Missione archeologica in Alto Egitto dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza" - Anno 2005

English

After having laid a large iron grid as protection to Tomb 27 of the Theban Necropolis (Gurna - Asasif) in 2002 - as it was requested by the Egyptian Authorities - our fieldwork was stopped for several reasons. One of these was the dropping of financial means; while this situation was accepted in a spirit of cooperation with other colleagues sharing the same budget reduction, study of the mortuary monument of Sheshonq (the owner of TT 27) was enhanced on the collected documentation and led to discoveries which could help restore another number of fallen stones from the ancient decorated walls.

The present campaign, lasting from 14th till 28th November, was targeted to the reconstruction of some severely destroyed walls in two rooms annexed to the Pillared Hall. To this purpose an experienced technician, Mr. Giuseppe Moiso, and a distinguished young Egyptologist, Dr. Federico Contardi, were engaged in the team, and the Inspector Hany Ibrahim Gomaa was appointed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Actually Dr. Contardi discovered a new possible model for the decoration of the tomb of Sheshonq in the tomb of Petamenophis (TT 33), also in the Asasif. The comparison of a common long text allowed to replace several parts of the inscriptions in Sheshonq's tomb, with the result of correcting and completing the text in Petamenophis'. Finally, the reveals of the inner door and a wall in the second room were rebuilt from a lot of tiny fragments, showing a decoration fitting the access to the mortuary shaft found there. It had not been entered because of the rise of the water table, but it was surmounted in antiquity by a mud brick pyramid upon the surface, which went destroyed in the last century.

In the second annex some bits of the ancient engraving which were found still in their original place led - after the identification of the texts - to recover some missing parts among the fallen stones. These preserved most of the decoration on both reveals of the door connecting both annexed rooms, so that the passage could be restored almost in its entirety. Its inscriptions deal with Pyr. 17-18, 50-53 b and some spells derived from the Pyramid Texts, as they offer a larger version, datable to the Saitic age.

These latter deserve a special interest, inasmuch they are very seldom attested, for instance in the tomb of Petamenophis (TT 33) and in the tomb of Radjaa at Saqqara. They concern an incensing spell and the ferryman spell as well. These both complete some gaps in the version of Petamenophis.

All the textual evidence covers the walls of the tomb of Sheshonq in the following way:
- west side: Spell of the ferryman,
- north-west side: Spell of incensing,
- east side: Pancarte,
- north-east side: Pyr. 17-18,
- south side: missing and completely destroyed.

On the eastern and western reveals of the gangway there is a spell derived from Pyr. 50-53.

Such ensemble of inscriptions represents a coherent and complete unity, aimed at helping the ascent of the deceased to heaven (western wall) and granting him rebirth and sustenance (eastern wall and pancarte). It quite clearly shows the ideological centrality of this part of the tomb, from which one of the two funerary shafts departed.

A collation and study of the decorative programme in the tomb of Petamenophis might be fruitful for advancing the research in the tomb of Sheshonq, without which a publication would be useless. However, many details of our work have been dealt with in several articled and printed reports. Even if we consider the feasibility of moving to a new site next year, we cannot state that the work in the tomb of Sheshonq is achieved. On the contrary it is likely that new discoveries are forthcoming, while a true excavation inside texts and figures is underway. If our budget will allow it, we intend to go on studying and restoring as a side work.

We must stress once more the importance of the epigraphical work carried on in relation to the sad condition in which the monument was found after excavation. Only a competent research of the scanty fragments which were recovered allowed to transform a hole in a comprehensible object of study, in order both to realise how magnificent the style and the choice of subjects originally was, and to trace the cultural background of its learned owner. That is: to reconstruct history.

We are grateful, as ever, to the Egyptian Authorities for their understanding and continuous support, and will endeavour to offer as soon as possible a comprehensive publication.