The original excavation of TT34 – The Tomb of Montuemhat – was carried out by archaeologist Zakaria Gomein, upon the pressure unfortunately got the better of him and resulted in suidcide in a fascinating tale recounted by Dr Zahi Hawass (Watch the video).The project lead is now Dr Farouk Gomaa who is searching TT34 for the burial chamber of the diplomat Montuemhat, and explains his progress in a Heritage Key video (Watch the video).
Egyptology photographer has been busy across Thebes, and TT34 has been just one of many of the tombs in the area where he has taken his lens. As the photographer of “The Lost Tombs of Thebes:Life in Paradise“, authored by Dr Hawass, you can see him at work in a Heritage Key video (Watch the Video). Sandro took several photographs of the excavations going on at the Tomb of Monteumhat, including the tomb wall paintings.
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This post is part of a series focussing on amazing photographs from ancient Egypt. Keep checking back as well keep adding new images by Sandro Vannini. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the updates, simply subscribe by email to receive notifications when new images are uploaded. For the more digitally advanced, there’s also an RSS feed with updates available.
See More Amazing Photography by Sandro
Have a look at some of the other stunning photographs by Sandro Vannini here at Heritage Key:
- Tomb of Seti I (KV17): The Antechamber
- Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34) at Thebes
- KV63 – The Discovery of the Sarcophagus
- Nesptah at the Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34) at Thebes
Ask Sandro
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Sandro Vannini’s Photography
Sandro Vannini has spent over a decade in Egypt capturing images of some of the greatest discoveries and treasures in history, such as the famous Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun. Heritage Key is working with Sandro to bring these stunning photographs to the internet, to spur the interest in our ancient past. To watch a slideshow of the photographs of the Tomb of Montuemhat, click any of the thumbnails below.
For his venture into TT34, Sandro used a Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n to photograph the archaeologists as they studied their finds, and worked to understand more about their discovery. These images are from the front line dig at this tomb, and along with the video, gives a fantastic insight into the work that goes into such archaeological excavations.
The Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34)
Montuemhat was a leading Theban official who held a position of powerful stature and influential authority, commanding control over Upper Egypt. Overseeing the transition of power in Egypt from Kushite to Saite, having married a Kushite princess as his third wife. Although Montuemhat may have been of Nubian descent himself, historical records suggest he held power in Egypt after the Nubians left and right up until his death.
The walls of Montuemhat’s tomb are adorned with paintings depicting several different types of scenes. Examples would include scenes taken from the Southern Hall of Offerings in Hatshepsut’s temple which show oils being offered by bearers and cattle being slaughtered. The tomb wall decor contains scenes from both the Old and New Kingdoms. The Tomb of Montuemhmat is also notable for copying many wall paintings from other Theban tombs.
The Tomb of Montuemhat is the second largest of the Ethiopian period in the Assasif, Thebes. The Pylon of the tomb complex is still visible from considerable distance, after which there is a large courtyard. The rear houses a primeval mound, and underground areas which are being currently excavated by Dr Gomaa and his team.
You can see previous slideshows of Sandro’s photography at TT34 of excavations being carried out and of the sarcophagus of Montuemhat’s son Nesptah.
HD Video: Dr Farouk Gomaa’s Search for the Chamber of Mayor Montuemhat
(Click for a transcription of this video.)
You can see the entire archive of videos on Heritage Key’s Video Page, and find out the latest from excavations in Egypt. You can also learn more about Archaeology on Heritage Key, as well as being able to explore the wonders of the Virtual World in King Tut Virtual – walk through the Valley of the Kings and discover some of the most amazing artefacts in history! You can also keep up to date on the latest new postings of Sandro’s Photography by subscribing to the feed, simply by entering your Email Address!