The Tomb of Senneferi, also known as Theben Tomb 99, was built by Senneferi as his final resting place. It is situated in an area known as “The Tombs of the Nobles,” located on the west bank in Luxor, Egypt. It is surrounded by a number of other tombs found in this area. Senneferi was an important 18th Dynasty official under the reign of Tuthmose III. From inscriptions found in his tomb, archaeologists were able to find information on his family. His wife was named Taiamu, but that was all they were able to find out about her. There was nothing specific mentioned about Senneferi’s children, but he is believed to have had a son and a daughter. A statue of his daughter's husband, Amenhotep, was found in Senneferi’s tomb. His parents were mentioned a number of times in the tomb. His father’s name was Haydjehuty. He was believed to have been a winery official in the eastern delta before moving to Thebes. His mother's name was Zatdjehuty. She was depicted in the tomb as the “Lady of the House.” From the depictions of his parents in the tomb, they were not of high status in Egyptian society. Senneferi somehow worked his way up to becoming an important person during his time and secured his place in the Tombs of the Nobles.
Construction of Senneferi’s tomb took place around 1420 BC. In the rock he cut out a courtyard. From this courtyard led a tunnel to the back of the tomb, where the chapel was located. In the courtyard he also cut a shaft. Many more shafts would later be cut in this tomb but his was the deepest and this is where he was buried.
Senneferi’s tomb, like others built during the New Kingdom had some similar characteristics. These tombs consisted of three levels. Each level served a different function. The lower level is where the burial chambers were located. It was created by digging a shaft well below the surface. This level was known as the Realm of the Dead and belonged to Osiris. The middle level was the Realm of the Living. This is where the courtyard and offering chambers were located. The upper level was the Realm of the Sun God. This consisted of a pyramid-like superstructure or a niche. In the case of Senneferi’s tomb, a niche was located directly over the entrance and most likely held some type of statue. This niche served as the upper level for this tomb. Larger, pyramid-like superstructures serving as the upper level, are found in later tombs beginning in the 19th Dynasty.
Because the tombs in Thebes were built near ancient and modern centers of population, they were used and reused many times throughout their existence. There is evidence that the tomb of Senneferi was first reused during the 21st Dynasty, about 400 years after its initial construction. During this time a new shaft was cut. In the 22nd Dynasty, a family also used it for burials. Mummy cases from at least two generations of this dynasty were found. Two priests of Amun were also buried here long after the initial construction of the tomb. Numerous other burials followed for the next 700 years. Eventually, the function of this tomb went from burials to actual occupation of the tomb as housing. In 1907, the people living in the tomb, believed to be Coptic weavers, were bought out for 11 Egyptian pounds, and an iron door was place at the entrance.
Even though the tomb had been plundered by treasure hunters, it still provided a wealth of information to archaeologists. This tomb had gone from a sacred burial place to a place of residence and is also believed to have been a dumping ground at one time due to the massive amounts of broken pottery found here. There is still more work to be done on the Tomb of Senneferi and many more discoveries are certain to be made.
