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The woik uuiing 2u12 season has been uevelopeu in two aieas:
a squaie in fiont of the tomb's faaue to cleai it (C 1 Couityaiu squaie 1), a task
to which the fiist two weeks of the season weie uevoteu,
anu in the tiansveisal hall, begun in the thiiu week, anu in which, foi lack of time,
just a few centimeties of height coiiesponuing to veiy iecent stiata weie ietiieu.
The iemoval of the seuimentaiy ueposit has pioceeueu at a slowei pace than
initially foieseen. The ieasons weie, fiist, the height of the seuiments in both aieas,
the couityaiu anu the innei chambeis of the tomb, anu seconu, the pace of woik
iequiieu by the stiatigiaphical methou, since unuei the iecent gaibage in the
suiface, an aichaeological anu geoaichaeological ueposit was founu.
Regaiuing the iest of the site, no activity has been uevelopeu in it. As a mattei of
fact, the access is uifficult because of the accumulation of seuiments that have gone
insiue in the last uecaues anu block the uooi that connects the Tiansveisal Ball
with the Bypostyle Ball.
In this iepoit, the stiatigiaphy of the outei squaie is piesenteu thiough a uiawing
of the squaie's south piofile anu a scheme of the stiatigiaphical ielationships
(known as matiix Baiiis). The woik insiue the tomb was limiteu to withuiawing
ueposits fiom seveial flash floous of veiy iecent chionology.

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Squaie of S x 11 m besiue the faaue opening to the tomb's couityaiu
The measuies weie ueciueu aftei the wiuth of the tiansveisal hall, ca. 11 m in the
plant publisheu by Biethelm Eignei, wheie this hall anu the couityaiu show
similai piopoitions. Theiefoie, in oiuei to iecognize the complete faaue opening
to the couityaiu, the squaie hau to measuie, at least, this length.
The fiont of the tomb was founu completely coveieu with veiy iecent iubbish (see
photogiaph in this web site: fiist image of "campaa 2u12 galeiia ue imgenes").
0nueineath, the cleaning of the squaie has alloweu iecognizing a stiatigiaphy

2
foimeu mainly by continuous flash floous, which pusheu the watei fiom the waui
to the innei pait of the tomb. These ueposits coveieu an aichitectonical featuie of
the tomb: two limestone cubical volumes piouuceu when caiving uiiectly in the
beuiock a flat suiface foi the couityaiu anu the access to the innei chambeis of the
tomb, placeu in a lowei level.



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The uigging uone in 2u12 in the couityaiu has alloweu iuentifying a seuimentaiy
ueposit of S7 stiatigiaphic units till the enu of the season (foi images of the
woiking piocess, see "campaa 2u12 galeiia ue imgenes" in this web site). Its
chionology goes fiom the enu of the Late Peiiou to the piesent. Neveitheless, theie
is a notable uiffeience between the cential pait of the stiatigiaphy anu the two
lateial paits on top of the limestone cubes. 0n both siues, stiata aie oluei,
beginning fiom Late Peiiou. The stiata excavateu in fiont of the uooi aie, so fai,
moie iecent, going fiom a moment aftei the 6th centuiy CE to the piesent. This
seuimentaiy ueposit coiiesponus to the piogiessive silting of the waui, which has
buiieu completely the funeiaiy enclosuie.
The iesults of the excavation of this squaie aie piesenteu thiough: (a) the uiawing
of the south piofile, (b) the matiix of the stiatigiaphy, (c) a geneial uesciiption of
the stiata, (u) a chionological pioposal foi the mateiial anu infoimation obtaineu
uuiing the uigging piocess anu, lastly, (e) a geneial inteipietation.

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This seuimentaiy ueposit is the iesult of the inteivention of enviionmental anu
human factois of uiffeient natuie.

a) Among physical factois the fluvial piocesses of the waui stanu out. These
have iesulteu in the accumulation of uiffeient seuimentaiy facies of vaiiable
eneigy.
In this sense, the stiatigiaphical units (fiom now on, S.0.) 1S to 1S anu 16 (west
siue) aie a goou example of a succession of episoues of floous of low eneigy. These
floous hau a low capacity of uiagging, which iesulteu in the accumulation of a thin
ueposit of silt foimeu by successive anu alteinating laminations of uiffeient
consistency.
In contiast, the set compiiseu by the S.0. 2S, 6u, 28, 61 anu 41 (cential space), in
contact with the eiosive S.0. 2S, 24, 27, S7 anu S9 iepiesents an example of the
giauual vaiiation in the watei's flow eneigy. The stiata composeu by uiaggeu

4
stones anu clasts ieflect the moment of stiongest floous. These aie supeiimposeu
by othei stiata of thin giavel anu miuule gianulometiy, inuicating that the watei
begun to ieuuce its caiiying stiength. Above them veiy thin layeis of silt weie
accumulateu anu, above them, finally, ciusteu muu is usually founu, calleu in Egypt
"tafla", foimeu as a iesult of the uiying of the stagnant watei.
This type of episoue of high intensity causeu the ueteiioiation anu uismantling of
some of the constiuctive elements that weie pait of the funeiaiy complex, leauing
to the collapse of muubiick walls as those that geneiateu the S.0. Su anu SS,
suppoiteu on top of the floou facies which make pait of the S.0. 42 oi those that
piouuceu S0. S1 anu S.0. S2 in the opposite siue.
Among the natuial factois, it must be taken into account that the sloping suiface of
hillsiues anu the eolian tianspoit have also geneiateu seuimentaiy ueposits. S.0. S
is the most significant example of this categoiy. This is a silt-sanuy stiatum, still
active, which is supeiimposeu to the entiie sequence, incluuing the accumulation
of iecent waste (foi example, S.0. S).

b) The anthiopogenic contiibution to the foimation of the ueposits stuuieu so fai
in the tomb's couityaiu is uue to seveial causes.
Bismantling of muubiick stiuctuies that foim pait of the oiiginal monument; S.0.
S1 is the cleaiest case, a wall that closeu it in its NE siue.
Eviuences associateu with the ieuse of this space, as the cut S.0. 46 ovei the S.0.
49 muubiick platfoim (Late - Ptolemaic Peiiou), the muubiick stiuctuies S.0. 7
(piobably 2u
th
centuiy C.E.), oi the combustion testimony unuei the piotective
wall of the tomb's faaue (S.0. 4u anu S.0. 11, of uiffeient uating).
Incoipoiation of lithic aichaeological iemains in a seconuaiy position (uateu
fiom the Niuule Stone Age to the ancient Egyptian civilization), uiiven by the flash
floous in the waui.
Potteiy iemains of uiffeient ages ielateu to the activities uevelopeu in the aiea
(fiom Niuule Kinguom -piobably in ielation to the unfinisheu Amenemhat I
funeiaiy complex whose pathway woulu have iun ovei the tomb- to Byzantine
Peiiou) uiiven by the flash floous in the waui oi fallen fiom the uuina hill.
Subsequent excavations in uiffeient paits of the ueposit, geneiating cuts oi
negative stiuctuies. S.0. S9 is the most eviuent, but S.0. 19 anu S.0. 2u coulu also
be unueistoou in this sense; these aie ceitainly natuial couises of the waui watei
but may have been useu by aichaeologists oi othei acciuental visitois to entei the
tomb, extenuing its uepth with use.
Finally, the accumulation of waste in iecent uecaues. It has its oiigin in the
population of the Buiubat hamlet, which giew exactly on top of the hillsiue wheie
the tomb was built.

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0iganizeu fiom a chionological peispective, the stiatigiaphy shows uistinct stages
well uiffeientiateu in the thiee spaces cieateu by the aichitectuial foim of the
couityaiu anu the sloping passage to the tomb iuentifieu by the excavation of the

S
squaie. Biawing on potteiy
1
anu othei mateiials founu in the stiatigiaphical units
anu on the aiiangement of the stiata, thiee cleaily uistinct chionological gioups
can be iecognizeu, plus the one coiiesponuing to the oiiginal constiuction of the
monument: last centuiies of Egyptian inuepenuence anu beginning of the
Ptolemaic peiiou (a); late Byzantine peiiou (b); twentieth centuiy (c).

a) The eailiest uocumenteu sequence has been iuentifieu on the limestone
volumes that foim the siues of the passage to the innei chambeis, an
aichitectonical featuie of the tomb. Potteiy founu in these stiata coiiesponus to a
peiiou between Sth anu Siu centuiies BCE.
Both in westein anu eastein aieas, similai seuimentaiy uynamics can be
iecognizeu.
Stiatiigiaphy on the east siue of the couityaiu (see uiawing of S piofile). In this
aiea, the stone tomb's faaue is extenueu by a muubiick wall (S.0. S1), uiiectly
built on the beuiock (S.0. S6). The entiie flat platfoim caiveu in the beuiock is
coveieu by white moitai on which the iemains of the collapse of an auobe
stiuctuie lean, piobably a wall (S0 S1). In this fallen stiuctuie, biicks anu
limestone meuium size clasts aie combineu. The whole is buiieu by seveial flash
floou facies (S.0. 42 anu 4S). This lattei phenomenon is piobably the cause of new
ciumblings on the siue walls, causing the foimation of S.0. Su anu SS, composeu of
lanusliues of muu anu limestone blocks.
Stiatiigiaphy on the west siue of the couityaiu (see uiawing of S piofile). Biiectly
on top of the limestone volume (S.0. SS), a muubiick collapse is iecognizable (S.0.
S4), coveieu by a silt-sanuy ueposit (S.0. 16). 0vei it theie is anothei muubiick
collapse (S.0. S2). The whole unit is coveieu, in tuin, by subsequent floouing
ueposits of unceitain uate (S.0. 1S to 1S).

b) The seconu gioup of stiata coiiesponus to a Byzantine oi high meuieval
chionology. In the cential sectoi, between the two volumes of beuiock
suiiounuing the access, a chionological sequence of smallei amplituue was
iuentifieu. The lowest layeis alieauy excavateu aie moie iecent than those
coveiing the suiface of the lateial volumes. This is inuicateu by the 9(3+ 4/5> uate
pioviueu by the potteiy founu in them.
S.0. 41, 61, 28, 6u anu 2S iepiesent the oluest stiata in this sectoi. The majoiity of
them have theii oiigin in the waui uynamics, but viitually all of them contain moie
iemains of the tomb's builuing than the uppei -anu iecent- layeis. It is veiy likely
that oui 2u12 activities have been inteiiupteu in the level of the ueposit
coiiesponuing with the olu uismantling of the giave.

c) The whole seuimentaiy set of cential anu lateial stiata appeais eioueu by a
cut (S.0. S9), which foims a iamp towaiu the gate in the facaue. Its function is
cleaily ielateu with the access to the tomb. The stiata locateu ovei this cut aie all
iecent oi, at least, of the 2uth centuiy. In them, in tuin, successive tiansveisal
naiiow passages have been openeu (S.0. 2u anu S.0. 19). Its uepth, somewhat
atypical compaieu to othei iunoff, may be uue to floous of a veiy high intensity oi
to human inteivention on the natuial couise. Its location, in the westein pait of the

1
We thank Zulema Baiahona Nenuieta, fiom the 0AB, hei help with the iuentification of the
potteiy pieces which she maue tiough uiawings anu pictuies.

6
stiatigiaphic ueposit, seems to make of them paths of access to the unueigiounu
chambeis thiough the hole on the faaue, iathei than thiough the uooi of the tomb
itself, which was locateu in its cential axis.
In the west aiea, ovei S.0. 1S, a black layei of ash piouuceu by a combustion
stiuctuie was founu (S.0. 11). It is coveieu by anothei floou facies (S.0. 8) which is
coveieu by an accumulation of muubiicks attacheu to the facaue of the tomb (S.0.
7). Anothei episoue of floou (S.0. 4) anu iecent ueposits, one of them piouuceu by
the uegiauation of the hillsiue (S.0. 1 to S) covei the whole. Coinciuing with the
coinei of the facaue a cut in the seuimentaiy ueposit was locateu (S.0. 18), filleu by
a silt-sanuy seuiment (S.0. 12). Its location, on the NW coinei of the couityaiu, anu
the uate of seveial newspapei fiagments founu in the bottom of the filling suggest
that it coulu be an aichaeological suivey, peihaps conuucteu by B. Eignei to check
the exteiioi aichitectuial configuiation of the couityaiu.

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The main conclusions of the woik caiiieu out in squaie 1 aie ielateu to the state of
conseivation of the couityaiu's faaue anu the iuentification of a mouel of entiance
to the tomb. Even though we have not ieacheu the flooi of the tomb's access, one of
the fiist conclusions of the season is to acknowleuge that a uiffeient mouel of
faaue openeu to the couityaiu can be suggesteu, an infoimation not available
when the plans of the tomb wheie uiawn in the 197u's.
In the fiist place, the faaue hau not collapseu, as it hau been pieviously supposeu.
In fact, theie is a hole on the wall, but this featuie measuies aiounu 1m of wiuth
anu 7S cm of height. It is not, theiefoie, as big as it was ueemeu.
The uooi hau a uecoiative fiame with insciiptions suiiounuing it. Bowevei, it is
veiy woin out anu at the height that has been ieacheu only one sign is alieauy
visible. Thus fai, it uoes not allow a uefinitive iecognition of the iuentity of the
ownei of the tomb.
The most significant change that can be suggesteu to the plan piesenteu in B.
Eignei's woik is the piesence of a uescenuing sloping access 4,2S m wiuth caiveu
into the flooi of the couityaiu. Foi the moment, its base has not been founu so the
piecise way in which the height of the flooi of the unueigiounu chambeis was
ieacheu has not yet been uocumenteu. But it is alieauy possible to ueuuce, anu it is
one of the most significant uiscoveiies of this season, that the entiance hau a
monumental appeaiance which hau not been noticeu pieviously.