Interim report on the 2001 season of the
Cambridge Theban Tombs Project

The tenth season of work in the Theban tomb of Senneferi (TT99) took place from 30 September to 29 October 2001. I wish to thank Dr Gaballa and the Permanent Committee of the SCA for permission to work, and also thank Mr Bakhit and Mr Mohamed el-Bialey in Luxor for putting this permission into practice. The inspector attached to the Mission was Abdel-Rahman Ahmed Hassan, and we are particularly grateful to him for his help and assistance which made the season so successful.

Members of the mission were: Dr Nigel Strudwick (Field Director), Mrs Helen Strudwick (Assistant Director), Miss Julie Dawson (Conservator), Dr Pamela Rose (ceramics specialist), Dr Gillian Pyke (ceramics specialist), Mr Anthony Middleton (Photographer), Dr Heike Behlmer (Coptic specialist), Mrs April Farmer (textile specialist), and Mr Evan York (archaeological assistant).

The archaeological work on the tomb had been completed in 1998, and this season was planned as a final study season. The results may be grouped as follows.

Study of the paintings and the tomb architecture

Wall plans were completed for the pillars in the rear room of the tomb. These plans show the condition of the walls, the location of the scenes, and all useful indications of how the walls were decorated. This work was undertaken by Nigel and Helen Strudwick. The photographic record of the wall paintings was completed by Anthony Middleton.

Study of other objects

The only work done in this area was the completion of a small number of supplementary drawings by Helen Strudwick, and the completion of the photographic record by Anthony Middleton.

Conservation

Conservation work was carried out by Julie Dawson from 16-28 October 2001.

A new storage box was made for each piece of the inscribed shroud conserved in previous seasons. The textiles are supported on archival-quality, fabric-covered boards, held securely in a flat box made from stable corrugated plastic.

Fourteen pieces of plain and coloured textile were prepared for examination by the textile specialist. The condition of the pieces was very variable, but all were crumpled and tangled. A humidity chamber was constructed to allow the textiles to take up moisture vapour and gradually relax the fibres. When the textiles were sufficiently supple, as many folds as possible were opened out and the threads gradually straightened and flattened with light weights. Loose dirt was picked off the surface. The textiles were stored flat in a conservation quality box.

The condition survey of all the walls (originally made on overlays on photographs) has now been transferred onto drawings and wall plans. The survey was checked against the walls, and any remaining areas identified as at risk but not yet treated were stabilised. Additional notes were made on the original materials and techniques and on patterns of deterioration.

A detailed survey was made of the ceiling in the front room. In general the surviving areas of the ceiling plaster are securely attached to the underlying rock, but the surface has been badly damaged and discoloured by heat and smoke from fire. Limited, gentle, dry cleaning with a Wishab (soft rubber sponge) was carried out where possible. Towards the centre of the room the ceiling is too deeply ingrained with soot and the paint too brittle to allow cleaning. A little additional cleaning was also carried out in the passage and the back room.

Textiles

From 15-28 October 2001, 103 textiles were examined by April Farmer. These included 32 plain or inscribed pieces, 23 decorated pieces, 3 tassels and 45 arbitrary samples of mummy linen. One piece was made of wool, with Z-spun warp and weft; the other 102 pieces were made of linen with predominantly S-spun warp and weft. Two pieces showed both S and Z spun warp and weft; one piece had S and Z spun warp with S-spun weft. All pieces were made by plain weave. Weaves ranged from loose and open to very tight and closed. Thread counts varied greatly. Yarns varied from very fine to coarse.

The inscribed textiles showed several repairs, band decoration and several types of fringe. There is a variety of designs on the decorated textiles, including bands, stripes, checks and woven designs (notably a lotus flower and a stick figure of a person). Many colours were used in the designs, including pink, red, blue and black. Several types of fringe are present. The samples of mummy linen showed different types of hems and fringes.

Coptic ostraka

The work on Coptic ostraka from TT99 during the 2001 campaign was carried out from 4-16 October by Heike Behlmer. It consisted of collation of original transcriptions obtained from black and white photographs taken by Nigel Strudwick during earlier campaign seasons.

Because of the poor condition of the ostraka, viewing the originals was essential for the decipherment of large parts of many of the pieces, and very good results were achieved on many of them. Despite the rough treatment the ostraka seem to have undergone, there is a considerable number which will advance our knowledge about the settlements of Coptic monks which prospered in the area in the late sixth/early seventh centuries AD.

Most of the ostraka which can be classified according to types of texts are letters (including a relatively rare letter from a women). The senders are mainly concerned with different aspects of daily life, such as financial problems or the delivery of shrouds and other linen products or foods. A very small number consists of school exercises, and three, possibly five, limestone ostraka contain fragments of religious texts. Three texts have financial or legal contents.

Packing and registration of finds

The major work undertaken by Nigel and Helen Strudwick and Evan York was the organisation of the finds in the tomb for closing and storage. In 2000 a large cupboard had been obtained for storing the finds in the Carter Magazine. In 2001 this box was painted and 16 trays added inside it for the better storage of the finds. A further 32 entries were made in the register book:

46
2001
Face from a coffin.
47
2001
Small coffin fragment of Padiamun
48
2001
Coffin fragments of Horenpe.
49
2001
Coffin fragments of Wedjahor
50
2001
Base of wooden headrest, of 18th dynasty type
51
2001
Wooden container for food.
52
2001
Three fragments of ivory adzes
53
2001
Three wooden model Opening of the Mouth implements
54
2001
Parts of two ostraka bearing sketches in black paint of scenes from the Opening of the Mouth.
55
2001
Part of wooden model shrine
56
2001
Two wooden jackals
57
2001
Three small falcons from the tops of coffins
58
2001
Large fragment of linen mummy shroud of Senneferi bearing texts from the Book of the Dead.
59
2001
Large fragment of linen mummy shroud of Senneferi bearing texts from the Book of the Dead.
60
2001
Large fragment of linen mummy shroud of Senneferi bearing texts from the Book of the Dead.
61
2001
Small fragments of linen mummy shroud of Senneferi bearing texts from the Book of the Dead.
62
2001
16 conserved pages of papyrus fragments from the Book of the Dead of Senneferi.
63
2001
Limestone fragment with head of woman in raised
64
2001
Face from sandstone male statue with right hand held under chin.
65
2001
Hieratic limestone ostracon, with text on both sides.
66
2001
Two joining pieces of a limestone ostrakon with sketches on both sides.
67
2001
Small fragment of pottery parts of 4/5 columns of text
68
2001
Two pottery lids from Canopic Jars, with modelled human features.
69
2001
Fragment of the cartonnage of the priest Djedhoriufankh.
70
2001
Fragment of the cartonnage of an uncertain person.
71
2001
Two fragments of the cartonnage of Tabakmut
72
2001
Two fragments of the cartonnage of an uncertain person, probably a child of Djedhoriufankh
73
2001
One piece of linen with the name of Horenpe and a date of year 12.
74
2001
Two pieces of very fine linen with the name of Wedjahor
75
2001
Piece of very fine linen with the complete titulary of Shabaka.
76
2001
Mud sealing of the priest Psamtek.
77
2001
Fragments of the openwork cartonnage case of Nyny.

These objects and 13 boxes and 14 bags of study finds were placed in the Carter Magazine on 28 October.

Three wooden boxes containing the coffin study finds were placed in Shaft E in the tomb. This shaft was also used for discarded pottery from excavations.

All shafts were opened for checking and for storing other objects which are not stored in the magazine. The principal groups are human remains, mummy bandages, wood, modern material and funerary cones. Labels have been placed on each shaft indicating their contents.

Ceramics

This season Pamela Rose and Gillian Pyke studied the pottery from shaft H, located in the courtyard, and shaft F, located inside the tomb chapel, as well as pottery from the courtyard. The material from shaft H was briefly examined in the 2000 season. The study was completed this year by identifying individual vessels within each of the following types: Egyptian amphorae, marl vessels, silt jars and bowls, imported wares, giving a total of about 60 vessels. Each vessel was reconstructed, described, and the most complete examples drawn and photographed. This group of pottery is thought to date to the middle of the Eighteenth Dynasty, after the time of Senneferi,

The pottery from shaft F was very mixed, and the majority later than the New Kingdom. It was sorted by fabric type and date and each group was quantified by weight. All significant vessels were described and drawn.

The pottery from the courtyard was sampled and analysed in the 1998 season. Due to the huge amount of material, sherds from only three squares were drawn in 1998. This year we selected and drew further sherds from a further two squares, to complete our sample. During this process, we discovered fragments associated with the material from Shaft H, found in squares close to that shaft.

Human remains

It had been planned that Dr Tony Waldron would come and complete the study of the human remains begun in 1998, but his illness regrettably prevented his coming to Egypt. The remaining bones to be studied were from the shafts in the courtyard of the tomb. As these remains are important, Helen and Nigel Strudwick sorted and photographed the bones as far as possible so as to provide some basic information on them.

We have no specialist knowledge of bones, and we could draw no real conclusions other than possible minimum numbers based on identification of obvious body parts. In Shaft I, the burial place of Senneferi, we noted the remains of five individuals. One of these individuals was elaborately mummified, but we have no way of knowing whether this body was male or female.

We also examined the concentration of bones from the bottom of Shaft H, which may be an 18th dynasty context. There we identified a minimum number of 12 individuals, including at least one child perhaps about 7 years old.

These bones have all been packed in boxes and left with the agreement of the SCA in the tomb so that they can be studied in another short season.

Other work

Comparative study was undertaken in the following tombs: TT64, TT122, TT123, and TT124. Many important insights were gained from parallels in these tombs with TT99.

Conclusion

Work in TT99 is complete except for work on the bones. A further short season will be needed to complete the study of these objects.

Nigel Strudwick

28 October 2001