased are visible, due to the collapse of
the rest of the wall. Eight columns of text were observed, although originally there should
have been more. On this side it is stili observable the internai door jamb with three or
four columns of text, quite completely destroyed except for a few signs. The texts on both

11 A certain Hasan 'Omar Ahmed, souvenir seller near TT 55.

12 A fifth pillar is sketched on the north wall.
13 The owner of the house on the tomb said that this wall was built by his grandfather, which could date
this wall to the XIXth/XXth century.
14 PMI 1, pp. 78-81.
15 Ch. Leblanc, Piliers et colosses de type «osyriaque» dans le contexte des temples de culte royal,
in BIFAO 80 (1980), p. 73; for the Amarna colossi see also C. SPIESER, Réflexions à propos de la statuaire
d'Akhénaton, in GM 184 (2001), pp. 55-64, and the more recent V. ANGENOT, Le rôle de la parallaxe dans
l'iconographie d'Akhénaton, in BSFE 171 (Mars 2008), pp. 28-50.

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sides of the entrance passage are hardly read because of lacunae, mud plaster, and bad
quality of the originai rock.
According to A. Grimm and H.A. Schlogl it is nevertheless possible to observe détails:
1. the existence of a palimpsest dating to the Amarna period below a later inscription of
lesser quality.
2. The presence of an Osiris adoration scene graffito carved by the Ramesside usurper16.
3. The carving of a graffito with the cartouche (Nfr-hpr.w-Rr Wc-n-Rr)\ on the north
wall behind the deceased figure17.
4. The name of the owner (Ipy) and of the usurper (Ipuankhu).
Below is a revised version of the hieroglyphic text, with a brief comment18.

Entrance, south wall (Fig. 4)

1. I.-ìp
2. [...] ί[ί]ηΛ [...] [...]kmmb [...] (?)c rr nb [...]=/ nfr.ti.w[=k\
3. [...] wii [...]d pri[=k\ [...] wij=k [mìk\=f r nn.t nmi=k hr.t sbi.w=k hr.w di=k
[hr]=lâ
4. ip [...] nb ind hr[=k]f [...] nb? [...] [bì\=k wìS.tw shm=k skm tw Sw.ty=k m
wì.t kkw [sd\m=k ibi
5. [...] nr[...].w [...] hìhnw [imi.w] wB(=k) ib[=sn ndm.w] nbp.t hnm.n=f rkw.t wr.w
dwkt m ihhi
6. [...] mìr=sn [...] f m [...] mr\...]t [...] di[=k] [...] msb[...]
7. [,..].wigr [...]
8. [...]/[...]

a Text unnoticed in the previous édition.

b Impossible the reading 'Nb tì.wy \ because the first sign shows clearly the handle of
the cup 'k' (Gardiner V 31), and the second sign is 'm' (Aa 13).
c Impossible 'm^hrw'.
d These few rows unnoticed before are almost four square modules over the rest of
the inscription.
e The previous édition does not take account of at least seven square modules miss
ing between: '/ir=&' and the supposed 'r i 'bt.f, so the reconstruction "your face / is
towards East" does not completely fit.
f This is better than 'r Bbt.t', as the previous sign is easier '«£>' (V 30), then 'r' (D
21), and the rest is quite clearly the group: mace 'M' + serpent 'd' (Τ 5).

16 A. Grimm, Η.Α. Schlògl, op. cit., pl. VI.

17 Ibidem, pl. V.
18
The two editors have already found for this hymn close parallels with p. Berlin 3050, TT 106 e TT
203. Cfr. S. SAUNERON, L'hymne au soleil levant des papyrus de Berlin 3050, 3056 et 3048, in BIFAO 53
(1953), pp. 65-88; J. ASSMANN, Liturgische Lieder an den Sonnengott, Miinchner Àgyptologische Studien
19, Berlin 1969, pp. 187-220; J. ASSMANN, Sonnenhymnen in thebanischen Grâbern, Theben I, Mainz am
Rhein 1983, pp. 274-275; J. ASSMANN, Àgyptische Hymnen und Gebete, Die Bibliothek der alten Welt VIII,
Zurich-Munchen 1975, pp. 122-123, 520-521.

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 Entrance, north wall (Fig. 5; 6)

1. [...] [...]
2. [...] nfrlmnt [...]
3. Rr{?)ntr.th/[...] [...] r=i
4. m ind\...] hbse in) (h)k(r) bt[.. .]19
5.
6. [...] η
7. [...] whg
8.

a This group has not been noticed before, and could be reconstructed as [i]tn, even if
the 'sun' determinative (N 5) is not readable. Also the subséquent nfr Imnt was not
noticed before.
b No traces of a palimpsest can be detected here, and the sign ntr (R 8) is clearly rec
ognizable. No pi (G 40) sign could be detected.
c There is no place here for an 'Itn, because two signs of the reed (M 17) are clear.
The sign 7' cannot be part of an 'Itn group because it belongs to the superior mod
ule.
d It is not possible to read an Itn group, because the sun determinative (N 5) is clearly
an optical illusion produced by the rock surface.
e The word is only written with the determinative (S 28).
f The reading Ipy is impossible: only the sign of the reed (M 17) is clearly readable,
while there is no space for the small square (Q 3) and the two strokes (Z 4); the sur
face actually is clearly smooth and there is place only for a central vertical sign dif
ficult to read, perhaps stili the human figure seated (Al).
g Here there are many problems for the reading Ipy corrected in Ipuankhu as sug
gested in the previous édition. First, there is a square module between the previous
signs at the end of column 6 and the first readable signs in column 7. Second, there
is no trace of a superimposition on a double reed sign (not readable) of a quail chick
(G 43) and an rnh sign (S 34), which is even not easy to read. S 34 actually has no
trace of the horizontal stroke. Moreover, a proper reading rnh.w should inveri the
position of G 43 and S 34. Finally, after [...]rnh.w there is not the determinative of
officer (A 51 or A 52) that should be expected, but a sign probably Ν 37 plus Aa 1
or Ν 5 and I 9.

Below is a discussion of the previous points.

1. Both from direct observation and analysis of the photographs that were taken in
many visits in November and December 2006, December 2007 and September 2008 with
some colleagues of University of Pisa, there is no clear trace of a superimposition. The
surface of the rock is badly deteriorated (see comment on north wall, d). On the other

19 Κ.A. KlTCHEN, Ramesside inscriptions, I 285; J. ASSMANN, Sonnenhymnen, op. cit., p. 161; J.
ASSMANN, Âgyptische Hymnen, op. cit., pp. 198-199, 618-619.

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hand, there is a significant palaeographic variation: the sign Ν 35 in the southern wall is
written with the full water zigzag, while on the northern wall is written in a more cursive
manner with only two hooks on the extremities.
2. The adoration graffito does not represent Osiris (Fig. 7). On the left side, there is a
(solar) bark with a god with no visible face, but probably Ra, under a canopy and holding
the wls sceptre. In front of him on the solar bark stands the god Thoth. On the right side,
facing the bark, but standing outside of it, a bald man is kneeling with his arms leaning
toward the ground. Behind him, feet of other people are observed, that can belong to two
individuals.
3. During the visits, the cartouche was not found. It is possible that it has been covered
by mud plaster20, or that the rock surface has been cut or collapsed. The quality of the
graffito, as drawn in the previous publication, is of lesser workmanship than the rest of
the relief, which could mean that it is a later addition. This could have happened only dur
ing the reign of Akhenaten himself, but most probably on the first five/six Theban years.
4. The reading of the owner's name is hardly acceptable, as previously demonstrated. It
should be highlighted that no titles - and specially those of sS nswt and imi-r pr wr - have
been found in the tomb.
Finally the term Un does not necessarily relate the tomb with the Amarna period, as it is
quite a common word in the literary genre of the New Kingdom. Amarna religious litera
ture furthermore has its own special characteristics, which are not shared by the tradition
and that are not présent here (i.e. the reference to the king and the queen, the name of the
god in a double cartouche, the stressing of the beauties of the création and the god, etc.).
Because of the presence of heterodox elements as the solar bark and its journey, the dating
of the tomb to the Amarna period is quite discouraged.

20 Some part of the text clearly read by the previous editors are actually under mud plaster, for example
the signs of the south wall, column 2,pri=k.

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&

bsh

Fig. 1 - House hiding TT 136 in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna necropolis.

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Kampp
-290- ?

TT136

Fig. 2 - Plan of TT 136.

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 %B
-rf* -11

'■: *

HUH

Fig. 3 - The two centrai Osirid pillare.

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 1 2 5 6 7 8 1 2 33 4
4 5
5 6
6 7
^3 V/// '////, // N\\
^4 O I

Z V/,'m s <a V—«

WW
11 \J?fr
vm \ f « «
Chi '/%,
niii

Srp
d c:::i
&//*
J
!)□
U<v is
'm
ys a n
it
W ?///,'//&
#1

§
^-0
n
}y

#2 ffl in
*Ww,

% cr c

y 111

?* It
t VfV

Qto?
^K
'/S///,
<7
n
Vf,

<&
"o I 0 o
9 Kyt
£=//?
Fig. 5 - North wall inscription.

V
I
c=~ /////
A -A
o.Q Q1
<—0

O I fc\ e. h /////,
cc* zr
'/////,
CM

la $ m
ill ^//
*
n
<5
M
**ci

#=
Mi—0
ql
«s
A/,
^ i
'M/A/A
to,—
>a

Fig. 4 - South wall inscription.

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 o

l\

_n
!
4 J
$
C\ 7
Fig. 6 - North wall inscription fac-simile.
0 1 2 3 4 5

,^=4

Fig. 7 - North wall graffito.

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