TT359

The tomb of Kha and Merit, also known by its tomb number TT8, is the funerary chapel and tomb of the ancient Egyptian foreman Kha and his wife Merit, in Deir el-Medina. Active during the mid-Eighteenth Dynasty, Kha supervised the workforce who constructed royal tombs in the reigns of pharaohs Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III (r. 1425 – 1353 BC). Of unknown background, he rose to this position through skill and was rewarded by at least one king. He and his wife Merit had three known children. Kha died in his 50s or 60s, while Merit died before him, seemingly unexpectedly, in her 30s. The couple's pyramid-chapel was known since at least 1824 when one of their funerary stele entered the collection of the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy. Scenes from the chapel were first copied in the 19th century by early Egyptologists including John Gardiner Wilkinson and Karl Lepsius. The paintings show Kha and Merit receiving offerings from their children and appearing before Osiris, god of the dead. The texts of the chapel were defaced during the reign of Akhenaten and later restored, indicating it was one of the oldest chapels in the cemetery. Kha and Merit's undisturbed tomb was discovered in February 1906 in excavations led by the Egyptologist Ernesto Schiaparelli on behalf of the Italian Archaeological Mission, dug into the base of the cliffs opposite the chapel. This separation contributed to its survival, allowing the entrance to be quickly buried by debris. The burial chamber contained over 400 items including carefully arranged stools and beds, neatly stacked storage chests of personal belongings, clothing and tools, tables piled with foods such as bread, meats and fruit, and the couple's two large wooden sarcophagi housing their coffined mummies. Merit's body was fitted with a funerary mask; Kha was provided with one of the earliest known copies of Book of the Dead. Their mummies were never unwrapped. The use of X-rays, CT scanning and chemical analysis has revealed neither were embalmed in the typical fashion but are well preserved. Both wear metal jewellery beneath their bandages, although only Kha has funerary amulets. Almost the entire contents of the tomb was awarded to the excavators and was shipped to Italy soon after the discovery. It has been on display in the Museo Egizio in Turin since its arrival and has been redisplayed several times, most recently in 2015, where an entire gallery is dedicated to the exhibition of TT8.

Deir el-Medina (Egyptian Arabic: دير المدينة), or Dayr al-Madīnah, is an ancient Egyptian workmen's village which was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the 18th to 20th Dynasties of the New Kingdom of Egypt (ca. 1550–1080 BCE) The settlement's ancient name was Set maat ("Place of Truth"), and the workmen who lived there were called "Servants in the Place of Truth". During the Christian era, the temple of Hathor was converted into a Monastery of Saint Isidorus the Martyr (Coptic: ⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙ̄ⲫⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲡⲁ ⲓⲥⲓⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲙⲁⲣⲧⲉⲣⲟⲥ) from which the Egyptian Arabic name Deir el-Medina ("Monastery of the City") is derived.At the time when the world's press was concentrating on Howard Carter's discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, a team led by Bernard Bruyère began to excavate the site. This work has resulted in one of the most thoroughly documented accounts of community life in the ancient world that spans almost four hundred years. There is no comparable site in which the organisation, social interactions, working and living conditions of a community can be studied in such detail.The site is located on the west bank of the Nile, across the river from modern-day Luxor. The village is laid out in a small natural amphitheatre, within easy walking distance of the Valley of the Kings to the north, funerary temples to the east and south-east, with the Valley of the Queens to the west. The village may have been built apart from the wider population in order to preserve secrecy in view of sensitive nature of the work carried out in the tombs. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Qurnet Murai is a necropolis located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just to the south of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. It was also used as a cemetery for officials of the New Kingdom administration in Thebes.

Aten, properly called The Dazzling Aten though dubbed initially by archaeologists the Rise of Aten, is the remains of an ancient Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile in the Theban Necropolis near Luxor. Named after Egyptian sun god Aten, the city appears to have remained relatively intact for over three millennia. Since excavation began in late 2020, it is emerging as the largest city of its kind in ancient Egypt, with a remarkable degree of preservation, leading to comparisons with Pompeii.

The Theban tomb TT12 is located in Dra' Abu el-Naga', part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian Hery, who was Overseer of the Granary of the King's Mother Ahhotep, during the reigns of Seqenenre Tao II to Amenhotep I. The tomb is located near to TT11, connected to it by a third tomb, TT399.Hery (also written as Hray) was the son of a lady named Ahmose. A son named Ahmose is shown offering to his father. Other children are shown including daughters Bakamun and Tjentnub and another son named Amenmes.

Tomb TT280, located in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part of the Theban Necropolis, is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian noble Meketre who was chancellor and chief steward during the reign of Mentuhotep II and Mentuhotep III, during the Eleventh Dynasty.

The Theban Tomb TT17 is located in Dra Abu el-Naga, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian noble named Nebamun, who lived during the 18th Dynasty, during the reign of Amenhotep II. Nebamun was a scribe and a physician to the King. Nebamun was the son of Nebseny, a judge, and Amenhotep (?). His wife's name is not completely preserved but resembles Ta[..]nefer. The tomb consists of a hall and an inner room. The hall is decorated with scenes of the deceased offering to his parents, and scenes from his life. Men are shown filling granaries, women are baking bread, etc. In the inner room funerary scenes show a procession, rites before the mummy and offerings.

The Theban Tomb TT214 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. TT214 is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian guardian in the Place of Truth and servitor of Amun of Opet (Luxor) named Khawy, who lived during the 19th Dynasty. Khawy lived in Deir el-Medina during the reign of Ramesses II.Khawy's wife was named Taweret, and they had a son named Huy.

The Theban Tomb TT3 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian artisan (his exact title was Servant in the Place of Truth), Pashedu and his family.Pashedu was a son of Menna and Huy. His wife was named Nedjmet-behdet. Pashedu was also owner of TT326.

The Theban Tomb TT48 is located in El-Khokha, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. TT48 was the burial place of the ancient Egyptian named Amenemhat called Surer, who was a Chief Steward, At the head of the King, Overseer of the Cattle of Amun. Amenemhat called Surer dates to the time of Amenhotep III from the middle of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He was a son of Ith-taui, who was an overseer of the cattle of Amun and the lady Mut-tuy.

The Theban Tomb TT30 is located in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian official, Khonsumose. Khonsumose was a scribe of the treasury of the estate of Amun during the Ramesside Period. His wife Henutenkhunet is mentioned in the tomb.

The Theban Tomb TT24 is located in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. It forms part of the Theban Necropolis, situated on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor. The tomb is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian official, Nebamun. Nebamun was the steward of the king's wife Nebtu, one of the wives of Thutmose III. Nebamun was the son of Tetires and Lady Ipu. His wife was named Resti.