Cleaning the Extension to TT 16

The images above show the cleaning taking place in the extension to the tomb. (1) Zuglut is pictured clearing the fill material from around a piece of bone; (2) Mohamed and Allam cleaning a section of the extension; (3) image featuring Zuglut and Mohamed with the dust, D. M. Warne is not pictured, but part of the cleaning efforts and behind the camera photographing the progress (images courtesy of the University of Memphis Mission to TT 16).

The Dusty Business of Cleaning

We’ve spent the last week clearing the fill in the extension of the tomb discovered last season during conservation efforts (read full article on the work completed last season by downloading a free copy of the Sphinx and Trowel newsletter).  The fill is largely comprised of disturbed or mixed material, with artifacts and evidence from many time periods, including items that were likely associated with the houses that once surrounded the tomb on the hillside of the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis.  The work is very dusty; we need to wear masks to protect ourselves and stop periodically for breaks to allow the dust to clear out of the extension to TT 16.  This new roughly cut area extends from the second chapel or inner room of the T-shaped tomb of Panehsy, and his wife, Tarenu.  The extension was closed by the Antiquities Service sometime in the 1950s or 1960s, as indicated by the conservation method used in conjunction with a few historical indicators, though no first-hand records of this work have yet been found.  The small extension has areas of darkening on the ceiling that matches the rest of the damage to the tomb, further evidence that it was open and accessible until relatively recently and was part of the greater looting that took place in the tomb in the past.  These looting efforts, a century or more ago, devastated the tomb, the remains of the mummies and other items found within were left in disarray, the result of scavenging for small artifacts, the result, a complex archaeological puzzle to untangle as to the order of the activity.  The previous articles published by the director in various journals and volumes have addressed this history, as well as some of the more interesting human remains, which have been thoroughly studied.

The day’s work is periodically interrupted by tea breaks and a large breakfast consisting of ayish baledy (small round sourdough country bread), local cheese, falafel, fool (medames beans) boiled eggs, pickled vegetables, fruit (usually tangerines and bananas), and more tea.  The break usually comes at around ten in the morning, and after a brief pause following the feast, I go back down inside the tomb to take photographs of the chamber as record of our progress.  I stop routinely to make notes in a journal of my interpretations, noting images, measurements, and other relevant details to record our activities.  The mixed fill contains many fragments of largely ancient artifacts, these are photographed in situ and removed to be registered and examined by the dig director and experts, such as Dr. Amr Shahat, a paleobotanist that will be joining us to examine the plant remains (seeds, leaves, and fragments of burial garlands that once accompanied the mummies placed in the tomb).  The diversity in the finds reflects the tomb's history, as it was continuously used from the Third Intermediate Period to Ptolemaic or Roman times, with some mix of material from later periods, the more recent settlement over the past few hundred years, and other episodes of intrusion that left evidence.  The chamber was cut through the tomb’s decorated wall in a later period, after the 19^th Dynasty date, and in so doing, the beautiful scene of what appears to be Hathor emerging from the mountain is all but destroyed.  The work is can be tedious, but the team of Americans and Egyptians is quite jovial, which keeps spirits high as we work to clean the chamber. 

Coming Days...

We remain optimistic about the significance of the extension as part of the overall story of the tomb.  The work continues, the dust fills the air, and the spirits of everyone remain high, as we add to the incredible story of TT 16.

The entire team extends gratitude to the Department of History at the University of Memphis, The Sphinx Foundation for Archaeological Research (SFAR), and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for their continued crucial support for this important work preserving Egypt’s history and cultural legacy. Follow us on Instagram and via SFAR's social media posts.

Blog post prepared by Daniel M. Warne. The attached images are courtesy of the University of Memphis Mission to TT 16, and used with the permission of MoTA. Read more about this project and others like it via the Fieldwork / Projects tab.