the secrets of tomb 10a

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T h e S ecret s o f T om b1 0 A In a 19 15 exca vation, ar ch ae ol og ist s f r o m t he H a r var d U n iversi t y- Boston M us eu m of Fine A rt s E xp e d iti o n d i sco ve red th e e n t r a n ce t o a t o m b a t t h e p ict u r e sq u e s i t e o f D e ir e l- B e rsha in E g yp t . I n si d e , t h e M FA t e a m f ou n d , i n j u m b l e d arr ay, t h e l ar g e st b ur i a l a sse m b l a g e o f t h e M i dd l e K i ng do m ( 20 40 - 16 40 B C ) eve r di scover ed . T he t om b, de si gn at ed To m b 1 0A , w as l l ed w i t h th e f u n e r a r y e q u i p m e n t o f a l o cal g ove r n or by the n a m e of D j e h utyna kh t a n d h i s w if e , a lso na m e d D j e h u t yn a kh t. R ob b e r s h a d st o l en the n est j ew e l s b ut l e f t eve r yt h ing e l se , i n cl u d i n g t h e s ev e r e d ( b ut n i ce l y w r a p p e d a n d p a i n t e d ) he ad of o n e o f t h e D j e hu t yn a kh t s. T h e t om b co ntaine d f o ur be au ti f u l l y p ai n t e d co n s, on e of w hi ch , t h e f am ous " B er sh a co n" ( t he o ut e r co n o f the go ver no r), i s a r gu abl y t he ne st p ai ntedco n E gypt produced and a mast e r p iece o f p a n e l p a in t i n g. T he t o m b a l so i n cl u d e d D j e h u t yn a kh t s w a lki n g sti cks , p o t t e ry, ca n o p i c j a r, a nd m iniat u re w o o d en m od e l s t h a t w e r e m ad e f or t h e b uri a l bu t re e ct l i f e o n D j eh ut yn ak h t s e st ate, i n cl u di ng so m e 58 m o de l bo at s a nd ne ar l y t hr e e d ozen m o de l s o f da i l y li f e su ch a s in d ivi d u a l sh o p s f o r ca r p e n t e rs, w e a vers, b ri ck- m a ker s, b a ker s, a n d b r e w e r s. O f t h e se , t h e b e st kn o w n i s t h e ex q u i si t e l y ca rve d " B e r sh a p r o ce ssi o n " o f a m a l e p r i e st l e a d i n g f em al e o eri ng be ar ers. T he con t en t s o f D j eh ut yna kht s t om b w er e awar de d t o t he M FA by theEgyptian go ver n ment an d t r a ns po rt ed to B ost on in 1920. En route, the y n earl y m et w ith d isaster w h en the sh ip th a t w a s ca rr yi n g th e m cau g h t r e . Th a n kf ull y, t hecre w ave rt e d d i saster, a n d t h e m a ter i a l su e r e d o n l y sl i g h t w a t e r d a m a g e. Dj eh ut yn ak h t, w ho se n am e m eans “(the g od) Tho t h i s S t r on g, i s be li eve d t o h ave beena g ov e r n or, o r n o m a r ch , o f the d istrict o f H e rm o p o lis in Mi d dl e E g ypt w h o li ve d d u ri n g t h e r e ign o f one or mor e of t hr ee po ssi b l e r u l e r s o f D yn ast y 1 1 an d 12 : M ent uh ot ep I I I ( 20 10 - 19 98 B C ) , M en tuhotepIV(1998 –1 99 1 B C ), or A m en em ha t I ( 19 91- 19 61 B C ) . H e al so h eld t he t i t l es o f “contr o ll e r o f th e t w o t hro n es” and “ o ve rseer o f p ri e st s.” A f t e r t h e co ll a p se of t h e G re a t P yr am i d a ge of t heOl d K ingdo m (ar ou nd21 43 - 21 00 B C ), t he re was no central go vernment i n E g yp t . T h is res u l te d in t h e f o rmation o f p o w e r f u l p rovi n ci a l ce n t e rs d u ri n g t h e F ir st Inter m ediate P eriod( ab out 21 00 - 20 40 B C ). T hecountr y w as r eu ni edin the M iddle Ki ng do m , b u t l o ca l g ov er n o rs still r e t a in e d p o w e r. B e ca use H e r m o p o lis w a s a t t h e j u nctur e o f t h e p r ev i o u sl y w a rr i n g n o rt h e rn a n d s o u t h e r n E g yp t i a n k i n gd o m s, a s a h i g h o ci a l , D j e hu t yn a kh t l i ke l y p l a ye d a ro l e in t h e p o l i t i c s o f t h e r e g i o n. Hi s t omb is l o cat e d in D e ir e l-B e r sh a , na m e d a ft e r th e n e a rby m od e rn vi ll ag e, a b o ut 186 mil e s so u t h o f C a i r o on t h e east b a n k o f t h e N i l e, a cr o ss f r o m t h e an ci e n t si te o f H e r m o po l i s. To m b 10 A w as d iscover ed in 191 5 by M FA r eg istrar H an f or d Lym an S tor y, a m em be r of t he H ar var d U n i ver si t y- B oston M us eu mof Fine A r t s E xpe ditionin E gyp t (1 91 5-19 4 7) t ha t i s kn own p rim a ril y f o r u n e arthi n g th o u sa n d s o f o b j e ct s a t Gi za an d a m a ssi ng t h e l a r g e st a r ch a e o lo g ical d ocu m e n t ar y a r ch ive o f a ny ex p e d iti o n t h er e . I t w a s l e d by G e o r g e R e isner, ca l l e d t h e F a t h e r o f A m eri ca n E gy pt ol og y, a pr of es so r of E gy pt ol og y a t H arvar d w ho f ounded t he exp ed i t i on a ndl at er be ca m e c u rator of t he E gy ptol og y D ep art m ent at t he M FA . T he m aterial di scover ed a t D ei r el - B er sh a w a s d i vi d ed be t w e en t h e B o st on exp e di t i on an d t he E gy pt i an go ver n m ent, w i t h t h e e ntir et y o f t he j u m bl ed con t ent s o f To m b 10 A aw ar de d t o B ost on . B ec ause of W or l d W a r I, o b j ect s w e r e s tor e d in E g yp t for sa f e ke e p in g , n a lly l e aving f o r B o st o n in 19 2 1. M ore dr am a f oll ow ed . The car goship car r yi ngt he m cau gh t re, and the cr at es w er e da m ag ed by

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8/10/2019 The Secrets of Tomb 10A

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The Secrets of

Tomb 10A

In a 1915 excavation, archaeologists from the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Expedition discovered the entrance to a tomb at the picturesque site of Deir el-Bersha in

Egypt. Inside, the MFA team found, in jumbled array, the largest burial assemblage of the

Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BC) ever discovered. The tomb, designated Tomb 10A, was filled

with the funerary equipment of a local governor by the name of Djehutynakht and his wife,

also named Djehutynakht. Robbers had stolen the finest jewels but left everything else,

including the severed (but nicely wrapped and painted) head of one of the Djehutynakhts. The

tomb contained four beautifully painted coffins, one of which, the famous "Bersha coffin" (the

outer coffin of the governor), is arguably the finest painted coffin Egypt produced and a

masterpiece of panel painting. The tomb also included Djehutynakht’s walking sticks, pottery,

canopic jar, and miniature wooden models that were made for the burial but reflect life on

Djehutynakht’s estate, including some 58 model boats and nearly three dozen models of daily

life such as individual shops for carpenters, weavers, brick-makers, bakers, and brewers. Of

these, the best known is the exquisitely carved "Bersha procession" of a male priest leading

female offering bearers. The contents of Djehutynakht’s tomb were awarded to the MFA by

the Egyptian government and transported to Boston in 1920. En route, they nearly met with

disaster when the ship that was carrying them caught fire. Thankfully, the crew averted

disaster, and the material suffered only slight water damage.

Djehutynakht, whose name means “(the god) Thoth is Strong,” is believed to have been a

governor, or nomarch, of the district of Hermopolis in Middle Egypt who lived during the reign

of one or more of three possible rulers of Dynasty 11 and 12: Mentuhotep III (2010-1998 BC),

Mentuhotep IV (1998–1991 BC), or Amenemhat I (1991-1961 BC). He also held the titles of

“controller of the two thrones” and “overseer of priests.” After the collapse of the Great

Pyramid age of the Old Kingdom (around 2143-2100 BC), there was no central government in

Egypt. This resulted in the formation of powerful provincial centers during the First

Intermediate Period (about 2100-2040 BC). The country was reunified in the Middle Kingdom,

but local governors still retained power. Because Hermopolis was at the juncture of the

previously warring northern and southern Egyptian kingdoms, as a high official, Djehutynakht

likely played a role in the politics of the region.

His tomb is located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles

south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across from the ancient site of Hermopolis. Tomb

10A was discovered in 1915 by MFA registrar Hanford Lyman Story, a member of the Harvard

University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition in Egypt (1915-1947) that is known

primarily for unearthing thousands of objects at Giza and amassing the largest archaeological

documentary archive of any expedition there. It was led by George Reisner, called the “Father

of American Egyptology,” a professor of Egyptology at Harvard who founded the expedition

and later became curator of the Egyptology Department at the MFA. The material discovered

at Deir el-Bersha was divided between the Boston expedition and the Egyptian government,

with the entirety of the jumbled contents of Tomb 10A awarded to Boston. Because of World

War I, objects were stored in Egypt for safekeeping, finally leaving for Boston in 1921. More

drama followed. The cargo ship carrying them caught fire, and the crates were damaged by

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water. Luckily, this final assault on the contents of the Djehutynakhts’ tomb was minor.

Excavation and Scientific Research

Documentary photos in The Secrets of Tomb 10A chronicle the 1915 excavation of the

necropolis at Deir el-Bersha, where archaeologists unearthed many burial shafts, largely

devoid of significant finds. That changed when they blasted away massive boulders and

discovered a shaft leading to Tomb 10A. The above-ground chapel of the tomb had been

quarried, destroying information about the inhabitants. The shaft itself showed signs of fire

and plunder, but team members continued to dig down 30 feet until they reached the bottom

and found, amidst the debris, the entrance to a burial chamber. Inside, they discovered a

chaotic scene with objects strewn throughout the small room by robbers in search of booty.

Providing an eerie greeting for the 20th-century visitors was a linen-wrapped painted head

perched on top of a coffin, appearing to observe the excavators. (Propped up in the far corner

was a limb-less, head-less torso. Determining it to be of little value for the Museum,

archeologists left it at the site.) Almost 95 years later, the mummy head is once again visible

in a small room in the exhibition, exactly the size of the original burial chamber.May 11, 1915, Photograph by Mohammed Shadduf, Harvard University-Boston Museum of

Fine Arts Expedition, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

SOURCES:

http://www.mfa.org/

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/10/18/tomb_10a_lets_you_look_history_

right_in_the_face/

https://bu.digication.com/krinick/Tomb_10a_Response

http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2009/Home/October/Week3/RDMHomeOct1509.htm

http://nearchaeology.blogspot.it/2013_07_01_archive.html

http://arttattler.com/archivetomb10a.html

https://tinebagh.wordpress.com/category/mellemægypten/page/2/

http://cool.conservation-us.org/jaic/articles/jaic42-02-003.html

Video:

Curator Lawrence Berman interprets the funerary spells painted in hieroglyphics on an

extraordinary wooden coffin. Found in the tomb of Djehutynakht, a Middle Kingdom dignitary,

the elaborately painted coffin is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through May 16,

2010, along with a mummified head, miniature boats, and other mysteries of the afterlife in

The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC.

http://youtu.be/b6u7VlaL6_4

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View of the tomb of Governor Djehutynakht n. 10 shaft A located in Deir el-Bersha, named

after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile,

across from the ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle Kingdom (DÆS-rejsen marts 2007)

Sketch-plan of the MK nomarchal cemetery located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern

village, about 18 miles south of !airo on the east bank of the "ile, across from the ancient site of

#ermopolis $ Middle Kingdom

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Plan of the tomb 10A (Governor Djehutynakht) located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the

nearby modern village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across

from the ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle Kingdom

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View down the shaft of tomb 10A located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern

village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across from the ancient

site of Hermopolis / Middle Kingdom , April 30, 1915 Harvard University—Boston Museum of

Fine Arts Expedition. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston / Photo: Mohammed Shadduf

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Models and other objects in situ, found in tomb 10A of Governor Djehutynakht located in Deir

el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east

bank of the Nile, across from the ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle Kingdom

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Inner and outer coffins of Governor Djehutynakht in situ (viewed from the burial shaft), tomb

10A located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles southof Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across from the ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle

Kingdom

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Pile of models and other objects in situ, found between the east wall of tomb 10A and the

outer coffin of Governor Djehutynakht located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby

modern village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across from the

ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle Kingdom

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Statuette of Governor Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1126)

Wooden figure of a striding man. He is standing on a base. He wears a short wig that is

painted black. The eyes and eyebrows are also painted black. There are traces of yellow

plaster on the body. The arms are at his sides with doubled fists. The arms are separate

pieces, which fit into sockets at the shoulders. He wears a short skirt. The left leg is

advanced. The toes of his right foot are broken off and missing. He fits into sockets in the

rectangular base. The top of the pedestal is painted black, the sides are red.

Provenance

From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the

government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)

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Statuette of Lady Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1127)

Wooden standing female figure on a pedestal. Her lappet wig is painted black. The body and

base show traces of yellow paint. Her eyes and brows are outlined in black. She stands with

her arms at her sides, hands open. The figure is set in the pedestal by a transverse pin.

Provenance

From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the

government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)

Foreground: four storage jars (exhibition 2009-2010 MFA)

Left MFA (21.16695; 21.939 - 21.940 sealed with large mud stopper)Right MFA (21.938)

Background: Stoppered storage jars in situ, eastern niche of tomb 10A located in Deir el-

Bersha, named after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east

bank of the Nile, across from the ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle Kingdom, May 2, 1915,

Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston / Photo: Mohammed Shadduf

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Exhibition 2009-2010 MFA

http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/secrets-tomb-10a

http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2009/Home/October/Week3/RDMHomeOct1509.htm

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Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)

The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finest

Middle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the

rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and

decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were

intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.

While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early

Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where

the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of

Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The

artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism

rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the

location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated

false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.

Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and

beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,

meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphs

above the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary

god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list of

desired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin

Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells intended to protect and guide the dead on

their way to the afterlife. These texts continue around the coffin's interior.

Provenance

From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the

government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)

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Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)

The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finest

Middle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the

rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and

decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were

intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.

While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early

Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where

the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of

Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The

artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism

rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the

location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated

false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.

Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and

beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine

 jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,

meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphs

above the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary

god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list ofdesired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin

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Djehutynakht is shown seated as a servant brings food to the Nomarch. Djehutnakht is shown

as being much larger than his less important (and unnamed) servant. His lordship wears a

broad collar around his neck and has his staff of authority in one hand. The chair he is seated

on has a cloth cushion draped over the low "back" and has four legs carved to look like animallegs. Detail of front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)

Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)

The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finest

Middle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the

rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and

decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were

intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.

While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early

Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where

the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of

Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The

artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism

rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the

location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated

false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.

Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and

beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine

 jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,

meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphs

8/10/2019 The Secrets of Tomb 10A

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-secrets-of-tomb-10a 19/33

above the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary

god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list of

desired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin

Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells intended to protect and guide the dead on

their way to the afterlife. These texts continue around the coffin's interior.

Provenance

From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the

government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)

Two geese inter-twining their necks: detail of front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht /

MFA (20.1822). The detail in the feathers of the geese is the work of a master. The ancient

egyptians often represented food offerings being presented to the deceased and this scene is

an example of this. notice to the right of the geese, the small representation of a cow with itslegs bound together in preparation for slaughter. Below the cow is the foreleg of an animal (a

cow?) that has been cut off. Cow forelegs were eaten or presented to a statue of the

deceased as part of the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony that took pace during the funeral.

Notice to the left of the geese there are three dead geese that have been piled up as an

offering to Djehutynakht. There is also the head of an Ibex, with its distinctive long horns,

below and to the left of the geese.

Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)

The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finestMiddle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the

8/10/2019 The Secrets of Tomb 10A

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-secrets-of-tomb-10a 20/33

rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and

decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were

intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.

While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early

Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where

the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of

Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The

artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism

rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the

location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated

false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.

Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and

beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine

 jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,

meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphsabove the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary

god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list of

desired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin

Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells intended to protect and guide the dead on

their way to the afterlife. These texts continue around the coffin's interior.

Provenance

From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the

government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)

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Head of the mummy of Djehutynakht / MFA (21.11767)

The mummified head of Djehutynakht is all that remained after the body was destroyed by

tomb robbers. The head displays a number of interesting features. The linen wrappings are

molded in the shape of the face, with the eyebrows rendered in black paint on the fabric. The

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mummy's hair, dark brown and wavy, is well preserved and visible through the worn

wrappings. (Fully mummified head, chin projection looks male, but all other features are

covered pictures 99-101.)

Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the

Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

3D computer scans of the mummy head : http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/4283

Head of the mummy of Djehutynakht / MFA (21.11767)

The mummified head of Djehutynakht is all that remained after the body was destroyed by

tomb robbers. The head displays a number of interesting features. The linen wrappings are

molded in the shape of the face, with the eyebrows rendered in black paint on the fabric. The

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mummy's hair, dark brown and wavy, is well preserved and visible through the worn

wrappings. (Fully mummified head, chin projection looks male, but all other features are

covered pictures 99-101.)

Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the

Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

3D computer scans of the mummy head : http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/4283

Procession of model boats, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12,

2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University-Boston Museum of

Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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Along with a collection of wooden models representing scenes of daily life, Djehutynakht

equipped his tomb with a fleet of more than fifty-five model boats, the largest collection known

from a single Egyptian tomb. Several types of craft are represented, including funerary

vessels, boats for traveling, ships for troop or freight transport, hunting and fishing boats, and

kitchen boats of the sort that would have accompanied a Middle Kingdom official and his

entourage on voyages up and down the Nile. Although they vary in size and quality, all of

Djehutynakht's boat models are constructed in the same fashion, with the hull carved from a

single piece of wood, while the cabins, masts, other fittings, and crews were made separately

and attached with pegs.

Wide-hulled funerary vessels, like the example seen here the made of papyrus bundles

lashed together, transported the deceased either to a cemetery across the Nile or to the

sanctuary of the god of the afterlife, Osiris, at Abydos. Models of such vessels were painted

white with reddish lines representing the bindings. The prow and the upright, inward-curving

stern of this example terminate in rosettes imitating papyrus umbels, and the pair of eyes on

the prow were believed to provide magical guidance in steering the ship clear of obstacles. Onthe deck, a canopy encloses the bier that would have held the mummy of the deceased. The

two figures bent over at one end of the bier represent priests offering incense and recit-ing

funerary prayers before the body. The figure seated at the stern was responsible for

navigating by means of the pair of steering oars attached to stanchions. In the forward

section, a crew of sailors had to maneuver the sail, now missing on the model, and a lookout

was to watch for sandbars and other hazards.

Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the

Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

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Model of a procession of offering bearers ("The Bersha Procession") / 2010–1961 B.C. (MK) /

MFA (21.326)

Among the more than one hundred wooden models found scattered throughout the tomb of

Djehutynakht, the quality of this procession of offering bearers stands out from the others. The

skill and delicacy with which it was carved and painted rank it among the finest wooden

models ever found in Egypt. It shows a man and three women bringing offerings to sustain the

ka of Djehutynakht in the afterlife. Each figure advances with the left leg forward, following the

convention of larger scale Egyptian sculpture and relief. A priest leads the way, carrying a

ceremonial wine jar and incense burner for use in the burial rites. Two women follow with

offerings of food and drink - the first carries a basket of bread and a duck, while the secondbrings another duck and a basket filled with beer jars. The third woman furnishes items for

Djehutynakht's personal care, a small wooden cosmetic chest and a mirror, the latter slung

over her shoulder in a case made of animal hide. This brief procession symbolically provides

all that was essential to sustain Djehutynakht in eternity: food, drink, items of personal

adornment, and the incense used to attract and appease divinities and the blessed dead.

The procession was found overturned between Djehutynakht's coffin and the eastern wall of

his burial chamber, in a pile of broken models that robbers had thrown aside. Although the

four figures remained attached when the model was discovered, the two central offering

bearers had lost their raised arms, and nearly all the offerings had come loose. Some pieceswere found a considerable distance away. Since its discovery, the scene has been

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reconstructed twice. The first attempt, carried out in 1941 before all the elements had been

identified, was incorrect. The current configuration was established in 1987.

Provenance

From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–

Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the

government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

Details

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/model-of-a-procession-of-offering-bearers-the-bersha-

procession-143592

Wooden model of a granary / 2010–1961 B.C. (MK) / MFA (21.409)

While late Old Kingdom tombs had included limestone statuettes of people engaged in chores

such as food preparation, a new development occurred during the First Intermediate Period

and Middle Kingdom. Now, models made of wood, a less costly material, were manufactured

in large numbers and placed in the burial chamber to furnish provisions for the deceased in

the afterlife. In symbolically providing for the tomb owner's needs, the models functioned in

much the same way as painted scenes of these activities did on the walls of tomb chapels.

The tomb of Djehutynakht contained what may be the largest collection of wooden models

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ever discovered in Egypt. At least thirty-nine of them, including this one, represent scenes of

food production and crafts. Upon opening the tomb, however, archaeologists discovered that

robbers had ransacked it in antiquity, possibly on more than one occasion, throwing the

models haphazardly around the small burial chamber. Only through years of research and

restoration are they being returned to their original configuration. The models vary greatly in

quality, and many of them were mounted on pieces of wood recycled by the artists from old

boxes or chests. The colorfully painted figures nevertheless convey a liveliness and energy

that give us a sense of the bustling activities of Egyptian daily life. They also demonstrate

innovative poses and subjects that would never have been attempted in the more formal

sculptures that represented the tomb owner and his family.

Food production is the dominant theme among the model scenes, and a variety of activities

are represented. The most common scene shows a group of three men at work in a granary

building. Grain was the basic unit of wealth and exchange in ancient Egypt, and careful

accounting of the crop was essential. Thus, in each granary we see one man carrying a filled

sack, while another bends down to measure grain into a bucket, and a seated scribe recordsthe quantity on a board held across his knees. Much of this grain was destined for the

production of bread and beer, staples of the Egyptian diet.

Toward the end of Dynasty 12 a change occurred in Egyptian burial customs for reasons that

remain unclear. Although model boats continued to be placed in tombs, the scenes of crafts

and food production disappeared permanently from the repertoire of funerary offerings. At

approximately the same time, early versions of shawabtys, mummiform figurines intended to

serve on behalf of the deceased in the afterlife, began to become more common in burials.

Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the

Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

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Canopic jar of Djehutynakht / Cartonnage / MFA (21.424)

Canopic jar in the form of a human body. Arms are painted in black on the sides and the feet

are modeled. Bracelets and anklets are indicated with green and black stripes. The front is

inscribed with the name of Qebehsenuef, one of the Four Sons of Horus. The jar contains

fragments of the original contents, wrapped in linen.

Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by theHarvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

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division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

Model set / 2010–1961 B.C.(MK)

Model lotus flowers /Cartonnage MFA (21.467a-c)

Cloth, coated with painted plaster, pink and brown. Two flowers on stems and two detached

flowers.

Model bowl/Cartonnage MFA (21.442)

Cloth and plaster, painted red inside and out, representing pottery vessel with bronze rim.

Model of a conical bread loaf /Cartonnage MFA (21.470)

Cloth, coated with white plaster, conical form. Good preservation.

Model of a conical bread loaf (or incense cone?) /Cartonnage MFA (21.937)

Cloth coated with plaster and painted orange with black tip. Worm eaten.

Model trussed duck/Cartonnage MFA (21.465)

Cloth and plaster. Badly decayed. Plaster is painted to resemble a plucked duck.

Model figs, onions, and garlic/Linen, gesso/ MFA (21.475)

Model food offerings including onions, garlic and figs. Each object was made of either a ball of

linen thread covered with plaster or a ball of thread wrapped in cloth and covered with plaster.Paint was then applied to the plaster.

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Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the

Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

%&Model mace $ %'1'(1)1 B*!* +MK $ M. +%1*81/

0ooden model mace ith a bulbous head2 part of a collection of %3' sticks and staves from the tombof D4ehutynakht*

5rovenancerom Deir el-Bersha, tomb 1', shaft . +tomb of D4ehutynakht* May 1)136 e7cavated by the #arvardniversity(Boston Museum of ine .rts 97pedition2 assigned to the M. in the division of finds bythe government of 9gypt* +.ccession Date6 March 1, 1)%1

Was-scepter / 2010–1961 B.C. (MK) / MFA (21.440)

Wooden was-scepter from a collection of 250 sticks and staves in the tomb of Djehutynakht

(Deir el-Bersha Tomb 10A).

Provenance

From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the

Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the

division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)

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In 1915, a team of American archaeologists in Bersha, Egypt, blasted through solid rock to

reach a tomb later to be designated as "10A." Inside this tomb they found a mummy, an

exquisitely-painted coffin and arguably the largest assemblage of burial artifacts ever

discovered from the Middle Kingdom. Because of the delicate power balance between the

king and local bureaucrats, the Middle Kingdom (the least known of the three ancient

Egyptian kingdoms) was a time of unprecedented splendor, as regional potentates were

lavished with rewards and buried in a style normally reserved for royalty. Tomb 10A was

prepared for one such potentate, Governor Djehutynakht, and its treasures--which survived

World War I, a ship's fire and nearly a century of basement storage--include jewelry, walking

sticks, a phenomenally large collection of model boats, architectural miniatures and even the

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severed (but nicely painted) head of Djehutynakht himself. Published to accompany a major

exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,The Secrets of Tomb 10A tells the story and

introduces the full breadth and meaning of these treasures for the first time. With more than

160 illustrations, it discusses the history, political intrigue and development of fine works of art

for both royalty and commoners at a time characterized by widespread prosperity and intense

artistic flourishing.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Secrets-Tomb-10A-Egypt/dp/0878467475