Unknown Tomb TT377 - Dra Abu El-Naga - My Luxor by Bernard M. Adams

23rd May 2013

Unknown Tomb TT377! - Dra Abu El-Naga - West Bank

Dra Abu El-Naga lays in a area between Hatshepsut and Howard Carter's House.

Off exploring again into areas unknown by most tourists. I went back to an area of Dra Abu El-Naga that I had visited a while ago to have a better look at this unknown tomb (TT377)! If it was not for the wonderful coloured walls of this tomb, it would be no different from those in it's surrounding area that are now neglected and have been abandoned over time.

This part of Dra Abu El-Naga, if not all of it, is well known for its very poor quality of limestone and over time there has been much damage caused by early earthquakes. There are many tombs and temples where the ceilings have collapsed. Tuthmosis III temple in particular was almost destroyed when the hill behind it fell down onto the site after an earthquake. There was also great damage done to the Ramesseum and Amenhotep III Mortuary temple. There is however a lot of work that has been done and is still going on now where the Egyptologists and Archaeologists have rebuilt the ceilings to preserve these great tombs and sites.

As yet, I do not have a name for this tomb. It is pretty obvious that during one of these earthquakes that parts of the hills and rocks above had broken away and fallen down splitting this tomb almost in half. It now lays exposed. The colouring is still wonderful and as the tomb faces north east the coloured painted walls have survived.

I have looked around the tomb area and fallen rocks that lay around to look for any coloured parts that may at one time have belonged to this tomb, but nothing so far. In a small corner of a coloured wall, there is evidence of someone breaking a hole through the wall to look for further chambers; and of course treasure. There is indeed a chamber through the hole in the wall. If I was brave enough I would like to of had a look through the hole to see what lays beyond.

In the same area as this unknown tomb there are many others, some are of Userhet TT150, Tati TT154, Antef TT155, Hety TT151 and another unknown tomb TT153. There are also very many pit tombs and shafts.

This is the way leading through a valley to the unknown tomb.

On the way there are many pits and shafts.

Each side of the valley there are many tombs, some known and some unknown.

This is possibly the evidence of rock fall caused by early earthquakes.

The Unknown Tomb TT377.

This is the entrance to the unknown tomb with chambers to the left and to the right.

Coloured wall with chamber to the right.

Chamber to the left

Here you can see a hole that has been cut through. There is indeed a chamber behind and as much as I would love to have gone through to take a look, I was not brave enough. It would have entailed crawling through on my belly.

I did however manage to poke my camera through to take these pictures.

It is suggested that the tomb might be of Seti I period.

All the drawings have been painted on a mud plaster. Although the mud is still in place on parts of the ceiling, there is no colour.

You can see here a figure sitting on a chair.

I like the wings at the top. You can see a figure with feather headdress. As with most of the paintings here, there is evidence of ritual damage or looting.