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Using the Database of Private Tombs

Introduction

Researchers can query the GIS database of the Theban necropolis in any number of ways according to any of the available Egyptological and geological criteria (see below). They can make simple queries by searching only one data field, or they can make complex queries by searching any number of fields simultaneously. Using the satellite photos of the necropolis or topographical maps as a basis, they can locate and identify a single tomb or clusters of tombs, as well as their geographical distributions across the necropolis. They can also identify possible geographical relationships among specific private tombs, including:

In addition to querying the database according to the data fields, researchers can also perform spatial or area searches. They can define an area on the satellite photo or maps by drawing any regular or irregular geometrical shape, even draw a line anywhere, and have the GIS identify tombs within that area, or on or near the line, according to any of the data fields.

The strength of the GIS database is that it can reveal multiple historical and geographical relationships among the tombs and monuments of the necropolis. In performing searches, researchers can call up data on each tomb, including historical, prosopographical, archaeological, artistic, epigraphical, historiographical, etc.


A Record of Burials Specifically

This database includes information on the usurpation and reuse of the Theban private tombs. In reality, each data-record of the GIS technically catalogs burials within tombs and not the tombs themselves. Hence, a single tomb might be recorded several times in the database, depending on the number of significant named burials it contains. I.e., the most important of each burial within a tomb will have its own data-record. So e.g., Record no. 148 identifies the burial of Huy and his wife, Taenherunesy, in Theban Tomb 54 (TT054). This record includes all historical data related to Huy, as well as the name of a later usurper of the tomb, Kenro. In the "Status"-field, Huy is identified as "Primary Owner". The burial of the usurper, Kenro, is also cataloged in a separate record. Record no. 149 identifies the burial of Kenro in TT054 with the status of "Usurper", and that record contains Kenro's particular historical data. Therefore, a simple search of the database for TT054 will bring up two records identifying Huy as primary owner and Kenro as usurper, each with its own historical particulars.


Current Data Fields

Currently, researchers can search the GIS database according to the following Egyptological fields:

Tomb No. e.g., Theban tomb series no. (TT); Kampp no. (K); Metropolitan Museum of Art no. (MMA); Porter and Moss unclassified no., etc.
Tomb Location e.g., Sheikh Abd el-Qurna (SAQ); Upper Enclosure (UE); Lower Enclosure (LE); Plain (PL); el-Khokha, etc.
Occupant named of deceased, either as primary owner or usurper, including his nickname
Occupant Transliteration transliteration of occupant's name and nickname according to the Manuel de Codage
Occupant Status primary owner, usurper, or unknown
Relatives names of the wife, father, and mother of the occupant
Relatives Transliteration transliteration of the names of the wife, father, and mother according to the Manuel de Codage
Period period of time or era of the tomb, including:
Old Kingdom to First Intermediate Period, First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom, Second Intermediate Period, New Kingdom, Third Intermediate Period, Late Period (Saite), Late Ptolemaic, or unknown
Reigning King the name of a specific king contemporary with the tomb, a range of kings, or an era of kings to which the tomb belongs, including:
Sesostris I, Ahmose to Amenhotep I, Amenhotep I to Tuthmosis III, Tuthmosis I, Tuthmosis II to Amenhotep II, Hatshepsut, Hatshepsut (?), Hatshepsut to Tuthmosis III, Hatshepsut to Tuthmosis III (?), up to Tuthmosis III, Tuthmosis III, Tuthmosis III (?), Tuthmosis III or later, Tuthmosis III or Tuthmosis IV, Tuthmosis III to Amenhotep II, up through Amenhotep II, Amenhotep II, Amenhotep II (?), Amenhotep II to Tuthmosis IV, Tuthmosis IV, Tuthmosis IV (?), Tuthmosis IV to Amenhotep III, Tuthmosis IV to Amenhotep III (?), pre-Amenhotep III, Amenhotep III, Amenhotep III (?), Amenhotep III to Amenhotep IV, Amenhotep IV, Aye, Aye (?), Horemheb, Ramesses I to Sety I, Sety I to Ramesses II, Ramesses II, late Ramesses II, Ramesses II and later, Merneptah, Ramesses III, Ramesses IV, Ramesses VIII, Ramesses IX, Siamon, Taharqa, Psamtik I Psammetichus I, Cleopatra VII to Augustus, Ramesside, Ramesside (?), early Ramesside, late Ramesside
Titles of Occupant mostly according to Porter and Moss, Topographical BibliographyI/1-22
Usurper name of later or secondary owner of tomb; occupier of a later burial distinct from the original tomb owner
Usurper Transliteration transliteration of usurper's name and nickname according to the Manuel de Codage
Web Links addresses on the World Wide Web (URL) to pages pertaining to the tomb
Notes comments and notes about the history of tomb, architecture, owner; references to scholars' assertions about the tomb
Bibliography updated bibliography of published sources for the tomb appearing since Porter and Moss, Topographical BibliographyI/1-22; currently does not repeat the bibliography in Porter and Moss

In the near future, the database will add additional fields for project history, historiography, excavators, etc.

In addition to the Egyptological fields listed above, researchers can search the GIS database according to the following geological fields:

Latitude and Longitude latitude and longitude coordinates for each tomb as geo-referenced on the satellite photograph
Elevation elevation figures (in meters) for the main door of each tomb as geo-referenced on the satellite photograph and topographical maps
Stratigraphy designations of the various geological formations and rock strata occuring inside each tomb
Structure designations and locations of deformations of the rock occuring in the tomb, including: faults, fractures, joints, cleavage, folds, etc.
Strike figures in numerical degrees and directions denoting attitude or position of linear structural features, such as: faults, beds, joints, and folds in the rock of the tomb
Dip figures in numerical degrees denoting the angle at which a planar feature (e.g., rock strata) is inclined to the horizontal plane (measured in a vertical plane perpendicular to the strike)


To be continued . . .

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rev. 4/04