Tomb of Ineni (Superintendent of the Granaries, Superintendent of the Workmen in the Karnak Treasuries, Superintendent of the Royal Buildings, Ha-Prince of the city - during the reigns of Amenhotep I, Tuthmosis I, Tuthmosis II, Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III) - TT81

18th Dynasty

A very important person who held considerable power - Ineni had been in charge of building the hall of Hatshepsut at Karnak, the excvation of the tomb of Tuthmosis I.

A stela detailing his autobiography had been cut in the outer chamber of the tomb - sadly now destroyed - but fortunately a copy had been made; he describes how he was promoted -

"I increased beyond everything...... I cannot tell it. But I will tell you this, all people: hear, all: Do the good that I did, do all likewise. My years were passed in gladness, because I showed no treachery, I did not inform against any one, I did no evil. I was devoid of hesitancy, I was devoid of blasphemy towards sacred things".

The chapel itself, consists of a front gallery cut into the rock, siz pillars support the roof, this gallery then leads into a chamber which holds four seated statues.

The scenes painted in the outer chamber show the hunting of animals, the figure of Ineni himself in these scenes has been destroyed:

in the bottom left of this scene a hyena has been shot by an arrow and attempts to break it off while of Ineni's hunting dogs moves in for the kill (Ineni's leg can be seen by the dog).

Other scenes in this chamber include Ineni and his wife seated in a garden (obviously a keen gardener, an inscription at the top of this scene lists the number of trees owned by Ineni - 73 sycamores, 31 acacias, 170 palms of one kind, 120 of another and more besides!). The more 'standard' scenes show the usual offering scenes to Ineni, and the ploughing of Ineni's fields. Another scene of interest in this outer chamber depicts Ineni and his wife watching a parade of foreign tribute being brought into Egypt as a result of the successful wars of Tuthmosis I - Nubian women bringing their children, Egyptian soldiers bringing home the spoils of war, Asiatic women carrying their children, an Asiatic man leading a bear, and a row showing the various baskets and other goods brought.

Finally Ineni is shown in his more official capacity of inspecting cattle and corn of the temple estates (one man is shown being beaten after having a trial).

In the inner chamber are funeral scenes (these scenes were rubbed and defaced in antiquity), they show the final journey of the coffin, weeping women pouring dust on their heads, figures carry funerary furniture into the tomb and men perform the funeral dance.

The inner chamber also held four seated statues:

These statues are 240-244cm high and show (left to right) Ineni's wife Thuau, Ineni, Ineni's father - Ineni, and Ineni's sister Aahhotep. (The walls on either side of the statues are scenes of Ineni's relations).