Menna held the title of Scribe of the Fields of the Lord of the Two Lands of Upper and Lower Egypt. He was the field overseer of Amun in ancient Egypt. It’s believed that Menna worked at Karnak at the Temple of Amun and supervised field measurement, inspected work on the land, recorded crop yield, and even punished the guilty for crimes. Being a scribe, he earned high stature in ancient Egypt.
Menna’s Wife, Henut-Tawy, was the Chantress of Amun, and Menna and his wife are said to have had at least three daughters and several sons.
About Menna's Tomb
TT 69 is the private tomb of Menna. It is located on the West Bank at Luxor in the hills of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. The tomb lies in the area known as the Tombs of the Nobles, which has 146 tombs dating to the 18th dynasty. TT 69 is dated from the New Kingdom in the 18th dynasty and is believed to be about 3,400 years old.
It is part of a group of tombs constructed between 1400-1390 B.C. when the reign of Thutmoses IV ended and of Amenhotep II began. Inside the tomb everywhere Menna is referred to as "The eyes of the King in every place". The chapel is decorated with flawless scenes of daily life and funerary customs then used in Egypt.
Importance Of Tomb TT 69
Refined paintings inside the tomb are responsible for the importance this place has, which are some of the most complete in the entire Theban necropolis. They illustrate Menna in everyday life, his family, and agriculture. Scenes from life in the marshes were also found which are said to have a very deep meaning.
The Tomb Today
TT 69 is a classical-style, or T-shaped, tomb. Like the other tombs in the era, this has an outer courtyard, entry corridor, first chamber, and a small connecting corridor, which ends in a longitudinal, second chamber. Referred to as the Tuesday Tomb it contains beautiful images of agriculture, fowling, fishing, and daily life. Scenes showing grain harvest are detailing the agricultural practices followed in Egypt during the time.
Even though it was never finished, TT 69 is among the most decorated tombs at Thebes. After construction, the face of Menna was destroyed by vandals to deprive him of his afterlife, and also the god Amun’s name was scratched out from all places however the exceptional paintings still make this tomb a great place to visit.
For Public Use
Tomb TT 69 has been open to the public since 1960, but this has led to damage to the paintings. This deterioration can be seen by comparing the present-day condition of the tomb with the photos taken during 1914-1916 by Robert Mond. Seeing this damage, high glass panels and modern protective barriers have been installed to protect the decorations on the wall.
