Damnatio Memoriae in Non-Royal Tombs: Case Studies in the Theban Necropolis

A rare act of ancient Egyptian 'damnatio memoriae'—the deliberate erasure of a person's memory—has been documented in non-royal tombs within the Theban Necropolis, part of Ancient Thebes. This study reveals that enemies targeted tomb owners by hacking out their images from decorative programs, aiming to obliterate both their remembrance among the living and their existence in the afterlife. The research focuses on three specific tombs (66, 75, and 76), demonstrating how this practice disrupted the funerary cult's role in sustaining the deceased's spirit through public veneration and offerings. By analyzing these case studies, the study sheds light on a lesser-known dimension of ancient Egyptian society, where tomb decoration served both commemorative and functional purposes, while also highlighting the vulnerability of non-royal figures to acts of historical erasure.

Deane, M. (2015). Damnatio Memoriae in Non-Royal Tombs: Case Studies in the Theban Necropolis. Georgia State University. https://doi.org/10.57709/7192297