Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep's Mastaba

Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep's Mastaba Review

H Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep's Mastaba. This tomb is considered one of the "new tombs" that have been excavated in Saqqara since the late 1990s and shares a separate admission with seven other tombs (the others are not terribly noteworthy but can be visited if you have extra time). This one dates from the 5th Dynasty and is also known as the Tomb of Two Brothers, or the Tomb of the Hairdressers. It's noted for its fine colors, as well as the unusually intimate poses of the two tomb owners. Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep worked as the pharaoh's body servants, and they were buried together in this exquisitely decorated joint tomb. The scenes in the mastaba are fairly standard, showing everyday activities such as fishing, cooking, hunting, and the processing of foodstuffs. An unusual scene of the tomb owners on donkey back is carved on the second set of doorjambs.