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The tombs of local governors in the Old and Middle Kingdom
Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom
Already in the First and Second Dynasty there are large tombs in the provinces (the area outside of Abydos and outside the area around Memphis). The tombs presumably belong to local high officials working and living far from the capital or king's court.
examples
The precise status of the persons buried in those tombs is unknown - through lack of inscribed material.
For the Old Kingdom similar tombs are found. In some tombs inscriptions have survived, so that at least the names of the tombs' owners are known.
At the end of the Fourth Dynasty rock cut tombs became common. This type of tomb was especially popular in the provinces. Many (but not all!) of these tombs are decorated with paintings or reliefs. The titles of the persons buried indicate explicitly that they were local officials; mayors or district governors (normachs).
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two undecorated rock cut tombs at Sedment |
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First Intermediate Period
In these period there are still many rock cut tombs in several provinces. The tombs at Asyut include important inscriptions with information on.the political history of the First Intermediate Period.
Middle Kingdom
There continue to be many rock cut tombs in the provinces. Some of these cemeteries start in the Middle Kingdom, indicating that these high officials were installed in office in that time. At the end of the Twelfth Dynasty the large rock-cut tombs are no longer made.
Places with rock cut tombs of local governors of the Middle Kingdom:
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place
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rock cut tombs of the Old Kingdom
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rock cut tombs of the First Intermediate Period
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date of the Middle Kingdom tombs
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Elephantine
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yes
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yes
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Senusret I - Senusret III
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at Hemamieh (Kanawati
1991)
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no
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Senusret I (?) - Amenemhat III
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|
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Meir
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yes
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no
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Amenemhat I - Senusret III
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no
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no
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Twelfth Dynasty
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|
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no ?
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yes
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Eleventh Dynasty (?) - ?
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|
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Deir el-Bersheh
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no
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no
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Eleventh Dynasty - Senusret III
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Khelua
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no ?
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yes
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Middle Kingdom (late?) (Bresciani
et al.1998)
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Beni Hasan
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only small tombs
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no
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Eleventh Dynasty - Senusret II/Senusret III
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