Tombs of the South Asasif Necropolis

The third volume of reports on the excavations of noblemen’s tombs from the Kushite Period


This is the third and final volume in the Tombs of the South Asasif Necropolis series dedicated to the ongoing work of the Egyptian–American South Asasif Conservation Project, under the auspices of the Ministry of Antiquities and directed by Elena Pischikova. The project was founded in 2006 to restore and reconstruct the early Kushite tombs of Karabasken (TT 391) and Karakhamun (TT 223) and the Saite tomb of Irtieru (TT 390). Tombs of the South Asasif Necropolis: Art and Archaeology 2015–2018 focuses on the conservation work in the tomb of Karakhamun and new discoveries in the tomb of Karabasken, which include the burial chamber of Karabasken, its monumental granite sarcophagus found in situ, and the Twenty-sixth Dynasty chapel and burial compartment of Padibastet built in the pillared hall of the tomb of Karabasken. Discussion of finds includes canopic jars, stelae, pottery, and animal bones among many others. Ongoing art historical research is reflected in the chapters on the artistry of the decoration of the tomb of Karakhamun and its uniquely preserved twenty-one-square grid. This volume also introduces new research on the name and titles of Irtieru.


Contributors: Abdelrazk Mohamed Ali, Ramadan Ahmed Ali, Mariam Ayad, Louise Bertini, John Billman, Marion Brew, Julia Budka, Katherine Blakeney, Dieter Eigner, Hayley Goddard , Erhart Graefe, Kenneth Griffin, Salima Ikram, Fathy Yaseem Abd el Karim, Ezz El Din Kamal El Noby, Elena Pischikova, Manon Shutz