Introduction and thanks

The Permanent Committee of the Supreme Council for Antiquities granted permission in August 1998 for the University of Cambridge Theban Mission to continue Epigraphic, Clearance, and Conservation work in Theban Private Tomb 99, that of Sennefer or Senneferi.

I should like to thank Prof. Gaballa Aly Gaballa, Principal Secretary of the SCA and all members of the Committee for agreeing to the request for permission to work in Thebes. In particular I am grateful to Dr Mohamed el-Saghir, Director of Pharaonic Monuments and the staff in Abbassiya for enabling this permission to be carried out. In Luxor, I am indebted to Dr Mohamed Nasr, General Director of Luxor, Mr Sabri Abdel Aziz, General Director of the West Bank, and Mr Mohamed el-Bialey, Director of the West Bank, for their assistance. The inspector attached to the Mission during the season was Mr Ramadan Ahmed Aly, without whom the season would not have been so successful, and we are very grateful to him for all his help and advice.

Principal financial backing was generously provided by the British Academy and the Gerald Averay Wainwright Fund for Near Eastern Archaeology; the support of the Sussex College of Egyptology, Mr & Mrs A.W. Ladd, Dr Joseph S. Klemek, Robin Young and Catella UK Ltd is also acknowledged. We are very grateful to the Egypt Exploration Society for the use of the facilities of their Cairo office, and to their representative, Miss Rawya Ismail, for her help and support. The progress made in the excavation of the large shaft in the tomb this year would not have been possible without the loan of an electric winch belonging to the Gnosarch Foundation, and the assistance of Prof. Dr Erhart Graefe is deeply appreciated. The help in Luxor of Chicago House and the German Archaeological Institute is gratefully acknowledged. I would also like to express my gratitude to Noel Sweitzer for her help and support over the years.

The Mission worked in Luxor from 26 November to 31 December 1998. The staff of the Mission was: Dr Nigel Strudwick (Field Director), Helen Strudwick (Assistant Director), Julie Dawson (Conservator), Günter Heindl (Architect), Dr Tony Waldron (Physical Anthropologist), Rosalind Janssen (Textiles Specialist), Dr Pamela Rose, Gillian Pyke, (Ceramics Specialists), Rebecca Hardy, Rita Lucarelli (Archaeological Assistants).

The work of the mission this season consisted as usual of epigraphy/documentation, conservation, and clearance. The aims of the season were to complete the excavation of the tomb, and to continue with certain specialist reports on aspects of the finds of the tomb.