Inherkau lived in Deir el-Medina in Dynasty XX during the reigns of
Rameses III and IV. His title was 'Foreman of the Two Lands in the
Place of Truth' and his beautifully decorated tomb reflected this
important position of foreman of the necropolis workers. Inherkau's
wife was a Chantress of Amun called Wab.
The tomb is less well-preserved than that of Sennedjem which is nearby
and much of the outer chambers have been destroyed. Scenes preserved
from the outer rooms contain representations of the 'Book of Gates',
the 'Book of the Dead' and offering formulae in blue hieroglyphs on a
yellow background. In the antechamber the ceiling is decorated with a
repeated pattern of bulls with solar discs between their horns.
A staircase leads down into the burial chamber, which still contains
lively and colourful paintings, though with some damage. The entrance
to the burial chamber was once flanked by depictions of Amenhotep I
and the black-faced Ahmose-Nefertari which are now preserved in the
Berlin Museum. These two rulers were deified and worshipped as a cult
during Dynasty XIX and XX.
The western wall of the burial chamber has 3 registers with 17 scenes.
In some of the more notable scenes, Inherkau is seen leaving his tomb,
being led by Thoth to Osiris, kneeling bareheaded before the
jackal-headed 'Souls of Nekhen' and adoring the 'benu-bird' or phoenix
of Heliopolis. Further along the wall a blind harpist plays ( with the
text of his song) for Inherkau and his wife Wab who are seated on
chairs in their fine clothes. The cat of Heliopolis is depicted
slaying the Apophis serpent who is coiled around the sacred Ished or
Persea tree in the register below.
On the northern wall Inherkau is seen with his son Har-min before Ptah
and his son Kenna before Osiris (damaged) offering burning torches.
The eastern wall shows the deceased and his wife with their four sons
seated before a prophet of Osiris who is offering them a shabti-box
and a statuette of Osiris. Inherkau is also seen worshipping four
jackals and below, is seated before a row of six priests. The leading
man is a sem-priest who holds a ram-headed wand. On the rest of the
wall Inherkau appears before various deities and mythological beings. |
