The human remains from Tomb MMA 514 in North Asasif

Abstract

The tombs of the North Asasif Necropolis have been the subject of archaeological excavations for more than a century. Mainly dating to the Middle Kingdom, the majority of these tombs were excavated for the Metropolitan Museum by H.E. Winlock in the early 20th century. The Asasif Project, directed by Dr. Patryk Chudzik, has been revisiting these tombs since 2013. In many cases, Winlock left behind a significant amount of archaeological debris, including detritus from the tombs’ original use in the Middle Kingdom and material from the Third Intermediate Period, when many of these tombs were reused. One of these tombs, MMA 514, was reused at least twice, and has yielded a wealth of remaining material, including a significant number of human remains. The human remains have been fragmented, damaged, and scattered by centuries of looting, as well as by Winlock’s excavations, but some information may still be gathered from these remains. Over the course of two field seasons, an inventory of the human remains was conducted, the results of which are presented here. All age ranges are present in the human remains, and both males and females are represented.

Keywords

• physical anthropology; Asasif; Middle Kingdom; Third Intermediate Period; rock-cut tomb