The Polychrome Hieroglyph Research Project

Université Libre de Bruxelles - Faculté de Philosophie et Sciences sociales

This page displays details of the selected Monument. Click on the Monument number to list all individual signs ("occurrences") recorded from that object or structure.

Mon. 12


Monument : Benia TT.343
Period : Dynasty XVIII
Reign(s) : Hatshepsut - Amenhotep II
High Date : 1473
Low Date : 1400
Monument type : Private Tomb
Localisation or provenance : Sheikh Abd el-Gurna
References : PM I, 1, 410-412; Guksch (1978).

Benia, also known as Paheqamen, was “Overseer of works, Child of the nursery”. His tomb contains several polychrome inscriptions most of which are in a reasonable state of preservation. This tomb allowed me to compare all the inscriptions with the signs recorded by Guksch (1978, 47-52). He also connected his observations to individual signs in texts referenced in PM I, 1, 400. Guksch distinguishes between “rot”, “rotbraun” and “rosabraun”. In the context of this study, it seems wiser to only use red, as the distinction appears to be one of variable paint shades. For instance, Guksch records D21 the mouth in Text 16b1 as “rosabraun, rotbraun umrandet”, whereas my own choice (from personal observation) would be red, albeit slightly faded. The intention of the scribe-painter was obviously to colour the mouth red, just as for the vast majority of the occurrences of this very common sign. The other colours are easily distinguishable and their use closely follows the canon.