Food Offering Scene | Tomb of Menna (-1400/-1352)RAWI Publishing
Death was not final for the ancient Egyptians but was only a step into the afterlife in the eternal fields of rushes, their version of heaven. To make sure they had all that they could possibly need, their tombs were equipped with furniture, jewellery, clothes, and even food. Sometimes, these physical goods were placed in the tombs; other times, models were used to symbolically provide what was needed.
Drawings on tomb walls often fulfilled the same role of symbolically providing for the deceased. This is why most tombs have a colourful and diverse array of fruits and vegetables depicted on their walls. Looking at these drawings helps archaeologists better understand the food habits of the ancient Egyptians.
For example, foods of higher value such as fruits and meats are often depicted, whereas others deemed inferior, such as lentils, are never seen on tomb walls. Unfortunately, the foods shown are almost always fresh ingredients and never cooked dishes; so we know what they ate but not how they prepared it.
Harvest Scenes, replica of a wall painting from the tomb of Menna by Nina M. DaviesBritish Museum
The tomb of Menna is one of the most brilliantly coloured tombs in Luxor and provides us with many clues on life in ancient Egypt.
Menna was a nobleman who lived during the reign of King Amenhotep III (ca. 1390–1352 BCE) and served him. The titles documented in the tomb tell us he was a scribe and an overseer of fields belonging to the pharaoh and the temple of Amun-Re. This means he supervised scribes, inspected agricultural work, and recorded the harvest yield. He also measured the land and was responsible for bringing defaulters to justice.
The tomb contains myriad scenes showing Menna in action as overseer of the scribes. Another series of scenes shows Menna and his wife Henuttawy being offered foods and fruits by their children.
The tomb has been preserved by a Georgia State University team in partnership with the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), several European centres of archaeometry, and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In this video, Dr Menna El Dorry, Egyptologist and archaeobotanist, takes us on a tour of the tomb of Menna, one of her favourite tombs (and not just because of the name coincidence!).
Dr Menna Gives a Tour of the Tomb of Menna (2020)RAWI Publishing
Ancient Egyptian tomb walls are a valuable resource to help us better understand food in ancient Egypt. Join Dr. Mennat-Allah El Dorry as she takes you on a tour of the tomb of a nobleman named Menna who lived 3500 years ago, specifically showcasing the foods depicted on the tomb's walls.
Images of the tomb of Menna reproduced by permission of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE). This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
