Campaigns
campaign 2016
SPANISH-EGYPTIAN MISSION AT DRA ABU EL-NAGA TOMBS OF DJEHUTY AND HERY (TT 11-12)
15th Season Report: January 10 th – February 20 th
The Spanish mission working at Dra Abu el-Naga conducted its 15th season in January-February 2016. As in previous years, the excavation concentrated on Sector 10, south-west of the open courtyard of the tomb-chapel of Djehuty (TT 11). Three funerary shafts of the 17th and/or early 18th Dynasty were dug. One of them had been reused in the 22nd Dynasty by six individuals. Another shaft had at the bottom several inscribed pieces mentioning prince Intefmose, of the 17th Dynasty. In the southern area of Sector 10, the open courtyard of a rock-cut tomb was unearthed, with a number of 22nd Dynasty inscribed material. In a layer between the 17th and 13th Dynasties (according to the pottery) a mummy of a ram was found next to a plundered rectangular coffin. It seems to be the oldest ram mummy recorded to this day.
The excavation and analysis of the animal mummies of the 2nd century B.C., mainly ibis and falcons, stored in the burial chambers of Hery’s tomb-chapel (TT 12) and -399-, continued offering interesting data.
Inside the tomb-chapel of Djehuty, four restorers worked hard in the cleaning, consolidation and restoration of the walls in the transverse hall. A safety ceiling was also installed there and new led-lighting, aiming to open the monument to the public in 2020.