TOMB OF SHUROY (Dra Abu el-Naga) The Tomb of Shuroy is the TT13 of the Necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga covering with its more than 160 tombs of dignitaries, officials, priests, a very long time between Middle Kingdom to the New Kingdom through the Second Intermediate Period. Shuroy boasts the title of Head of the holders of the brazier of Amun in the temple at Karnak during the Ramesside Period. We are not able to determine under which sovereign he has served. With him in the grave was the wife Wernefer and we have no reports of children or relatives. The grave was dug in the hills far north of the Theban necropolis, just before the road bends to the Valley of the Kings, and it is composed of two rooms according to T. The tomb has not been completed and much of the plaster painting has been lost with the exception of the ceiling of the first chamber that is remarkably intact. The north wall, to the right of the first chamber, is divided into two registers. In the upper register we see Shuroy and Wernefer in worship in front of a door. Shuroy has before him a small table of offerings and is holding up the brazier in which burning fragrant resins. In front of the couples we see four deities; we recognize the two upper, Ra bearing the sun disk on his head with uraeus and Thot bearing the emblem of the moon on his head while they are not identified the two goddesses who are at the bottom. Continuing we still see Shuroy and Wernefer at the presence of Osiris in front of which a lotus flower, symbol of rebirth, holding the Four Sons of Horus. Between the God and the couple is a double table of offers loaded with all sorts of breads and vegetables. Under the tables we see a big jar, supported by a pedestal, probably containing wine. The lower register has gone almost completely lost and barely we recognize Shuroy, towards the bottom, which in front of a offering table incenses Ra-Horakhty. The south wall, to the left of the entry of the first chamber, is decorated with scenes from the Book of Doors and show us Shuroy and Wernefer in adoration in front of deities and genes guardians of the gates which lead to the world of afterlife. As the north wall also the south wall is divided into two registers. The upper register, which the first part has not been terminated and shall be visible only the first draft of the decorator pattern with red ocher, shows us Shuroy and Wernefer pray that the genius guardian of the door to let them pass to the world of afterlife. The genius guardian has the head of the hare and is holding a knife and the Scepter of power Was. Above him the sign Nefer flanked by two Eyes of Horus. Continuing we see Shuroy and Wernefer before a second door, the previous scene is repeated but this time the decorator brought to term his work. The couple wearing rich robes and Wernefer has on her wig a lotus flower. Continuing in the scene in the upper register we see Shuroy and Wernefer adoring Ra-Horakhty. In front of the couple a table loaded with all sorts of deals with meat, grapes, watermelons, figs..., below the table two jars probably containing wine. Seated within the sanctuary we see Ra-Horakhty holding the Scepter of power Was with his right hand and the Ankh, symbol of life, with his left hand. In front of him we see the Maat bearing witness to the God of righteous conduct in life of Shuroy and Wernefer. The lower register has gone almost completely lost; there remains only the last part, sketched in red ocher, which shows us a king and a queen whose cartouches are empty. Are supposed to be Amenhotep I and his mother Ahmose Nefertari as they were revered as protectors of the Theban Necropolis. The west wall, which has the entrance to the second chamber, shows decorations nearly symmetrical on either side of the door made of vertical yellow stripes with hieroglyphic texts of various colors surmounted from a Pillar Djed personified with red jacket, white skirt with a belt that is knotted in the front and scepters Heqa and Nekhekha. On the left, next to the columns of hieroglyphic texts, we see a big symbol of the West, the world of the dead. On the right, under the pillar djed personified, we see a table on which there are two round breads and an oval bread. Over the five breads we see five short bands of hieroglyphic texts containing a prayer to Osiris. The bands of hieroglyphic texts on the side of the table contain, among other things, the name and title of Shuroy. The decoration of the ceiling, very well preserved, consists of four rectangular panels separated by yellow bands within which was probably intended to include hieroglyphic texts (see Roys Tomb). The panels at the entrance of the chamber are decorated with wavy lines, perhaps representing the hieroglyph N, symbolizing the waters of the primordial chaos. The panels above the entrance of the second chamber are decorated in yellow and white squares containing stars. The north and south walls of the second chamber are undecorated and the west wall has a niche. The west wall, opposite the entrance, shows Shuroy in front of Osiris. Among them is a lotus flower over which we see the Four Sons of Horus and a fetish of Anubis represented by a pole, placed in a container, to which is hung an animal skin. The hieroglyphic texts are an invocation to Osiris and Thoth for Wernefer. The decoration on the east wall describe the funeral procession. At the top of the upper register we see the priests precede the servants carrying boxes containing foodstuffs, furniture and anything else needed for the funeral ceremony. At the bottom of the upper register we see a figure sitting on a stool before which bows a servant; among them a small table. Behind this figure we see friends and acquaintances of Shuroy helding a stick, symbol of their authority. In the lower register the servants have laid down what is necessary for the tomb and intimate of Shuroy accompany the coffin of the deceased that is towed on a sled by three men. For further informations visit my website: my-egypt.it/upper-egypt/luxor/dra-abu-el-naga-2/
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 18:19:09 +0000
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