The tomb of Sin Negm is located in the West Cemetery of Deir el-Medina and is designated as Nott1. It is one of the best-preserved Egyptian tombs. Sin Negm lived during the 19th Dynasty, during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I and the early years of Ramses II.
He likely died in the 11th year of Ramses II’s reign. The tomb was discovered on February 2, 1886, by Egyptian workers and is considered one of the most complete and perfectly preserved tombs. Sin Negm held the title of “Servant in the Place of Truth,” a common title for the workers and craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
This tomb was a family burial site for Sin Negm and his family, where around 20 mummies were found, including nine in beautifully crafted coffins. The tomb occupants include Sin Negm himself, his wife, children, and a little girl named Hathor.
Tomb Structure
The tomb consists of four main parts: an upper courtyard topped by a small pyramid and a 6-meter-deep shaft leading to a group of four rooms ending in the burial chamber with a gabled or vaulted roof. The burial chamber measures approximately 5 by 2.5 meters with a 2.5-meter-high ceiling and is fully decorated.
The rock-cut rooms are lined with mud bricks and coated with plaster or red stucco to paint and color the tomb scenes. The chamber is adorned with vivid decorations and paintings on a yellow background, showcasing a beautiful palette including chalk white, black, red, yellow, lapis lazuli, and turquoise blue.
The ground-level scenes are framed by two broad yellow and red bands separated by thin black lines. The themes resemble those in the tomb of Nefertari but are of lesser quality and splendor. This suggests that Sin Negm may have been one of the craftsmen responsible for decorating Nefertari’s tomb.
Important Scenes
The tomb depicts Sin Negm and his wife standing, scenes of planting and harvesting in the afterlife’s fields, agricultural work including imagery of wonderful plants and trees. Sin Negm is shown holding a wooden sickle star and a flint blade, harvesting wheat and flax ears, with his wife assisting him in gathering fallen ears. There are also scenes of cultivation and sowing involving a pair of oxen.