Breaking the rule in tomb decoration: When the Scribe got the same tomb as the First prophet of Amun
Abstract
Tomb in Ancient Egypt, in general, can serve as a good indicator of social status and further connections of the deceased within the wider hierarchies. In the New Kingdom, we can combine written sources, namely biographical inscriptions, with other important pieces of evidence, like size of the tomb, quality of craftsmanship or utilization of certain decoration motifs, in order to get a more complete overview of the social connections and the patron - client relations.
This paper will use the example of the phenomenon of the Aegean ceilings (decoration of the ceiling inspired by Aegean textiles, phenomenon dated to the era of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III) in order to support the notion that the decoration of the tomb, especially in the mid-18th Dynasty, was formulated according to the strict criteria based on the owners' sociopolitical status. It seems that Aegean ceiling was a pattern used exclusively by the individuals positioned one step under the vizier, i.e. the First Prophet of Amun and the Overseers of all works of the pharaoh.
Exception in this pattern can be the tomb of the Scribe of the vizier Amenemhat (TT 82), which has Aegean ceiling despite lower status of the owner comparing to other officials. After analysis of all available sources, it is possible to propose reasons why Amenemhat had such special treatment concerning the decoration of his tomb and further reveal interconnections that allowed him to use decoration of the higher dignitary.