Alterations in the inscriptions of TT 84 on behalf of the secondary tomb owner, Mery

Theban tomb no. 84 (TT 84) was originally built for Iamunedjeh, first royal herald under the reign of Thutmose III, but already one generation later, it was appropriated by Mery, high priest of Amun under Amenhotep II and owner of TT 95. The change in the identity of the tomb owner is reflected in the inscriptions of TT 84: the name and titles of Iamunedjeh and his wife were often substituted by those of Mery and his mother. The walls and ceilings of the tomb reveal a complex picture with several stages and patterns of intervention. This paper gives an overview of the different scenarios and investigates the rationale behind their distribution in the given spatial context. With the help of a detailed analysis of the available epigraphic data, an inventory of which is presented in the paper, the study also aims at bringing us closer to some of the intentions and priorities of the actors who—as either decision makers or executors—were involved in the process of adapting the textual program of the tomb to the identity of its new owner.