[Centre for Egyptological Studies of the RAS]

Archaeology

The Royal Cache TT 320 (Luxor)

The Fisrt Season, 1998

Beginning the work at TT320

From November 10 till December 10, 1998 in Western Thebes there was held the first season of archaeological survey at the Royal Cache TT 320. The Mission was organized by the Gnosarch Foundation, Department of Egyptology of the Institute of Oriental Studies of RAS (now — Centre for Egyptological Studies of RAS) and the Institute of Egyptology and Coptology of Münster University.

The members of the expedition:

Dr. Prof. E. Graefe — the Director;
Dr. G.A. Belova — Co-Director of the mission;
Dr. A. Blobaum — epigraphist;
Ph. D. A.A. Krol — archaeologist;
N.A. Reshetnikova — architect.

Prevention of landslide

One of the main tasks of the expedition was to make an accurate plan of the tomb. Another one, closely connected to the first, was to make an attempt to establish the original arrangement of mummies and sarcophagi in the tomb. As for the first task, it was successfully undertaken by N. Reshetnikova, the second was practically impossible to solve due to many reasons. In particular, the documents of various years whose original source was a report written from memory differ from each other. It is also a secret whether Abd el-Rassul changed over the sarcophagi. However, the corrections in the plan of the tomb give a possibility to obtain more specific information. So, according to the plan, it is clear, that, for example, it is possible to place the sarcophagus of Ahmose-Nefertari (length 3,78 m) into the unfinished niche E (length 3 m, width 1,5 m, height 1,5 m) only on the condition, that one of its parts will block the way to the 1 m width corridor. If it is placed at an angle it will not be possible to place 24 sarcophagi there, as E. Thomas considered.

Fragment of a seal

Another task of the expedition was to make accurate copies of the inscriptions near the entrance to the tomb. We were lucky to discover some inscriptions on the left side from the entrance. According to the order of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the ARE one long inscription was carved from the wall, restored and replaced to the storage.

The most important finds of the tomb are the following:

a fragment of the solution with the help of which a sarcophagus with the inscription "year 10-th+x, month 4-th" was sealed up;
fragments of the blue faience ushebti of Pinodjem II and the queen Henutawj;
ostraca: one — with the playing board depicted on it, another one — with the caricature profile with a hand or a lotus in front of it;
fragments of ornamental design of the leather canopy of the queen Isiemheb – small petals and an octahedron from a well dressed crimson and light green leather;
some pieces of cloth of different quality, sometimes impregnated with embalming oil, and also some fragments of canvas with a thin layer of solution;
impressions of seals, one with a hieroglyphic inscription, and also big pieces of clay with hollows in the form of seals impressions. The entrance to the tomb seems to be sealed up with this clay;
many fragments of funerary equipment made of wood: parts of sarcophagi, including some painted with white, legs of chairs, small beard of a sarcophagus mask;
an upper part of a wooden hair-pin; triangular sharped wooden plates which seem to be fragments of inlaid work (incrustation);
a fragment of a red polished vessel decorated with black lines and a great number of fragments of crudely made ceramics;
a fragment of a yellow glass cup;
fragments of sarcophagi decorations and so on.

Inspection of the tomb by the officials of the SCA

The results of the work gave an opportunity to obtain more detailed information about the history of the tomb and its burials. The fragments of sarcophagi and funerary equipment it make possible to restore many objects from different collections.

G. Belova

Previous seasons:

The Fifth Season, 2006
The Fourth season, 2005
The Third season, 2004
The Second season, 2003
The First season, 1998