Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep

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Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep

Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep were two high officials in ancient Egypt . They both had the same titles as overseer of the royal manicure , royal confidante and prophet of Re in the solar sanctuary of Niuserre . Their lifespan is dated to the 5th dynasty (around 2450–2410 BC) during the rule of the Niuserre or the Menkauhor .

Today they are mainly known for their common grave, in which they are depicted in a deep embrace on reliefs .

Relationship to each other

Both men were married and had children, but are depicted several times in close embraces in the grave . While the most recent research is based on a pair of twins or even Siamese twins , some of the authors see these two men as a homosexual couple . Without a doubt, the depictions suggest a particularly deep affection, as the depiction of the two noses touching each other symbolizes the closest possible proximity in art at that time. However, the interpretation of these representations must remain open for the time being.

Name and title

Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep in hieroglyphics
W9
N35 		S34

Nianchchnum (Ni anch chnum)
N (y) ˁnḫ ẖnmw
Life belongs (to) Khnum
W9 R4
X1 Q3


Khnumhotep (Khnum hotep) ẖnm ḥtp
Chnum is satisfied

The names of the two men have a linguistic relationship:

Nianchchnum means “life belongs to Khnum” and “Khnumhotep” means “Khnum is content” . Since “Khnum” can also have the meaning connected in addition to the meaning of the deity Khnum , the names can also be interpreted as “connected in life” and “connected up to the blessed state of the dead” .

At a doorway inside the mastaba , the two names are listed in a connected notation, which, when read together, can be interpreted as "Connected in life and in peace" :

W9
N35 		S34 W9 R4
X1 Q3

It cannot be proven whether the names are birth names, which would indicate a pair of twins, or names adopted later.

Both Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep both have the same secular and religious titles:

The first title is a job description that describes the professional activities. The second title is an honorary title and reference to the high social status. The third title refers to a temple priestly office that was exercised in addition to the actual profession.

dig

The reconstructed mastaba of the Nianchchnum and the Khnumhotep
Entrance to the rock tomb from the mastaba courtyard

The common mastaba tomb of Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep was discovered in 1964 by Ahmed Moussa during excavations on the path of the Unas pyramid in the necropolis of Saqqara . During the construction of the path to the Unas pyramid, unevenness in the ground was partly filled with material from other graves. The grave of the two also fell victim to the construction work and parts of it were used as filler material. Ahmed Moussa was able to reconstruct it almost completely from the filling material of the onward path.

The grave consists of two parts, a mastaba structure for the entrance area and a rock grave. The mastaba has two chambers and an inner courtyard, from which one can access the second part of the tomb, which is carved into the rock. This area consists of a large chamber, from which a sacrificial chapel branches off to the side. In the sacrificial chapel there is a false door for Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep.

It is the only known ancient Egyptian tomb that has depictions of men embracing and holding hands.

  • Nianchchnum and Khnumhotep

  • Representations on the grave walls

  • Depiction of a boat scene on the grave wall

  • Depiction of butchers at work on the grave wall

literature

  • Hartwig Altenmüller , Ahmed M. Moussa: The grave of Nianchchnum and Chnumhotep (= archaeological publications. Volume 21). von Zabern , Mainz 1977, ISBN 3-8053-0050-6 .
  • Michael Rice: Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London / New York 2001, ISBN 0-415-15448-0 .
  • Thomas A. Dowson: Archaeologists, Feminists, and Queers: sexual politics in the construction of the past . In: Pamela L. Geller, Miranda K. Stockett: Feminist Anthropology: Past, Present, and Future. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 2006, ISBN 0812239407 , pp. 89-102.
  • Vera Vasiljevć: Embracing his double: Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. In: Studies on Ancient Egyptian Culture. No. 37, 2008, pp. 363-372.

Web links

Commons : Mastaba des Niankhkhum and Khnumhotep  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Hartwig Altenmüller , Ahmed M. Moussa: The grave of Nianchchnum and Chnumhotep. Mainz 1977.
  2. ^ Richard Parkinson : Homosexual Desire and Middle Kingdom Literature. In: The Journal of Egyptian Archeology. No. 81, 1995, p. 62 (with further literature); Vasiljevć in: Studies on Ancient Egyptian Culture. No. 37, 2008, pp. 363-372.
  3. ^ David O'Connor, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University: The Enigmatic Tomb Chapel of Niankh-Khnum and Khnumhotep: A New Interpretation. ( Memento from November 27, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Thomas A. Dowson: Archaeologists, Feminists, and Queers: sexual politics in the construction of the past. Philadelphia 2006, p. 96 ff.
  5. ↑ a b Dena Connors Millard: Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, . e-Museum, Minnesota State University. Archived from the original on October 20, 2010 ; accessed on January 21, 2014 .
  6. ^ Greg Reeder: Their names carved above the entrance to the rock-cut chamber.
  7. ↑ Reading direction here reversed (left to right) compared to the original (right to left). For technical reasons, the hieroglyphs cannot be shown mirrored.
  8. ^ Michael Rice: Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. London / New York 2001, p. 98.