Memphite New Kingdom Graffiti Corpus in Tomb Contexts

The Memphite New Kingdom graffiti corpus in tomb contexts is almost exclusively derived from the temple-shaped tombs and chapels situated in the Unas South Cemetery at Saqqara. Most graffiti were recorded in late 18th Dynasty tomb structures, whereas the graffiti mostly date to the (early) Ramesside period. This chapter situates the graffiti and the graffitists in their spatial and temporal setting, and investigates the possible social contexts of graffiti making in tombs. The textual graffiti consist mainly of short texts mentioning a name and title. These so-called signatures or captions are interpreted in the context of the prevailing patrimonial household structure of Egyptian society. Overall, the graffiti corpus shows a predilection for the figural over the written. The majority of figural graffiti depict human figures (or heads), including the king (or his head). Selected examples of the most frequently attested figural graffiti motifs are discussed in more detail. These include graffiti depicting human figures, graffiti depicting the king, graffiti depicting boats, and finally artists’ copies.