A small tomb, first located by French archaeologists in the 1920s,
is known to be the grave of the provincial governor and warlord
Ankhtifi, who held power in the region during Dynasty IX. As
'Great Overlord of the Nomes of Edfu and Hierakonpolis', 'Overseer
of Priests', Ankhtifi was the governor, or 'nomarch' of several
districts between Edfu and Armant. His decorated tomb shows many
interesting and important painted scenes which give us glimpses into
the complicated political events in the obscure First Intermediate
Period.
A single rock-cut tomb chapel is all that is left today of Ankhtifi's
monument. The entrance leads to a rectangular hall which once
contained many columns, though most of them are now missing. The
irregular plastered walls are not well preserved, but the remaining
painted decoration is very beautiful and much more flexible than the
more formal Old Kingdom style. Inside the doorway, a fishing and
fowling scene on the right-hand wall is especially interesting for its
varieties of fish, which the deceased is spearing and reeling in,
while his wife is holding a bird by its beak. Ankhtifi also supervises
butchers while his fleet of ships waits beyond. The colours too are
interesting and unusual, with much use of a light green paint and
patterns of alternating colours. The absence of the papyrus thicket is
another deviation from Old Kingdom conventions of art.
The opposite wall (east) depicts rows of cattle and other animals in
agricultural scenes. Note the braided hair on some of the cattle and
the donkeys carrying grain. The wall opposite the entrance probably
once contained a false door, and Ankhtifi and his wife are seen seated
at a table with poorly preserved remains of banquet scenes beyond. At
the end of this wall men are depicted going off to hunt, with bows and
arrows and their hunting dogs. The burial shaft is in the centre of
the tomb in front of the false door.
The few remaining columns are also decorated, illustrating industries,
including carpentry, agricultural activities, food preparation and
brewing. Two square pillars can be seen just inside the entrance and
Ankhtifi is depicted on the right-hand pillar facing into the tomb,
with three of his dogs beside him. Two columns in the southern half of
the tomb show pictures of sowing and ploughing and a choir of women
holding hands.
The biographical text is considered to be the most important
inscription in the tomb, and describes a famine during Ankhtifi's time
in which the deceased proclaims his own glory in saving his people
from '. . . dying on the sandbank of Apothis'. The text mentions the
towns of Hefat and Hor-mer, whose location is not now known. Ankhtifi
tells of feeding and clothing the people in adjoining districts, and
states '. . . I was like a sheltering mountain . . . the whole country
has become like locusts going in search of food, but never did I allow
anybody in need to go from this nome to another one. I am the hero
without equal.' Modest chap! Famine seems to have haunted the
Egyptians periodically and there are many reliefs in monuments over
the whole country which show scenes of hunger and hardship.
Archaeologists suggest that the turmoil and uncertainty surrounding
the end of the Old Kingdom was largely due to a prolonged drought when
the Nile inundations were low and the fields did not produce enough
food.
British archaeologists Mark Collier and Bill Manley have recently
returned from an exploratory trip to el-Moalla, to study inscriptions
in Ankhtifi's tomb. The humble rock-cut tomb they went to record was
found not to be cut into the cliff at all, but has turned out to be a
pyramid burial (normally reserved for royalty). The tomb chapel is set
within a ceremonial courtyard and has a causeway, which could be seen
from the mountain above, with a massive necropolis stretching for some
5km. The burial now appears to be a free-standing pyramid-shaped
mountain, which is surrounded by hundreds of other tombs, raising
hopes that Ankhtifi's lost city of Hefat might be located near by. The
French archaeologists in the early 20th century had only excavated the
entrance to the tomb-chapel itself, whereas Collier and Manley state
that the monument appears to have all of the features of a proper
pyramid, although a natural one. |
A few metres to the north of Ankhtifi's tomb is the smaller
tomb-chapel of Sobekhotep, another First Intermediate Period official
and this is the second decorated tomb at el-Moalla. It is roughly cut
and not so well preserved as its neighbour, but has a few interesting
scenes.
The tomb is of a similar shape to that of Ankhtifi, but has three
burial shafts instead of one. On the walls to the right of the
entrance there are damaged scenes of the funeral procession, with
scenes below of men taking grain to a store-house. Sobekhotep is
depicted here with his wife and son. On the eastern wall there are
remains of industrial scenes at the bottom with the more traditional
desert hunt above. Parts of agricultural scenes, showing animals and
produce can be seen on the rear wall, with two rows of men and women
at the western end. Sobekhotep and his wife are again depicted on the
wall to the left of the entrance, receiving offering-bearers. |
Although el-Moalla is only about half an hour's taxi drive from Esna
or Luxor, it is not the easiest of places to get to because of the
difficulties of the convoy, which usually means a long wait at a
police road block. On reaching the village, cross the railway line and
ask for the guard of the tombs who has the key. It is a steep climb up
the hill to the tombs, but you will be rewarded with a spectacular
view over cultivated land towards the Nile. However, because of the
recent discovery of a new necropolis, the site may now be closed to
visitors. It would be wise to check with the tourist police first. |
