PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024, 7–27
P elimina y epo on a chaeological wo k in he omb
Djehu yemha a Abusi in sp ing 2023
Ladisla Ba eš– Dana Bělohoubko á– Rena a Landg á o á– Jiří Janák–
† K ě a Smolá iko á
ABSTRACT
In he sp ing season o 2023, ano he s uc u e was exca a ed in he g oup o la ge sha ombs si ua ed
in he wes e n pa o he Abusi nec opolis and da ing o la e 26 h o ea ly 27 h Dynas y. This omb, lying
abou 30 me e s om he sepulch e o Menekhibnekau, is o amiddle size, wi h abu ial chambe si ua ed
a adep h o 14 m. The bu ial chambe was accessible h ough asmall sha adjoining he no he n side o
he s uc u e. Su p isingly, almos hal o he dep h o his sha was ound blocked wi h la ge and smalle
limes one blocks (some o hem co e ed wi h elie s) coming om he supe s uc u e o he nea by omb o
Menekhibnekau. The chambe was almos comple ely illed wi h awhi e limes one sa cophagus. I s ou e
sides, as well as he sides o he chambe , we e co e ed wi h ase o eligious ex s cu in elie . Inside he
sa cophagus, o ien a ed wi h i s head o he no h, ala ge igu e o he goddess o he Wes was depic ed.
The omb belonged o he “ oyal sc ibe” and “ oyal acquain ance” Djehu yemha , whose pa en s we e named
Ha siese and mis ess o he house Tashek (wi h ano he name Wahe e ). Acco ding o he an h opological
examina ion, Djehu yemha died a an age o abou 25 yea s and was ela ed o Iu aa and Menekhibnekau,
he owne s o much la ge ombs si ua ed nea by. The omb, ound wi hou emains o any supe s uc u e,
was obbed al eady in an iqui y.
KEYWORDS
Abusi – La e Pe iod– sha omb– Djehu yemha – Py amid Tex s– mo ua y ex s
2023 عيبر مسوم -ريصوبأب تاح مإ ىتوحج ةربقمب ةيرثلأا لامعلأا نع ىئدبم ريرقت
†افوكيرلاومس اتيفك – كاناي ىيجري – افوفارجدنلا اتانير – افوكبوهوليب اناد – شيراب فلاسيدلا
صخلملا
ةعقاولا ةريبكلا ةيرئبلا رباقملا ةعومجم مضت ىتلا ةقطنملا ىف ةديدج ةربقم نع فشكلا مت ،2023 ماع نم عيبرلا مسوم للاخ
ةعباسلا ةرسلأا لئاوأ وأ نيرشعلاو ةسداسلا ةرسلأا رخاوأ ىلإ اهخيرات عجري ىتلاو ،ريصوبأ ةنابج نم ىبرغلا ءزجلا ىف
ةطسوتم ةربقم ىهو ،واكن بيإ خنم ةربقم نم ًارتم 30 ىلاوح دعُب ىلع ةربقملا هذه عقت .ميدقلا ىرصملا خيراتلا نم نيرشعلاو
ىلامشلا بناجلا ىف عقي ريغص ىبناج رئب للاخ نم نفدلا ةرجح ىلإ لوصولا نكمي .ًارتم 14 قمع ىلع نفد ةرجح مضت مجحلا
ةفلتخم ىريجلا رجحلا نم لتكب ًامودرم ناك ىبناجلا رئبلا اذه قمع فصن نم برقي ام نأ ةشهدلل ريثملا نمو .ةربقملا نم
ةرجح ىفو .ةبيرقلا واكن بيإ خنم ةربقمل ىولعلا ءانبلا نم ًاءزج عطقلا كلت تناك دقو ،ةزراب شوقنب نيزم اهضعب ،ماجحلأا
توباتلا بناوج تنيُزو ،ةرجحلا ةحاسم مظعم ضيبلأا ىريجلا رجحلا نم عوطقملا توباتلا لتحا ،تاح مإ ىتوحج نفد
،لامشلا وحن هسأر هّجُو ىذلا ،توباتلا لخاد .زرابلا تحنلاب ةذفنملا ةينيدلا صوصنلا نم ةعومجمب ةرجحلا ناردجو ةيجراخلا
ناك ىذلا ،تاح مإ ىتوحج »كلملا نم فورعملا«و »ىكلملا بتاكلا« ىلإ ةربقملا دوعت .برغلا ةهللإ ةريبك ةئيه ريوصت مت
ىفوُت ،ىجولوبورثنلأا صحفلل ًاقفوو .)تيريإ حاو وه رخآ اًمسا لمحت ىتلا( كيشات لزنملا ةديسو سيسراح نايعدُي هادلاو
ربكلأا رباقملا باحصأ ،واكن بيإ خنمو اع فويأ نهاكلاب ةبارق ةلص هل نأ دقتعُيو ،ًاماع 25 زهاني رمع نع تاح مإ ىتوحج
8PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024
تضرعت اهنأ امك ،اهب صاخلا ىولعلا ءانبلل اياقب ىأ نود اهيلع رثُع دق تاح مإ ىتوحج ةربقم نأ ركذُي .ةنابجلا سفن ىف ًامجح
.ةميدقلا روصعلا ىف ةقرسلل
ةيحاتفملا تاملكلا
ةيزئانج صوصن – تامارهلأا صوصن – تاح مإ ىتوحج – ةيرئب ةربقم – رخأتملا رصعلا – ريصوبأ
In he sp ing season o 2023, ano he s uc u e was exca a ed in ag oup o la ge La e Pe iod
sha ombs si ua ed in he wes e n pa o he Abusi nec opolis and da ing o la e Twen y-
-six h o ea ly Twen y -se en h Dynas y ( ig. 1).1 The uppe mos pa o his s uc u e, si ua ed
1 The s a o he mission consis ed o Ladisla Ba eš, Dana Bělohoubko á, Jiří Janák, Rena a Land-
g á o á, Mohamed Megahed and K ě a Smolá iko á (Egyp ologis s), Vladimí B ůna (geodesis ),
Ma in D ořák, Alexand a Kosino á (conse a o s), Pe Košá ek (pho og aphe ), Salima Ik am,
Zeinab Hasheesh, and Ahmad Gab (an h opologis s). The Minis y o Tou ism and An iqui ies
was ep esen ed by Tame Mokh a , Mohamed Shaaban, Ash a Abdelaziz (Inspec o s). The skilled
wo kmen om Abusi and Saqqa a we e led by eisin Ma ai Abu -l-Yazid Muhammad and Said
Fig. 1 Posi ion o he s uc u e o Djehu yemha (sa elli e image)
9L. BAREŠ – D. BĚLOHOUBKOVÁ – R. LANDGRÁFOVÁ – J. JANÁK – † K. SMOLÁRIKOVÁ
some 30 m o he eas om he no h -eas e n co ne o he enclosu e wall o he nea by omb
o Menekhibnekau, was pa ly unea hed al eady in 2008 bu , o sa e y easons, i was co -
e ed wi h sand again a ha ime (Ba eše al. 2010: 93). Nei he emnan s o any supe s uc-
u e no aces o apossible ounda ion ench o an enclosu e we e ound abo e he g ound
le el he e, so ha , mos p obably, no such pa o he omb had e e exis ed. On he o he
hand, i migh ha e been comple ely des oyed ei he by he ancien omb obbe s, who had
cleaned he en i e main sha up o he oo o he bu ial chambe , o du ing he subsequen
p ocess o e osion. Compa ed o he o he con empo a y sepulch es si ua ed in his pa o
he ceme e y, his omb is o medium size, like ha o Padiho and he anonymous s uc u e
AW4 ( o me ly known as R3, see Coppens– Smolá iko á 2009).
The subs uc u e o he omb consis ed o asha measu ing 6.6 × 6.6 m, dug di ec ly in o
he a l bed ock ( ig. 2). A p esen , he sha is illed wi h sand (colou ed in di e en shades o
yellow and wi h only a e y small admix u e o pieces o a l and chips o limes one) b ough
he e by wind a e i had been cleaned by he ancien omb obbe s and, subsequen ly, le open.
Muhammad Me walla. To all o hem, as well as o Sab y Fa ag, Di ec o Gene al o he Saqqa a An-
iqui ies Zone, Muhammad Yousse , Di ec o o he Saqqa a An iqui ies Zone, Mahmoud Shaaban,
Chie Inspec o o No h Saqqa a and Abusi , Muhammad Mahmoud Abdel Mubdi, Head o he
Fo eign missions’ sec ion a he Saqqa a An iqui ies Inspec o a e, and Ash a Ewais, Head o
he Conse a ion and Res o a ion Dep . o he Saqqa a An iqui ies Inspec o a e, we ex end ou
wa mes hanks. The au ho s hank he anonymous e iewe s o anumbe o aluable and inspi -
ing obse a ions and commen s. Any sho comings and mis akes a e, o cou se, ou s.
Fig. 2 The uppe pa o he subs uc u e, wi h he la e al sha in on (pho o K. Smolá iko á)
10 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024
On bo h wes e n and eas e n edges o he main sha , na ow enches (pa allel o hem) we e
ound, wi h aces o holes a he bo om o hei sides. Al hough no aces o wooden beams
and solid opes ha migh o iginally ha e been inse ed he e we e ound, he en i e sys em
ep esen s ablock and ackle de ice used o lowe ing hea y loads (mos p obably he ches
and lid o he sa cophagus, weighing abou i e onnes each) o he bo om o he main sha .2
A he bo om o he sha , a a dep h o 14 m, he bu ial chambe was buil o whi e lime-
s one ashla s o he usual size and shape (see ig. 3; also Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2011: 49–50). The
ou e shape o he bu ial chambe emains unknown a he momen , as only he uppe pa o
he main sha has been exca a ed due o sa e y easons. Because o ha , only he hickness
o i s no he n wall could ha e been measu ed, i.e. 0.72 m. Inside, he chambe is 3.2 m long,
2.6 m wide and 1.9 m high. F om below, i s ceiling is aul ed ( igs. 4–5).
2 Fo asimila de ice, ound close o he wes e n la e al sha in he omb o Iu aa, see Ba eš–
Smolá iko á (2008: 40–41); he same sys em was ound in he anonymous omb AW4 ( o me R3;
Smolá iko á 2009: 92), and close o he wes e n la e al sha in he s uc u e o Menekhibnekau
(Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2011: 67).
Fig. 3 A iew h ough he ho izon al
co ido connec ing he bo om o he
la e al sha wi h he en ance o he
bu ial chambe (pho o P. Košá ek)
11L. BAREŠ – D. BĚLOHOUBKOVÁ – R. LANDGRÁFOVÁ – J. JANÁK – † K. SMOLÁRIKOVÁ
Fig. 4 Gene al iew o he bu ial chambe wi h a omb obbe s’ hole in he ceiling (pho o P. Košá ek)
Fig. 5 No he n side o he bu ial chambe (pho o P. Košá ek)

12 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024
The chambe is almos comple ely illed wi h abox -shaped sa cophagus made o whi e
limes one and o ien a ed wi h i s head o no h ( ig. 6), simila ly o he si ua ion in he nea by
omb o Menekhibnekau.3 The ches o he sa cophagus is 2.34 m long, 1.04 m wide and one
me e high, wi h an inne dep ession 1.8 m long, 0.3 m wide and 0.7 m deep. The lid o he
sa cophagus, wi h be elled longi udinal edges abo e, is one me e hick. On i s sho e sides,
always wo p o usions we e le ha – oge he wi h he usual sys em o e ical canals o ig-
inally pa ly illed wi h sand and con aining huge e ical wooden beams4– se ed o lowe
he lid o i s inal posi ion. This is con i med by he emnan s o wood ound he e.
The mummy o he deceased was o iginally placed in he dep ession inside he ches o
he sa cophagus wi hou any aces o apossible inne wooden co in. Ancien obbe s, who
pene a ed he chambe h ough ahole made in o i s ceiling a e hey had clea ed he main
sha o i s o iginal ill, mo ed he lid o he sa cophagus aside and des oyed he mummy
di ec ly on he spo . They hen deposi ed he dismembe ed mummy o bo h he wes and eas
o he sa cophagus. The uppe hal o he body es ed agains he wes wall, while he lowe
hal was si ua ed be ween he sa cophagus and he eas wall. Residual bone agmen s and
aces o esin we e iden i ied on he sa cophagus lid i sel .5
3 As ama e o ac , only he sepulch es o Menekhibnekau and Djehu yemha sha e his no he n
o ien a ion among all he la ge sha ombs ha had been exca a ed in his pa o he Abusi cem-
e e y un il now. This is pe haps ano he hin ha migh poin o aclose connec ion be ween hose
wo digni a ies; he co e o such apossible connec ion, howe e , can only be guessed a he momen .
4 Fo his sys em in gene al, see Ros em (1943) and, ecen ly, A nold (1991: 75–76). In he la ge sha ombs
a Abusi , such asys em was ound in he bu ial chambe s o Udjaho esne and Menekhibnekau as
well, while in he s uc u es o Iu aa and Wahib eme ynei h, he lids o he sa cophagi had o be pu
in o he inal posi ion by human o ce. Fo he Abusi sha ombs, see also Ba eš (2022: 7–27).
5 Fo he an h opological epo , see he pape by Zeinab Hasheesh and Ahmad Gab , o hcoming.
Fig. 6 G ound plan o he bu ial chambe (d awing D. Bělohoubko á)
13L. BAREŠ – D. BĚLOHOUBKOVÁ – R. LANDGRÁFOVÁ – J. JANÁK – † K. SMOLÁRIKOVÁ
Limi ed in o ma ion can be ob ained abou he bu ial equipmen . I appea s ha no
ushab is we e o iginally placed in he omb, as no e en a agmen o hem has su i ed.
6
Con-
sequen ly, i can be in e ed ha no o he bu ial equipmen was p esen in he omb. Howe e ,
an amule in he shape o ahead es , made o hema i e and measu ing 1.3 × 2.6 × 1.7 cm, was
disco e ed o he wes o he sa cophagus amid alaye o esin esidue and mummy agmen s.
The p esence o his li le amule indica es ha he e we e o iginally amule s ado ning he
mummy, which we e emo ed du ing he ac o obbe y.
The ou e sides o he sa cophagus (i s ches and lid), as well as he walls and ceiling o he
bu ial chambe , we e co e ed wi h ex s and scenes in elie (see also igs. 4–5). Acco ding o
hese ex s, he omb belonged o ace ain Djehu yemha (Ranke 1935: 408,1), wi h he i les
sS nsw “ oyal sc ibe” and x nsw “ oyal acquain ance”. His a he was Ha siese (wi h no i le
added, Ranke 1935: 250,13), his mo he , wi h he epi he nb p “mis ess o he house”, is some-
wha su p isingly a es ed wi h wo di e en names. He name A ‑Sk, p obably ade i a ion
o A ‑KS, i.e. “Nubian” (no men ioned in Ranke 1935 and Ranke 1952; see, howe e , Ranke 1935:
371,7 and Ranke 1952: 327,29),7 is men ioned h ee imes on he walls o he bu ial chambe :
(A)‑Sk (eas wall), A ‑Sk (no h wall), and A ‑Sk (wes wall). On ano he
place, namely he no he n ou e side o he lid o he sa cophagus, he name appea s ( wice)
as A ‑wh . , Wahe e ,8 meaning mos p obably “Fox” o mo e p ecisely “Vixen”;
he name i sel migh pe haps be o Be be o igin.9 Al hough none o hose names is a es ed
in o he sou ces a ailable om he sha ombs ceme e y a Abusi , Djehu yemha seems o
be ela ed o owne s o o he con empo a y sha ombs ha had been unea hed he e un il
now, judging om he esul s o he an h opological examina ion10 and, o ace ain deg ee,
also in iew o iden ical i les sha ed wi h some o hem, Padiho om he nea by omb abo e
all (Coppens 2009: 44–45). Whe he Djehu yemha ’sname migh poin o some connec ions o
Middle Egyp , he a ea o ancien He mopolis wi h i s majo cul o Tho h abo e all, emains
ama e o deba e. On he o he hand, his dei y played a a he signi ican ole in ex s ap-
pea ing in he bu ial chambe o he nea by omb o Iu aa, mainly on he inne side o his
ou e sa cophagus (see Míčko á 2023: 139–145).
6 Unlike, o ins ance, in he adjacen omb o Menekhibnekau, which was al eady disco e ed loo ed
(Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2011: 249–250, pl. 17).
7 Al e a ions be ween he wo a ian s (Takesh, o Taikashe , and Tashek, o Taisheke ) occu also
on aco in s o ed in he Náp s ek Museum in P ague (see Bučil– Ok ábco á– Onde ka– Pečený–
S ouhal 2011: 46–47; Onde ka– Jungo á 2016: 85–89). We would like o hank Pa el Onde ka, he
Náp s ek Museum cu a o o ancien Egyp ian collec ion, o poin ing ou a en ion o his a e ac
and o pe sonal communica ion and consul a ions on he al e na i e spelling o he name.
8 Ranke (1952: 83) only lis s asingle a es a ion o he male e sion o his name, wh “de Hund (?)”.
See also he da abase h ps://www1.i 1.uni -muens e .de/p osoaeg/index0pg.h m, whe e some
a es a ions o ladies a e men ioned (we hank he anonymous e iewe o his e e ence).
9 The wo d/name is some imes ansla ed as bi ch ( emale dog) in Egyp ology. Howe e , due o he
sca ci y o e idence ( he wo d is only a es ed in a ew pe sonal names) and due o i s o eign, pos-
sibly Be be , o igin (Hannig 1995: 223), he exac meaning o he wo d is s ill unclea . As Djehu yem-
ha ’smo he was mos p obably o o eign (Nubian) oo s and as he usually o e ed ansla ion o
he e m (bi ch) bea s nega i e conno a ion, esp. in aname, we end o ansla e he wo d and he
name as Fox o Vixen, linking he name Wahe e o he Be be e m awha ( ox) as Raine Hannig
does. The esea ch on his p oblem is s ill in p ocess.
10 See abo e, no e 5.
14 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024
The na ow la e al sha ha ga e access o he bu ial chambe is si ua ed on he no he n
side o his omb ( ig. 7). The mo i a ions o such a a he unusual posi ion11 o i can only
be guessed a . The eason may pe haps be he s a e o he g ound on he sou he n side o he
omb whe e he e ain sligh ly ascends in he di ec ion o ano he la ge sha omb, ye un-
exca a ed. In iew o he no he n o ien a ion o he sa cophagus, he e o e, he mummy o
he deceased had o be b ough o he bu ial chambe wi h i s legs i s .12
The la e al sha is almos squa e, measu ing 1.2 (eas –wes ) by 1 m (no h–sou h), i s bo -
om was ound a adep h o 17.5 m. The mou h o he la e al sha was lined wi h al oge he 17
cou ses o mudb ick ( eaching o adep h o abou 2 m). A adep h o 13 m, aco ido leading
o he bu ial chambe opens in i s sou he n side. The co ido , abou 1.2 m high and 0.95 m wide,
is 2.3 m long and ends in he no he n side o he main sha . Be ween i s sou he n end and he
en ance o he bu ial chambe , a unnel was buil o mudb ick, abou 0.95 m long. The en ance
in o he bu ial chambe was 0.86 m high and 0.62 m wide. Below his co ido , ana ow opening
(measu ing abou 0.3 × 0.3 m and wi h i s bo om a he same le el as he loo o he chambe )
connec ed he bu ial chambe wi h he no he n la e al sha ; i s meaning emains unexplained
so a . Fu he below, ano he opening(?), wi h i s op a adep h o 14.3 m and abou 1.9 m high,
appea ed in he sou he n side o he la e al sha , hus leading below he bu ial chambe . Fo
sa e y easons, he wo k was no con inued he e a he momen .
The uppe pa o he sha was illed wi h yellow windblown sand. Su p isingly, amajo
pa o he sha ( om adep h o 4 m up o he en ance o he co ido leading o he bu ial
chambe ) was ound almos comple ely illed wi h blocks and smalle pieces o whi e limes one
o a he conside able size– he la ges block measu ed 0.8 × 0.35 × 0.3 m. Mo e han 30 o hem,
11 On he o ien a ion o la ge La e Pe iod sha ombs a Abusi , see Ba eš (2022: 16–17) and Ba eš–
Smolá iko á (2011: 54).
12 Simila si ua ion can be obse ed in he omb o Wahib eme ynei h, whe e– in he absence o
any la e al sha and due o he lack o any bu ial chambe – he mummy had o be pu in o he
sa cophagus om he na ow gap be ween he wes e n side o he bu ial sha and he wes e n
side o he sa cophagus, judging om ahollow in he side o he sha si ua ed exac ly opposi e
he wes e n end o he sa cophagus (see Ba eše al. 2024).
Fig. 7 Bu ial chambe , sec ion N – S, i.e. in he axis o he chambe (d awing D. Bělohoubko á)
15L. BAREŠ – D. BĚLOHOUBKOVÁ – R. LANDGRÁFOVÁ – J. JANÁK – † K. SMOLÁRIKOVÁ
including one co ne block,
13
we e deco a ed by hie oglyphic ex s and scenes cu in elie (bo h
incised and low). Among he scenes a es ed he e we e o e ing bea e s (in low elie ), agmen s
o an o e ing scene/scenes and o e ing lis s (in low and incised elie ), pa s o abu che ing
scene and o a ishing/ owling scene. In addi ion o hem, se e al agmen s o as a ed ceiling
we e ound he e, as well as blocks wi h emnan s o aplas ic ledge (o iginally su ounding
aniche?) and a ounded op o awall wi h pa o akheke ieze.14 On wo agmen s, he name
o Menekhibnekau is pa ly p ese ed.15 On a agmen o ano he slab, pa o ap ocession o
une a y p ies s appea s, oge he wi h he name o (Gem)ene ho bak,16 almos ce ainly he
a he o Menekhibnekau (see Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2011: 79–80). Pe haps amos in iguing piece
among all hose agmen s is asmall, uninsc ibed py amidion wi hou an apex, wi h asqua e
base measu ing 34 × 34 cm and 31 cm high,17 wi hou any known pa allel om o he con empo-
a y la ge sha ombs ound a Abusi un il now. In addi ion o hose s one pieces, se e al mud
b icks o conside able size (40 × 18 × 15 cm) and a ew sha ds o po e y we e ound he e.
Almos ce ainly, mos o (i no all) hose s one pieces come om he demolished supe -
s uc u e o he nea by omb o Menekhibnekau, judging om hei gene al appea ance, as
well as om he names o Menekhibnekau and his a he . While mos o hem (including
he ceiling blocks wi h as a ed ieze and he ounded op o awall) emind one o simila
inds om he wide a ea o he une al s uc u e o Menekhibnekau (see Ba eš– Smolá ik-
o á 2011: 41–45), he o iginal posi ion o he py amidion men ioned abo e can be assessed
only en a i ely, al hough i mos p obably comes om he supe s uc u e o Menekhib-
nekau’s omb as well.18 Ce ainly, small py amids appea as an in eg al (and impo an ) pa
o he omb’ssupe s uc u e in anumbe o New Kingdom sepulch es in di e en pa s o
Egyp including Saqqa a.19 As pa s o ombs a chi ec u e hey a e a es ed e en du ing he
1
s
Millenium BC (see e.g. De Meulenae e 1967–1968; Quaegebeu – Ramman -Pee e s 1982:
179–180; also T ench– Fuscaldo 1989: 86).20
13 Exca . No. 16/AW7/2023 (measu ing 30 × 26 × 30.5 cm), wi h pa o wo columns o hie oglyphic
ex in low elie on one side and pa o abu che ing scene in incised elie on he o he side.
14 Exca . No. 27/AW7/2023, 27.5 cm hick. On simila pieces ound in he omb o Menekhibnekau, see
Ba eš– Smolá iko á (2011: 44–45).
15 Exca . Nos. 16/AW7/2023 (see also abo e, no e 13) and 18/AW7/2023 ( ou pieces glued oge he ,
al oge he measu ing 57 × 30 cm and 9 cm hick), wi h ascene o o e ing linen pa ly p ese ed.
16 Exca . 11/AW7/2023, measu ing 29 × 35 cm, and only 8.5 cm hick.
17 Exca . No. 1/AW7/2023, wi h aces o dense mo a , g ey in colou , on i s base. The size o his piece
almos exac ly co esponds o py amidia known om he New Kingdom ombs a Saqqa a (see e.g.
Ra en 2005: 39–40).
18 As he supe s uc u e o he omb o Menekhibnekau was almos comple ely des oyed and e-
mo ed by la e s one qua ying, i s o iginal shape and a angemen can only be asce ained qui e
en a i ely (see Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2011: 32–45). The s udy o hose agmen s and hei possible
o iginal posi ion will be con inued in he u u e.
19 B ie ly men ioned by Ki chen (1979: 275), and ho oughly discussed by Ramman -Pee e s (1983), see
also Taw ik (2015) and Ra en (2005: 15, 39–40).
20 O simila pieces kep in he Egyp ian Museum in Cai o, only pa was published by Cha les Kuen z
(Kuen z 1932); his manusc ip dealing wi h o he such i ems (see T ad 1979: XVII, no. 149) has ne e
been p in ed and seems o be inaccessible a he momen (see also Ramman -Pee e s 1983: X). Fo
apy amidion ecen ly disco e ed in he Sou h Asasi nec opolis, see Pischiko a– Blakeney– Ali
(2021) (we hank he anonymous e iewe o his e e ence). The esea ch on his p oblem is s ill
in p ocess and will be con inued.
22 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024
ab ic), almos all co e ed wi h ine and hick ed bu nished slip. The lowe pa o one ine
ed -slipped bu nished ja (see Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2008: ig. 49/4, 5) con ained a a he hick
laye o plas e , e y p obably connec ed wi h he building p ocess o he bu ial chambe :
in e es ingly enough aces o inge s we e s ill clea ly isible in he mass o whi e plas e ill.
The iden i ied plas e - illed essels, mos ly ma l/sil ja s o la ge she ds o ampho ae (mainly
G eek impo s) all, acco ding o he w i e , in o aspecial ca ego y o building po e y and
we e iden i ied mainly in he subs uc u es o ombs (Smolá iko á 2016: 549–550).
Two shallow bowls wi h ed -slipped bu nished su ace and poin ed base, on he im and
in e io o which aces o smoke -blackening we e isible, belong pe haps o he ca ego y
o o e ing po e y. Al hough hey we e ound b oken, hey we e easily es o ed (see Ba eš–
Smolá iko á 2008: ig. 55/12, 13).
Rela i ely nume ous, in espec o he size o he omb, a e o ches wi h sel -slipped/we -
-smoo hed su ace ( ig. 16). Thei ab ic is coa se, hea ily le iga ed wi h s aw and i ed o b own
wi h black co e; he s em is e y massi e and i egula ibbing appea s in he in e io . A ound
se en such pieces we e pa ly econs uc ed, all in a e y agmen a y s a e o p ese a ion.24
In espec o impo s, a agmen a y p ese ed ampho a, so -called ‘ o pedo ja ’ om
Sy ia -Pales ine was iden i ied, wi h asho neck, sho shoulde , and apoin ed base ( ig. 17).25
24 In some cases, he bo om o he in e io was s ongly o sligh ly blackened wi h he es o he di
(see Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2008: ig. 51/42, 47).
25 Laemmel (2021a: pl. 157/9, 07/0087/040), da ed by he au ho o he Pe sian pe iod; a ed wash was
applied on he shoulde and neck o he ampho a. Many pa allels as well -known ac oss he coun y,
as Laemmel p ope ly demons a es (2021b: 159).
Fig. 15 Pa o he elie deco a ion o he supe s uc u e o he nea by omb o Menekhibnekau, ound
in he ill o he la e al sha o Djehu yemha (pho o P. Košá ek)

23L. BAREŠ – D. BĚLOHOUBKOVÁ – R. LANDGRÁFOVÁ – J. JANÁK – † K. SMOLÁRIKOVÁ
Fig. 16 La ge assemblage o agmen a y p ese ed o ches om he la e al sha
(pho o K. Smolá iko á)
Fig. 17 So-called “ o pedo ja ” a e
econs uc ion (pho o K. Smolá iko á)
24 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXIII/2024
As he ampho a was b oken in o la ge pieces, i could be almos comple ely es o ed. No su -
p ising was he ind o an uppe pa /neck o aChian ampho a; his, howe e , was se e ely
ab aded and i s o iginal deco a ion– whi e slip and ed bands– was almos in isible (see
Ba eš– Smolá iko á 2008: ig. 56/43–45).
26
One la ge she d o aChian ampho a wi h ape ec ly
smoo hed edge migh ha e been used by ancien obbe s as asho el du ing hei ac i i ies.27
The ce amic ma e ial o his small and hea ily ab aded assemblage o po e y can en a-
i ely be da ed o he ea ly 5 h cen u y BC. Impo an ly, all hose ypes a e well a es ed in
o he sha ombs a Abusi ; his assemblage is especially simila o ha om he la ge sha
omb o Iu aa.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The wo k was suppo ed om Eu opean Regional De elopmen Fund -P ojec “C ea i i y and
Adap abili y as Condi ions o he Success o Eu ope in an In e ela ed Wo ld” (No. CZ.02.1.0
1/0.0/16_019/0000734), by he Coope a io P og am p o ided by Cha les Uni e si y, esea ch
a ea A chaeology, implemen ed a he Facul y o A s o Cha les Uni e si y, and he non-
-in es men subsidy no. 1-VEG 2024,MSMT-1232/2024-8.
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Ladisla Ba eš
Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology, Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y; ladisla .ba es@ .cuni.cz
Dana Bělohoubko á
Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology, Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y; dana.belohoubko a@ .cuni.cz
Jiří Janák
Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology, Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y; ji i.janak@ .cuni.cz
Rena a Landg á o á
Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology, Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y;
ena a.landg a o a@ .cuni.cz
†K ě a Smolá iko á
Czech Ins i u e o Egyp ology, Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y