Who was Khaemhat?
Khaemhat, or Mahu, was a royal scribe and the "Overseer of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt" during Amenhotep's reign. The only thing known about his family is that he was married to Tivi.
Location of Tomb TT 57
TT 57 is dedicated to a local saint and lies in the Sheikh Abd el Qurna area of Necropolis on the west bank of Thebes in Egypt, just opposite Luxor. It is one of the most visited cemeteries in this area and is the burial place of an ancient Egyptian official, Khaemha.
TT 57's discoverers faced many hardships. It’s said that Lloyd, an Egyptologist, was killed shortly after the tomb's discovery due to the accidental discharge of his gun. The tomb also suffered fire and other damages during early exploration. Today, the tomb has no color, but the reliefs depict an incredible display of art in motion and a full-of-life picture.
The Tomb of TT57
TT 57 is one of the many tombs clustered at the west end of the Abd el Qurna necropolis. The tomb was most likely constructed during the reign of Amenhotep III. Khaemhat is the only private tomb amongst the four tombs from this era, which was decorated with reliefs and is the only one that dates back to the year 30, during Amenhotep III's rule. The tomb depicts a complicated variation of the usual T-shaped private tombs. The entrance is similar, and the room it leads to is filled with rare agricultural scenes.
The Uniqueness of TT 57
TT 57 is famous for its exceptional relief quality and the historical significance of the many texts and scenes describing iKng Sed's festival. Many agricultural scenes decorating the tomb are associated with the primary function of Khaemhat, which included agricultural produce control and its safe storage and distribution. The market scene is also an unusual representation of the tombs of the New Kingdom. Even though similarities in representations can be noted, the peculiarities in Khaemhat's tomb are many, and what makes this unique. TT57 can help Egyptologists learn more about commerce in the ancient Egyptian era.
Khaemhat was the superintendent of the Granaries during an era when Egypt's art was at its peak. This is why the tomb has such impressive reliefs.
Some items near tomb TT 57 included a wood and stone shawabti, a bronze spearhead, a shawabti box, and a Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figure. Three rock steles were also found in the tomb; one was Khaemhat, and the other two depicted the names of Pedamen and Khonsuiuefankh.
The Khaemhat tomb is now open to the public and can be visited from 6 am to 4 pm during the winter season, and the ticket to this can be easily bought at the ticket office, which gives entry into the other tombs as well those of Ramose and Userhet.
