Hieratic in the tomb of Ameneminet (TT 277) : epigraphic survey and comparisons among the script typologies present in the tomb

Abstract

Theban tomb 277, located in Qurnet Murai and belonging to Ameneminet, priest in the temple of Amenhotep III during the Ramesside period, houses a number of hieratic texts. A few of them are visitors’ graffiti, possibly belonging to colleagues of the deceased, but most of them also play an important role as captions, as if to fill gaps in the incomplete decoration. This paper analyses some of the secondary hieratic and cursive inscriptions as well as their relationship to the primary texts, bringing to light the image of a strongly cohesive community, for which epigraphic activities represent almost an identity marker. It also establishes graphic and orthographic comparisons among the three main types of script (polychrome-painted hieroglyphs, cursive black hieroglyphs and hieratic) present in the tomb, in order to gain a deeper insight into the agency behind the different graphic registers.