This lecture was a follow on to the lecture Dr Valentin gave last year - reported at http://touregypt.net/teblog/luxornews/?p=341, and also Jane's visit to the tomb of Senenmut earlier this year http://touregypt.net/teblog/luxornews/?p=366 so it is recommended that you read those two entries before this one.

The lecture was extremely detailed, as it was describing the inscriptions on the walls of the only decorated chamber in the tomb. These inscriptions came from various sources - the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead.

The tomb of Senenmut was discovered in 1927 and was the second tomb built for him, the first being TT71 at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. There are some very important texts in this tomb and these are the key to understanding this monument.

Dr Francisco showed the relationship between KV20 and Deir el Bahri and stated there was a similar relationship between TT353 and the temple. The tomb contains the oldest astrological ceiling found to date in Egypt..

Senenmut was, in the opinion of Dr Francisco , one of the most important men in Egyptian history. He rose from humble beginnings to become the most important man in Egypt after the Queen. He has numerous titles reflecting his importance and he was also the steward of princess Nefer-ra.

The monument was not finished and only one chamber was decorated.

Dr Valentin has a general idea of the meaning of the texts, but his aim is to make a complete translation of them The texts are in Chamber A of the tomb.,68 metres into the tomb, which itself is 48 meters deep. There was no chapel outside. Chamber A is the most important of the three chambers in the tomb with a ritual space in front of a false door which is also unfinished.

There is a date of unidentified month of Peret (season) day 10 year 16 which is quite important as it gives a high regnal year for that pharaoh.

One inscription says “O you who are living in the two lands, scribes and lector priests, you who are knowledgeable and adore the God recite the transfiguration spells of the steward Senenmut”.

The texts were deliberately chosen from various sources to make a statement about the importance of Senenmut, as well as to aid him in his journey to the afterlife.

The lecture presented the texts  in an anti clockwise direction, starting with the east wall between the entrance door and north wall and going round the north wall, west wall (with the false door), south wall and finishing on the east wall between the south wall and entrance doorway.

The central line of hieroglyphics has Senemut and Hatshepsut’s names in relationship and the red crown is emphasised.

Start to the left of the entrance door on the East wall we have the deceased as a mummy, with quotations from CT (Coffin Text) 69, 68, 67B, 73, 72 and 74B.

The North wall shows him going to heaven and the solar boat of Ra through the 14 hills CT B22, B37 PT(pyramid Text) 364, 1259, 61C, BD(Book of the Dead) CXLIV on one side and Liturgies and CT74A and B34 on the other. These are mostly about Osiris, into which the deceased is transformed.

Also on the North Wall there is BD CXXXVI (Osiris), CXLIX (Ra 14 hills) and CT 74B, BD CXLIV. The chapter CXXXVI is much more common in Ramesside times and very unusual for this time.

There is also some graffiti which appear to be a date of inspection 4th month of Akhet day 21

On the West wall we have BD CI, CXLIV and CXLIX where Senenmut starts his journey to the Fields of Hotep which is the normal destination for the dead. He is given the names of the guardians of the seven gates. The very rough layout is below

CXLVII 7 heavenly cows FALSE DOOR Hymn to the sun
CXLV 21 goes thru 21 gates to Fields of Hotep CXLIIV knows the names of the guardians
CXXXVIIB Eye of Horus destroys Seth, 4 steering oars

First example of Chapter 110 of the Book of the Dead. The centre of the false door has the name of Hatshepsut between 2 Anubis and 2 Senenmuts with offering tables. Appearing as Nefertum CT 50-52 PT 266

The South wall shows the Fields of Hotep and the kingdom of Osiris. The deceased has arrived triumphant and can now come and go. He wears the Red Crown - that of the king of Lower Egypt. CX Fields of Hotep and the 10 districts of Hotep CXLVI Five gates of the mansions of Osiris.

PT 6096, 6106 63B 7B1 7B2 and 2028 show Senenmut as a royal spirit. Underneath are liturgies and PT 220, 221, 222, 94 and 95. On the other side CX CT723 and 752 4 cakes and neheru bread. Receives the offerings of the 4 sons of Horus. There is further graffiti - 4th month Akhet day 29 which Dr Valentin thinks is a special day for the priests. He also feels that the statues of Mentuhotep wearing the red crown have a connection with the text. Senemut is going through a new transformation to become a divine being.

Finally the East wall to the right of the entrance door has CT 63, 64, 65, 66,67A and on the other side liturgies. Senenmut is transformed into a divine being like the king and receives offerings.

The ceiling could be from 3 dates - 18-19 march, 16-17 Jul, 14-15 Nov.

Image of ceiling from http://www.maat-ka-ra.de/english/personen/senenmut/sen_t353.htm which also gives an extremely detailed description of the ceiling.

The excavators feel that there is a connection with the graffiti, which are various dates and the texts. it is possible that the priests needed to do something in the temple and make the ritual more affective.

The characteristics of chambers B and C mean it was probably planned to have similar texts like those of the 19-20 dynasty. As the tomb goes under the temple chamber A is outside the temple precinct but B and C are within and that is where Senenmut would be portrayed like the dead Osiris. The monument would transform Senenmut.

It is a cenotaph, like the funerary temple, and the body may have been intended to be in TT71 where Winlock found a canopic head and amulets.

The axis of the Wadjet eyes in the false door line up with the eyes in front of the Hathor chapel and the further eyes inside the shrines where there is one of the small representations of Senenmut. The line is 265 meters and only deviates to 40 cm so there is a further connection of the Queen between Amun and Hathor

TT82 Amenemhet a steward of the Vizier and scribe of the granary of Amun (middle rank positions) under Tuthmosis III had copies of the texts. KV35 Amenhotep II and KV34 Tuthmosis II have PT 220,221,222 which are similar texts, built 35 years after the TT353.

Mr Mansour announced that after Eid they would be moving the bazaars at the temple, there would not be a visitor’s centre but the building next to the café would be used to display Senenmut 1st July 2008. Next weeks lecture on 15th would be TT69 Meena.

Thanks again to Jane Akshar for her lecture notes from her blog http://touregypt.net/teblog/luxornews/

The website for the Senenmut project headed by Dr Valentin is at http://www.institutoestudiosantiguoegipto.com/senenmut/en/presentation.shtml

A personal comment on the lecture - it seems that much more research is needed on the relationship between Senenmut and Hatshepsut. It's my feeling that they were lovers, and the evidence from TT353 appears to show him becoming deified as pharaoh. Maybe this helps to explain why he disappeared from history quickly - could it be he became too powerful, and was removed from office. Hatshepsut also disappears from history within a few years.