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The Ultimate Destination: Decoration of Kaiemankh’s Burial Chamber Reconsidered

Author: Miral Lashien  |   Pages: 403–415

 

Abstract

The tomb of Kaiemankh has been recently dated to the Fifth Dynasty after a detailed study of its scenes and inscriptions, and therefore his burial chamber is one of the earliest, if not indeed the first to be decorated. The tomb of Kaiemankh preserves the most complete Old Kingdom example of animate figures in a burial chamber. These include sailing ships, the tomb owner performing the ‘Pulling of Papyrus’ ceremony, agricultural pursuits, music and dancing, and the preparation and presentation of food. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the reason for depicting this particular group of scenes in the Kaiemankh’s burial chamber. It has already been observed that the earliest decorated burial chambers have incorporated animate figures, but such figures have later been replaced by the representations of food and drink ready to be consumed. Later still even the hieroglyphic signs which could theoretically inflict harm on the deceased, such as the jackals, snakes and vipers were eliminated or mutilated. In order to understand the reason for depicting these themes in particular in Kaiemankh’s burial chamber similar grouping of themes in other tombs have been studied, which demonstrated that they commemorate a voyage by the tomb owner to the Delta to perform the ‘Pulling of Papyrus’ ceremony and to visit his funerary estates before returning to the cemetery to celebrate the transportation of his funerary furniture and placing them in the tomb, with all the necessary rites and accompanied by religious music and dancing. Kaiemankh’s burial chamber was probably regarded as the logical place for the representation of this voyage being the ultimate destination for the funerary furniture. But the animate figures were soon after considered unsuitable for inclusion in burial chambers, and were excluded in later tombs.

 

 

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