The tomb of Djehutihotep within the Middle Kingdom elite cemetery of Dayr al-Barsha. Digital epigraphic documentation, analysis and interpretation.

The rock-cut tombs that make up the elite cemetery at Dayr al-Barshā rank among the most important private monuments of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (c. 2050-1750 BC). Especially the funerary complex of Djehutihotep is well-known for the quality of its decoration and the unusual subject-matter of some of the figurative scenes contained within. Unfortunately, the cemetery has suffered greatly from later phases of reuse and vandalism, which led to the collapse of many of the tombs and the degradation of their decoration. To overcome these methodological challenges, Puzzling Tombs, an interdisciplinary research project between engineers and Egyptologists of the KU Leuven was launched in October 2017. While the engineering track of this project explored the documentation and realignment of the fragmented architectural remains, our own study primarily focusses on the decoration in paint and relief. It presents a full digital epigraphic documentation analysis on the funerary chapel of Djehutihotep and a contextualised architectural study of the monument.

An essential component of any epigraphic study is the investigation and integration of the archival record left by early visitors to the monument. For the tomb of Djehutihotep, we are fortunate to possess a rich collection of 17th to 19th century descriptions, drawings and squeezes that can aid in reconstructing parts of the structure and its history. For better preserved sections, the digital epigraphic method allows us to analyse and disseminate the content of and the interrelations between textual and iconographic elements of the original decoration in detail. By exposing these, the many Egyptological themes on which the scenes and texts in the tomb touch, can now be explored with much more fidelity to the original source than the highly antiquated publication record on the tomb previously allowed. When considered together, the decoration of Djehutihotep’s tomb reveals a consistent and deliberate programme of self-representation by the tomb owner. Several architectural, iconographic and textual features in the tomb showcase a potent interplay between invention and tradition. This often extends to explicit archaic references not usually encountered to this degree or scale in private monuments of the Middle Kingdom. This well-considered programme of representation was not limited to the tomb owner, but also included secondary figures in the tomb, such as the chief artist, who used several visual ploys to emphasize his contribution in his own work.

Part of the process that led to the creation of the tomb can be reconstructed by considering the tomb within its wider spatial setting. The architecture of the funerary complex was specifically adapted to the architectural history of the site and the geological properties of the rock in which it was carved. This demonstrates that the ancient surveyors were intimately aware of their physical environment and able to adjust accordingly. Although no unfinished sections of the tomb directly showcase earlier stages in its establishment, several preparatory traces visible underneath the final painted layer still allow us to discern some of the steps of the skilful artistic process that led to the decoration of the tomb. Other physical marks in and around the complex testify to the complex use-life of the tomb, from its initial establishment in the Middle Kingdom, through quarrying operations in the New Kingdom, Coptic reuse and looting and vandalism in the modern era.

As well as a detailed investigation of a key-source in Middle Kingdom iconography, this study should be seen as a case study showcasing the potential of digital epigraphy as an analytical method. It can furthermore serve as a warning against any uncritical use of the often antiquated publications on primary sources, available to Egyptologists.