T h e S ecret s o f T om b1 0 A In a 19 15 exca vation, ar ch ae ol og ist s f r o m t he H a r var d U n iversi t y- Boston M us eu m of Fine A rt s E xp e d iti o n d i sco ve red th e e n t r a n ce t o a t o m b a t t h e p ict u r e sq u e s i t e o f D e ir e l- B e rsha in E g yp t . I n si d e , t h e M FA t e a m f ou n d , i n j u m b l e d arr ay, t h e l ar g e st b ur i a l a sse m b l a g e o f t h e M i dd l e K i ng do m ( 20 40 - 16 40 B C ) eve r di scover ed . T he t om b, de si gn at ed To m b 1 0A , w as fi l l ed w i t h th e f u n e r a r y e q u i p m e n t o f a l o cal g ove r n or by the n a m e of D j e h utyna kh t a n d h i s w if e , a lso na m e d D j e h u t yn a kh t. R ob b e r s h a d st o l en the fi n est j ew e l s b ut l e f t eve r yt h ing e l se , i n cl u d i n g t h e s ev e r e d ( b ut n i ce l y w r a p p e d a n d p a i n t e d ) he ad of o n e o f t h e D j e hu t yn a kh t s. T h e t om b co ntaine d f o ur be au ti f u l l y p ai n t e d co ffi n s, on e of w hi ch , t h e f am ous " B er sh a co ffi n" ( t he o ut e r co ffi n o f the go ver no r), i s a r gu abl y t he fi ne st p ai ntedco ffi n E gypt produced and a mast e r p iece o f p a n e l p a in t i n g. T he t o m b a l so i n cl u d e d D j e h u t yn a kh t ’ s w a lki n g sti cks , p o t t e ry, ca n o p i c j a r, a nd m iniat u re w o o d en m od e l s t h a t w e r e m ad e f or t h e b uri a l bu t re fl e ct l i f e o n D j eh ut yn ak h t ’ s e st ate, i n cl u di ng so m e 58 m o de l bo at s a nd ne ar l y t hr e e d ozen m o de l s o f da i l y li f e su ch a s in d ivi d u a l sh o p s f o r ca r p e n t e rs, w e a vers, b ri ck- m a ker s, b a ker s, a n d b r e w e r s. O f t h e se , t h e b e st kn o w n i s t h e ex q u i si t e l y ca rve d " B e r sh a p r o ce ssi o n " o f a m a l e p r i e st l e a d i n g f em al e o ff eri ng be ar ers. T he con t en t s o f D j eh ut yna kht ’ s t om b w er e awar de d t o t he M FA by theEgyptian go ver n ment an d t r a ns po rt ed to B ost on in 1920. En route, the y n earl y m et w ith d isaster w h en the sh ip th a t w a s ca rr yi n g th e m cau g h t fi r e . Th a n kf ull y, t hecre w ave rt e d d i saster, a n d t h e m a ter i a l su ff e r e d o n l y sl i g h t w a t e r d a m a g e. Dj eh ut yn ak h t, w ho se n am e m eans “(the g od) Tho t h i s S t r on g, ” i s be li eve d t o h ave beena g ov e r n or, o r n o m a r ch , o f the d istrict o f H e rm o p o lis in Mi d dl e E g ypt w h o li ve d d u ri n g t h e r e ign o f one or mor e of t hr ee po ssi b l e r u l e r s o f D yn ast y 1 1 an d 12 : M ent uh ot ep I I I ( 20 10 - 19 98 B C ) , M en tuhotepIV(1998 –1 99 1 B C ), or A m en em ha t I ( 19 91- 19 61 B C ) . H e al so h eld t he t i t l es o f “contr o ll e r o f th e t w o t hro n es” and “ o ve rseer o f p ri e st s.” A f t e r t h e co ll a p se of t h e G re a t P yr am i d a ge of t heOl d K ingdo m (ar ou nd21 43 - 21 00 B C ), t he re was no central go vernment i n E g yp t . T h is res u l te d in t h e f o rmation o f p o w e r f u l p rovi n ci a l ce n t e rs d u ri n g t h e F ir st Inter m ediate P eriod( ab out 21 00 - 20 40 B C ). T hecountr y w as r eu ni fi edin the M iddle Ki ng do m , b u t l o ca l g ov er n o rs still r e t a in e d p o w e r. B e ca use H e r m o p o lis w a s a t t h e j u nctur e o f t h e p r ev i o u sl y w a rr i n g n o rt h e rn a n d s o u t h e r n E g yp t i a n k i n gd o m s, a s a h i g h o ffi ci a l , D j e hu t yn a kh t l i ke l y p l a ye d a ro l e in t h e p o l i t i c s o f t h e r e g i o n. Hi s t omb is l o cat e d in D e ir e l-B e r sh a , na m e d a ft e r th e n e a rby m od e rn vi ll ag e, a b o ut 186 mil e s so u t h o f C a i r o on t h e east b a n k o f t h e N i l e, a cr o ss f r o m t h e an ci e n t si te o f H e r m o po l i s. To m b 10 A w as d iscover ed in 191 5 by M FA r eg istrar H an f or d Lym an S tor y, a m em be r of t he H ar var d U n i ver si t y- B oston M us eu mof Fine A r t s E xpe ditionin E gyp t (1 91 5-19 4 7) t ha t i s kn own p rim a ril y f o r u n e arthi n g th o u sa n d s o f o b j e ct s a t Gi za an d a m a ssi ng t h e l a r g e st a r ch a e o lo g ical d ocu m e n t ar y a r ch ive o f a ny ex p e d iti o n t h er e . I t w a s l e d by G e o r g e R e isner, ca l l e d t h e “ F a t h e r o f A m eri ca n E gy pt ol og y, ” a pr of es so r of E gy pt ol og y a t H arvar d w ho f ounded t he exp ed i t i on a ndl at er be ca m e c u rator of t he E gy ptol og y D ep art m ent at t he M FA . T he m aterial di scover ed a t D ei r el - B er sh a w a s d i vi d ed be t w e en t h e B o st on exp e di t i on an d t he E gy pt i an go ver n m ent, w i t h t h e e ntir et y o f t he j u m bl ed con t ent s o f To m b 10 A aw ar de d t o B ost on . B ec ause of W or l d W a r I, o b j ect s w e r e s tor e d in E g yp t for sa f e ke e p in g , fi n a lly l e aving f o r B o st o n in 19 2 1. M ore dr am a f oll ow ed . The car goship car r yi ngt he m cau gh t fi re, and the cr at es w er e da m ag ed by
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water. Luckily, this final assault on the contents of the Djehutynakhts’ tomb was minor.
Excavation and Scientific Research
Documentary photos in The Secrets of Tomb 10A chronicle the 1915 excavation of the
necropolis at Deir el-Bersha, where archaeologists unearthed many burial shafts, largely
devoid of significant finds. That changed when they blasted away massive boulders and
discovered a shaft leading to Tomb 10A. The above-ground chapel of the tomb had been
quarried, destroying information about the inhabitants. The shaft itself showed signs of fire
and plunder, but team members continued to dig down 30 feet until they reached the bottom
and found, amidst the debris, the entrance to a burial chamber. Inside, they discovered a
chaotic scene with objects strewn throughout the small room by robbers in search of booty.
Providing an eerie greeting for the 20th-century visitors was a linen-wrapped painted head
perched on top of a coffin, appearing to observe the excavators. (Propped up in the far corner
was a limb-less, head-less torso. Determining it to be of little value for the Museum,
archeologists left it at the site.) Almost 95 years later, the mummy head is once again visible
in a small room in the exhibition, exactly the size of the original burial chamber.May 11, 1915, Photograph by Mohammed Shadduf, Harvard University-Boston Museum of
Fine Arts Expedition, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Inner and outer coffins of Governor Djehutynakht in situ (viewed from the burial shaft), tomb
10A located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles southof Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across from the ancient site of Hermopolis / Middle
Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)
The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finest
Middle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the
rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and
decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were
intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.
While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early
Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where
the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of
Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The
artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism
rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the
location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated
false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.
Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and
beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,
meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphs
above the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary
god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list of
desired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin
Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells intended to protect and guide the dead on
their way to the afterlife. These texts continue around the coffin's interior.
Provenance
From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the
government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)
Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)
The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finest
Middle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the
rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and
decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were
intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.
While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early
Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where
the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of
Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The
artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism
rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the
location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated
false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.
Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and
beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine
jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,
meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphs
above the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary
god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list ofdesired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin
Djehutynakht is shown seated as a servant brings food to the Nomarch. Djehutnakht is shown
as being much larger than his less important (and unnamed) servant. His lordship wears a
broad collar around his neck and has his staff of authority in one hand. The chair he is seated
on has a cloth cushion draped over the low "back" and has four legs carved to look like animallegs. Detail of front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)
Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)
The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finest
Middle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the
rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and
decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were
intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.
While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early
Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where
the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of
Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The
artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism
rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the
location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated
false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.
Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and
beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine
jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,
meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphs
above the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary
god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list of
desired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin
Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells intended to protect and guide the dead on
their way to the afterlife. These texts continue around the coffin's interior.
Provenance
From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the
government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)
Two geese inter-twining their necks: detail of front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht /
MFA (20.1822). The detail in the feathers of the geese is the work of a master. The ancient
egyptians often represented food offerings being presented to the deceased and this scene is
an example of this. notice to the right of the geese, the small representation of a cow with itslegs bound together in preparation for slaughter. Below the cow is the foreleg of an animal (a
cow?) that has been cut off. Cow forelegs were eaten or presented to a statue of the
deceased as part of the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony that took pace during the funeral.
Notice to the left of the geese there are three dead geese that have been piled up as an
offering to Djehutynakht. There is also the head of an Ibex, with its distinctive long horns,
below and to the left of the geese.
Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht / MFA (20.1822)
The outer coffin of the local governor Djehutynakht of Deir el-Bersha is perhaps the finestMiddle Kingdom coffin in existence. Like the second coffin that once nested inside it, the
rectangular outer coffin was made of massive planks of imported cedar, pegged together and
decorated on both its inner and outer faces. The paintings and inscribed funerary texts were
intended to facilitate Djehutynakht's passage to the afterlife and to sustain his ka in eternity.
While coffins of later periods would feature elaborate exterior decoration, those of the early
Middle Kingdom were relatively plain on the outside, but beautifully embellished inside, where
the offering scenes often parallel those seen in painted tombs. The paintings on the interior of
Djehutynakht's coffin are masterpieces, exquisitely detailed in thick, vividly colored paint. The
artist's painstaking brush strokes and eloquent use of shading produced a level of realism
rarely surpassed in Egyptian art. The primary scene is on the left side of the coffin at the
location where Djehutynakht's head once faced. The focal point is an intricately decorated
false door through which the ka could pass between the afterlife and the world of the living.
Djehutynakht sits in front of the false door and receives an offering of incense. Before and
beneath him is a vast wealth of neatly piled offerings, including an oversized ceremonial wine
jar, sacred oils, the legs and heads of spotted cattle, tables laden with fruits, vegetables,
meat, bread, and magnificently detailed geese. The two rows of large painted hieroglyphsabove the scene contain a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the funerary
god Osiris on festival days. At the far right is the beginning of a menu giving a full list of
desired offerings. Inscribed below in neat columns of tiny, cursive hieroglyphs are the Coffin
Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells intended to protect and guide the dead on
their way to the afterlife. These texts continue around the coffin's interior.
Provenance
From Egypt, Deir el-Bersha, Tomb 10, pit A. May 1915: Excavated by the Harvard University–
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the
government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1920)
Along with a collection of wooden models representing scenes of daily life, Djehutynakht
equipped his tomb with a fleet of more than fifty-five model boats, the largest collection known
from a single Egyptian tomb. Several types of craft are represented, including funerary
vessels, boats for traveling, ships for troop or freight transport, hunting and fishing boats, and
kitchen boats of the sort that would have accompanied a Middle Kingdom official and his
entourage on voyages up and down the Nile. Although they vary in size and quality, all of
Djehutynakht's boat models are constructed in the same fashion, with the hull carved from a
single piece of wood, while the cabins, masts, other fittings, and crews were made separately
and attached with pegs.
Wide-hulled funerary vessels, like the example seen here the made of papyrus bundles
lashed together, transported the deceased either to a cemetery across the Nile or to the
sanctuary of the god of the afterlife, Osiris, at Abydos. Models of such vessels were painted
white with reddish lines representing the bindings. The prow and the upright, inward-curving
stern of this example terminate in rosettes imitating papyrus umbels, and the pair of eyes on
the prow were believed to provide magical guidance in steering the ship clear of obstacles. Onthe deck, a canopy encloses the bier that would have held the mummy of the deceased. The
two figures bent over at one end of the bier represent priests offering incense and recit-ing
funerary prayers before the body. The figure seated at the stern was responsible for
navigating by means of the pair of steering oars attached to stanchions. In the forward
section, a crew of sailors had to maneuver the sail, now missing on the model, and a lookout
was to watch for sandbars and other hazards.
Provenance
From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the
Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the
division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)
Model of a procession of offering bearers ("The Bersha Procession") / 2010–1961 B.C. (MK) /
MFA (21.326)
Among the more than one hundred wooden models found scattered throughout the tomb of
Djehutynakht, the quality of this procession of offering bearers stands out from the others. The
skill and delicacy with which it was carved and painted rank it among the finest wooden
models ever found in Egypt. It shows a man and three women bringing offerings to sustain the
ka of Djehutynakht in the afterlife. Each figure advances with the left leg forward, following the
convention of larger scale Egyptian sculpture and relief. A priest leads the way, carrying a
ceremonial wine jar and incense burner for use in the burial rites. Two women follow with
offerings of food and drink - the first carries a basket of bread and a duck, while the secondbrings another duck and a basket filled with beer jars. The third woman furnishes items for
Djehutynakht's personal care, a small wooden cosmetic chest and a mirror, the latter slung
over her shoulder in a case made of animal hide. This brief procession symbolically provides
all that was essential to sustain Djehutynakht in eternity: food, drink, items of personal
adornment, and the incense used to attract and appease divinities and the blessed dead.
The procession was found overturned between Djehutynakht's coffin and the eastern wall of
his burial chamber, in a pile of broken models that robbers had thrown aside. Although the
four figures remained attached when the model was discovered, the two central offering
bearers had lost their raised arms, and nearly all the offerings had come loose. Some pieceswere found a considerable distance away. Since its discovery, the scene has been
ever discovered in Egypt. At least thirty-nine of them, including this one, represent scenes of
food production and crafts. Upon opening the tomb, however, archaeologists discovered that
robbers had ransacked it in antiquity, possibly on more than one occasion, throwing the
models haphazardly around the small burial chamber. Only through years of research and
restoration are they being returned to their original configuration. The models vary greatly in
quality, and many of them were mounted on pieces of wood recycled by the artists from old
boxes or chests. The colorfully painted figures nevertheless convey a liveliness and energy
that give us a sense of the bustling activities of Egyptian daily life. They also demonstrate
innovative poses and subjects that would never have been attempted in the more formal
sculptures that represented the tomb owner and his family.
Food production is the dominant theme among the model scenes, and a variety of activities
are represented. The most common scene shows a group of three men at work in a granary
building. Grain was the basic unit of wealth and exchange in ancient Egypt, and careful
accounting of the crop was essential. Thus, in each granary we see one man carrying a filled
sack, while another bends down to measure grain into a bucket, and a seated scribe recordsthe quantity on a board held across his knees. Much of this grain was destined for the
production of bread and beer, staples of the Egyptian diet.
Toward the end of Dynasty 12 a change occurred in Egyptian burial customs for reasons that
remain unclear. Although model boats continued to be placed in tombs, the scenes of crafts
and food production disappeared permanently from the repertoire of funerary offerings. At
approximately the same time, early versions of shawabtys, mummiform figurines intended to
serve on behalf of the deceased in the afterlife, began to become more common in burials.
Provenance
From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the
Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the
division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)
Canopic jar of Djehutynakht / Cartonnage / MFA (21.424)
Canopic jar in the form of a human body. Arms are painted in black on the sides and the feet
are modeled. Bracelets and anklets are indicated with green and black stripes. The front is
inscribed with the name of Qebehsenuef, one of the Four Sons of Horus. The jar contains
fragments of the original contents, wrapped in linen.
Provenance
From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by theHarvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the
From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the
Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the
division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)
%&Model mace $ %'1'(1)1 B*!* +MK $ M. +%1*81/
0ooden model mace ith a bulbous head2 part of a collection of %3' sticks and staves from the tombof D4ehutynakht*
5rovenancerom Deir el-Bersha, tomb 1', shaft . +tomb of D4ehutynakht* May 1)136 e7cavated by the #arvardniversity(Boston Museum of ine .rts 97pedition2 assigned to the M. in the division of finds bythe government of 9gypt* +.ccession Date6 March 1, 1)%1
Was-scepter / 2010–1961 B.C. (MK) / MFA (21.440)
Wooden was-scepter from a collection of 250 sticks and staves in the tomb of Djehutynakht
(Deir el-Bersha Tomb 10A).
Provenance
From Deir el-Bersha, tomb 10, shaft A (tomb of Djehutynakht). May 1915: excavated by the
Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the
division of finds by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date: March 1, 1921)