Re-use and Modification of a Saff-tomb on the South Slope of el-Khokha, Thebes
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Date
2017
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Szépművészeti Múzeum
Abstract
On the el-Khokha hillock, in the central part of the Theban necropoleis, where the most ancient decorated tombs of the area are known, recent excavations have also pointed out saff-tombs with pillared façades. In one of these that can be dated to the First Intermediate Period or the early Middle Kingdom, not only a rich material of the original burial was found but later architectural
modifications could also be identified. More than a millennium later than the saff-tomb was constructed, new burial places were formed, among others a shaft tomb, and a part of the saff seems to have served as its superstructure. The intercolumnia of some of the pillars were blocked with mud brick walls and a new chamber was shaped, probably a cult chamber. After an earthquake, however this was also used as a burial chamber. These architectural modifications can be regarded as a special type of secondary burial places. The analysis of the mostly fragmentary and rather mixed material of the shaft tomb, which contained gilded faience amulets, Grecian amphorae and in situ finds as well, shows that the shaft tomb was used in several phases both during the Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period. This can also contribute to a more precise dating of the finds and the better understanding of the secondary architectural structures.