A thorough transdisciplinary archaeological study of the ancient Egyptian Theban rock-cut tombs at Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qurna In recent years, archeological research has undergone major changes. The material turn in archaeology and related disciplines prompted the adoption of sophisticated scientific, digital, and technical approaches and methods often conducted on a micro level, enhancing our understanding of depositional processes and of the creation and life of an archeological object. This volume reflects seven seasons of transdisciplinary archaeological research at a cluster of rock-cut tombs in Sheikh 'Abd al-Qurna, an ancient Egyptian hillside cemetery and part of the much larger Theban Necropolis. Organized in twelve main chapters, Life Histories of Theban Tombs presents current investigations in landscape archaeology (including recent excavations at a large debris hill previously covering a tomb), geo- and bioarcheology, the archaeology of tomb construction, burial practices, and domestic uses as well as various epigraphical, visual, and material studies. The last two sections provide additional insight into the applied recording, surveying, and visualization methods and techniques and the database system used for data recording and organization. Contributors’ Affiliations: Martina Aeschlimann-Langer, Basel, Switzerland Zulema Barahona-Mendieta, University of Basel, Switzerland Susanne Bickel, University of Basel, Switzerland Oliver Bruderer, Zurich, SwitzerlandRachael Colldeweih, Nagra, Wettingen, Switzerland Lucía Díaz-Iglesias Llanos, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain Xavier Droux, Hierakonpolis Expedition, Oxford, England Stéphane Fetler, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium Zan Gojcic, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland Charlotte Hunkeler, University of Basel, Switzerland Mahmoud Ibrahim, University of Cairo, Egypt Matjaž Kačičnik, Cairo, Egypt Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin, University of Manchester, England Lara Selina Kurmann, University of Basel, Switzerland Andrea Loprieno-Gnirs, University of Basel, Switzerland Sabrina Meyer, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland Matthias Müller, University of Basel, Switzerland Julianna K. Paksi, University of Basel and École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, France Erico Peintner, Cairo, Egypt Matthew A. Perras, York University, Toronto, Canada Lukas Richner, canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland Frank Rühli, University of Zurich, Switzerland Marina Sartori, University of Basel, Switzerland Nadine Schönhütte, Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS), Cologne, Germany Roger Seiler, University of Zurich, Switzerland Stephan M. Unter, University of Basel, Switzerland André J. Veldmeijer, American University in Cairo, Egypt Noémi Villars, University of Basel, Switzerland Andreas Wieser, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland Andrea Wolter, ETH Engineering Geology Group, Zurich, Switzerland Martin Ziegler, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland

Tomb Painting and Identity in Ancient Thebes, 1419-1372 BCE examines the style, iconography, and symbolism of painting in all extant private Theban tomb chapels decorated during the reigns of Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III. The book studies the ways in which pictorial imagery functioned on behalf of the dead in the afterlife, presented their identity to the living, and revealed underlying religious developments with important societal implications. Various aspects of the pre-Amarna Theban tomb are explored, from the tomb's purpose as a creative and commemorative vehicle for the deceased to the placement and functional properties of its imagery. The book also discusses the different styles of painting in the chapels of state and religious officials and how these styles reveal workshop organization and "patronage" practices in Thebes. The majority of the book is dedicated to the iconography of the functioning image in the tomb chapel, its reception, and its purpose as a bridge between what was represented and what was signified, between the mundane and the sacred, and between the living and the dead. Particular attention is paid to the iconography on the "western" back walls of the transverse hall in T-shaped tomb chapels, walls that held aesthetic, cultic, and symbolic significance to the ancient Egyptians. On these walls as well as the northern or southern long wall in rectangular tomb chapels, iconography and text commemorated the deceased's personal and professional identity, projected this identity into the hereafter, and contained key components for the tomb owner's rebirth. The eternal well-being of the deceased was secured through the iconography of gift giving that also mirrored religious trends that permeated society. Tomb Painting and Identity in Ancient Thebes, 1419-1372 BCE addresses Theban tomb painting and its underlying creative and commemorative properties as a medium of regeneration, preservation, and display on behalf of the tomb owner and the world of which he was a part.

This volume presents a study of the tomb of Kha-em-hat TT 57 at Qurna, West Luxor, which dates back to the 18th Dynasty⁠ – the reign of King Amenhotep III. It is considered one of the most important Egyptian tomb discoveries, containing rare scenes and revealing development of the religious rituals of the time.

"The eleven sections of wall-painting from Nebamun's lost tomb-chapel from c. 1350 B.C. are among the greatest and most famous of the British Museum's treasures." "The paintings decorated the walls of an Egyptian official's tomb-chapel, displaying his status and activities in this life and the next. The accountant Nebamun, eternally youthful and vigorous, is shown hunting in the marshes and overseeing his servants and animals on the estates he managed. The paintings offer us fascinating glimpses of the world of ancient Egypt as the governing class wished it to be seen. Ancient visitors would bring offerings and prayers to Nebamun in this colourful chapel, and the paintings were intended to be seen and appreciated by them. Their beauty and vitality are admirably captured in the new detailed photography which has been taken especially for this book." "The process of conservation and analysis in the Museum's specialist laboratories has revealed new information about painting techniques in ancient Egypt, and a detailed study has resulted in new reconstructions of the paintings. This work, together with research in the Museum's archives, is helping to solve the problem of the tomb-chapel's location near modern Luxor, last seen in the 1820s when the paintings were removed." "Richard Parkinson discusses the history of the paintings from ancient to modern times. He describes each painting fully, with translations of the hieroglyphic texts, and reconstructs the full scenes from which each fragment comes. Discussions of the other known fragments from the tomb-chapel (now in Berlin, Avignon and Lyon) are included. Every painting is illustrated in colour with numerous close-up details, doing full justice to these artists who have been described as 'antiquity's equivalent of Michelangelo'."--BOOK JACKET.

Mit Irmtraut Munro geht Anfang 2009 eine der produktivsten Forscherinnen zum altagyptischen Totenbuch in den Ruhestand. In den vergangenen 15 Jahren erschien im Harrassowitz-Verlag ein Dutzend Monographien von ihr zu diesem Thema. Die Festschrift versammelt 17 Aufsatze befreundeter Wissenschaftler und Kollegen aus insgesamt 10 europaischen Landern. Dem Hauptinteresse der Jubilarin entsprechend bilden Publikationen und Studien zu einzelnen Textzeugen des Totenbuchs einen inhaltlichen Schwerpunkt des Buches. Weitere Beitrage befassen sich mit ihrer Ikonographie, Uberlieferungsgeschichte sowie ihrem Inhalt und ihren Vignetten. Einige Beitrage gehen uber den Bereich des Totenbuchs hinaus und nehmen Bezug auf weitere Texte wie das Mundoffnungsritual und die Pyramidentexte. Insgesamt behandelt das Buch ausgewahlte Fragen zum Totenbuch uber seinen gesamten Belegzeitraum vom Neuen Reich bis zur Ptolemaerzeit.

Masterpieces of Ancient Egypt is the first illustrated guide to the highlights of the British Museum's wonderful collection.

Part 1. How the tomb owners respond to the landscape -- Part 2. How the landscape affects the tombs.

This book investigates the family histories and relationships of the royal artisans who lived in the village of Deir el-Medîna during the Ramesside Period - from the highest ranking officials to the ordinary workman. The author has provided a unique reference work that traces the careers of the community's most important personalities. The results of his meticulous research will undoubtedly serve as an indispensable tool in the identification of individuals and in the dating and interpretation of texts from this unique Egyptian settlement.