As of: February 22, 2024, 6:27 a.m
By: Marcus Giebel, Kilian Bäuml
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After years of restoration, Neferhotep's burial chamber reopens its doors.
But archaeologists' reactions are mixed.
Luxor – The tomb of Neferhotep in Egypt is open to visitors again.
It is one of the largest in the necropolis of Thebes, which includes around 800 decorated rock tombs.
This is the first time in over two decades that the underground chamber has been accessible.
German archaeologists, including qualified restorers Christina Verbeek and Susanne Brinkmann, contributed to this.
In a project funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, they removed soot from wall paintings in such burial chambers, which was presumably caused by the burning of mummy.
A special laser technology was used for this.
Unlike other archaeologists in Peru who discovered a head with tufts of hair - apparently it is a child mummy.
An article in the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
explains that the black covering was processed with a three to four millimeter wide light line.
Where the laser beams hit the soot particles, they disintegrated into a small cloud of smoke.
Under no circumstances should the paintings be damaged, which is why particular care was required.
Neferhotep's burial chamber: German archaeologists reveal ancient Egyptian secrets
The restorers explain in an interview with
LISA
: “The non-contact approach allows particularly sensitive surfaces to be processed,” explains Verbeek.
She adds: “We have excellent results, for example, when cleaning water-sensitive alabaster surfaces.”
The restorers have already gained experience with cleaning sensitive surfaces, as demonstrated by examples such as “the tomb of Sophia of Brandenburg in the Lorenzkirche in Nuremberg or the depiction of St. Ursula in St. Ursula in Cologne as well as objects from the Schnütgen in Cologne Museum”.
But they are particularly fascinated by ancient Egyptian art: “Always ancient Egyptian art – the clarity and fineness of the lines with their incomparable aesthetics in form and color,” enthuses Verbeek.
That's why they made the journey to North Africa again and again over several years in order to make the grave of Amun's scribe come alive again.
Work on the wall paintings: The restorations are documented on Facebook using the laser (l.).
© Facebook/@Conservation of Theban Temples and Tombs
The tomb of Neferhotep, also known by the registration number TT49, is “richly decorated with wall paintings, colored reliefs and figures.”
His wife Merit-Re is also buried here.
According to the foundation, the ground-floor cult rooms - the vestibule and the pillared hall - are decorated with depictions of the life of Neferhotep, who, as overseer of Amun's goods, was responsible for overseeing the livestock, grain and slaves.
“Due to its thematic and artistic diversity, TT 49 occupies an outstanding position in the Theban necropolis,” emphasizes the foundation.
Reopening of an ancient Egyptian treasury: German restorers in action
Since February 11th, tourists have been able to take a look at these impressive displays again.
But Verbeek is already expressing concerns.
She recalls experiences from other burial chambers: “We observed the visitors; their inattention was sometimes shocking.
Some simply leaned against the millennia-old, decorated walls with backpacks, many showed little respect.”
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In addition, the visitors increase the humidity in the chambers through their sweat and the air they breathe: “All in all, conditions arise where there can also be a microbiological problem with fungi and bacteria.” She criticizes that it is “wrong to have busloads of beach tourists out every day “To chase Hurghada from burial chamber to burial chamber and from temple to temple.”
LISA
points out that many tombs in Thebes have already been damaged by improper interventions.
The project is therefore intended to make a contribution to dealing with world cultural heritage.
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