archaeology.org 37
T
he Tale of Sinuhe, a work
of ancient Egyptian lit-
erature dating to the 12th
Dynasty, around 1900 b.c.,
reads, “...and there was made
for me a sepulchral garden,
in which were fields, in front
of my abode, even as is
done for a chief companion.”
The existence of funerary
gardens is also known from
representations in tombs
from as early as the 6th
Dynasty (2323–2150 b.c.).
But no archaeological evi-
dence had been found until
last year, when, in front of
the rock-cut tomb of a high-
ranking 12th Dynasty official
of the Theban court, archae-
ologist José Manuel Galán of the Spanish National Research Council
uncovered a well-preserved garden buried under more than 15 feet
of debris. The 10-by-6.5-foot rectangle was raised off the ground and
divided into square beds. According to Galán, the Egyptians would have
grown vegetables, fruits, and flowers intended as fresh offerings for the
deceased, as well as small trees and shrubs. Galán’s team found one of
these shrubs, a tamarisk complete with roots and trunk, in the corner of
the garden next to a bowl of dates and other fruits, perhaps meant as
offerings. In the next field season, he plans to retrieve seeds and pollen
to learn what plants were available in ancient Thebes and which were
chosen for religious and funerary purposes. —Jarrett a. lobellFUNERAL GARDENS
Luxor, EgyptMandrake,
14th-century
illustrationHerba teoderis, 14th-century illustrationTomb garden, Luxor, 1900 b.c.Preserved dates, Luxor