Sennedjem lived during the reign of Seti I, and when Ramesses II's reign began, he became an ancient Egyptian official of the 19th dynasty. Tomb of Sennedjem is known as TT1 and he also had the title of Servant in the Place of Truth to his name. The tomb TT1 is located at Deir El Medina in the Theban necropolis on the west bank of the river Nile. The tomb is the burial place of not just Sennedjem, but his family members as well, as over 20 burials were found inside the tomb.
The discovery
The tomb of Sennedjem was found intact in the year 1986 by Egyptologists. The 20 mummies found are believed to be members of the tomb owners. The rich funerary equipment and the coffins found have now been moved to museums in Cairo and other places. The entrance to the tomb is a steep staircase that is followed by a small entrance chamber which initially had a wooden decorated door that was later on moved to the Cairo Museum. Like most private tombs here, the tomb of Sennedjem was decorated with paintings. Although simple, these depict remarkable colors and interesting views.
Decorations inside the tomb
Paintings are the main decoration inside the tomb. The tomb begins with a steep staircase leading into the entrance chamber. This is followed by a short passage that ends in the vaulted burial chamber. The walls of the entranceway and passage have many paintings and scenes of Sennedjem worshipping the many deities and also show his family members in a number of different scenes. The decoration in the burial chamber is on a yellow ochre background and is extremely well-preserved.
Walls also feature text taken from the Book of the Dead. One of the most popular scenes in TT1 depicts a detail about the expected afterlife of the dead and his wife in the Field of Large.
Even the ceiling of the tomb is brightly painted with scenes and texts of the deceased worshipping the different gods and goddesses. TT1 portrays in a very lively and colorful way traditional funerary scenes from ‘The Book of the Dead’ and illustrates beautifully the journey of Sennedjem to the Netherworld and his life afterward.
Findings from the tomb
The burial goods found in the tomb include Ushabtis, canopic boxes, and pieces of furniture in different sizes. The findings were mostly sold and some important among these were sent to the museums in Cairo, New York, and Berlin.
When to visit
TT1 is open from 6 am to 4 pm during the winter months. Tickets can be bought at the main ticket office on the west bank. The combined ticket cost for three tombs including TT1 is EGP 30.
