Tomb -529-

Tomb -529- is situated in the area of Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna, in between Theban Tomb 13 6 and Theban Tomb 137.

We started work in tomb -529- in December 2025. The tomb was until recently hidden under modern houses, which were built on top and in front of many of the tombs at Qurna. Between 2006 and 2010, the houses at Qurna were demolished as part of a countrywide policy of removing modern buildings from archaeological sites, and the inhabitants were relocated to new villages. As a result of the demolition of the houses, the tombs are now surrounded by high heaps of debris and the remains of partially demolished buildings.

Tomb -529- is a large tomb, which starts out as a very long corridor, possibly leading to a shaft with a burial chamber at its very end. As part of our initial survey in December 2025, we were not yet able to reach the end of the corridor, as it is filled with rubble and debris. Based on its architecture, tomb -529- can be classified as a Middle Kingdom corridor tomb. This is especially interesting, as tombs dating to the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2040–1782 BCE) are relatively rare in the Theban necropolis. In front of the tomb’s entrance, we found a large amount of pottery vessels as part of an in situ burial deposit. Based on their typology, these vessels can be securely dated to the Middle Kingdom (11th and early 12th dynasties), with similar vessel types known from tomb MMA 28 at Deir el-Bahari and from the foundation deposits of the pyramid of Senwosret I at Lisht.

Our work programme for tomb -529- (as well as for the other hitherto unexplored structures -290-, -528-, -530-, and -531- that form part of our concession area) will focus on: 1) the archaeological investigation, documentation, and analysis of these hitherto unidentified structures, with the aim of establishing when and for whom they were built, and 2) the practical conservation of these structures in order to preserve them for the future.

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View into tomb -529-.