All Carian inscriptions from Thebes are graffiti from the tomb of Mentuemhat (Theban Tomb TT34) located in El-Assasif. Mentuemhat is known to be a priest of Amun who served during the reigns of reigns of Taharqa and Psamtik I (7th century BCE). While some of the graffiti have their drawings, some others are known only from transcriptions.
E.Th 1
Graffito in the open court.
(←)
1 uarbe
E.Th 2
Graffito in the open court.
(←)
1 dtýbr kboktś
2 kśatýbr
E.Th 3
Graffito in the open court.
(←)
1 pla?t
E.Th 4
Graffito in the open court.
(⇄)
1 dokmmpint seqqejewsk mqτtjq
2 ýpdnmwδ̣
E.Th 5
Graffito in the open court.
(←)
1 dýbr tĺk̑atrś
E.Th 6
Graffito in the open court. Its last letter has not been shown in the drawing by Shevoroshkin.
(→)
1 bebnd
E.Th 7
Graffito in the open court.
(→)
1 wljat
E.Th 8
Graffito in the open court.
(→)
1 qutbe
E.Th 9
Graffito in the open court.
(→)
1 kudtubr
E.Th 10
Graffito in the open court.
(→)
1 a?qśbaqewmśemoτ qtblo owdown[…]mwarudkśomlane
E.Th 11
Graffito in the open court.
(→)
1 psmaś[k …?]
2 nm[…]
3 mplat o[…]
E.Th 12
Graffito on the north wall of the open courtyard, between the doors of Chapels 2 and 3.
(→)
1 [.?]ḳbjqmq ewmlane qebśτ u[…]ḅśq qwsal mqabaewleqošoskịoms
E.Th 13
Graffito on the north wall of the large courtyard, between the doors of Chapels 3 and 4.
(⇄)
1 dbiks kbjomś wdwn sb aśbśτ
2 ewm
E.Th 14
Graffito in the open court.
1 […]q[…]btδdeo
E.Th 15
Graffito in the open court. No reading has been offered.
1 —
E.Th 16
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 ḍsamlxxọ dy ša xxx
E.Th 17
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 ku
E.Th 18
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 t n
E.Th 19
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 dbikrm
E.Th 20
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 orbṃ ḳ r iš
E.Th 21
Graffito at the entrance of the temple. Its readinig direction if uncertain.
1 mmnk̑al
E.Th 22
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 mwk te
E.Th 23
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 bebi
E.Th 24
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 kowe?q?
E.Th 25
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 ktmno
E.Th 26
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 βrsi yriś
E.Th 27
Graffito located to the left of the second door, on the second block at a height of 1.45 m. Similar to E.Th 40, where the same word is attested, it is written vertically from bottom up. Letter heights are between 2.5 to 4.5 cm.
(→)
1 pnwśol mlqiś
E.Th 28
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 bejeym teboτ ᛜ bebịnt ken
E.Th 29
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 […]ke
E.Th 30
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 bebint psrkrte mumnštnsex ṇṣwḳn
E.Th 31
Graffito at the entrance of the temple. No reading has been offered.
1 —
E.Th 32
Graffito at the entrance of the temple. Its reading direction is uncertain.
1 tqlow
E.Th 33
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 k̑lbiksś
E.Th 34
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 slk̑maewm urt kwriś prnak̑non dmxn maŋtnor qanor urọ
E.Th 35
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 lýk̑se šišś mlan[.?]
E.Th 36
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 xorś
E.Th 37
Graffito at the entrance of the temple.
1 ktmn
E.Th 38
Graffito located on the right side of the façade of the second doorway, on the second block at a height of 1.45 m. Letter heights are 4.5 to 6 cm.
(→)
1 […]bewmsmnwdiqtebwnqmw
E.Th 39
Graffito located on the right side of the façade of the second doorway, on the second block at a height of 1.27 m, below E.Th 38. Letter heights are 1.5 to 6 cm.
(→)
1 krws košmś
E.Th 40
Graffito located on the right-hand wall of the descending staircase, past the second door at a height of about 1.33–1.45 m. Similar to E.Th 40, where the same word is attested, it is written vertically from bottom up. Letter heights are between 1.5 to 4 cm.
(→)
1 pnwśol
E.Th 41
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 tmonks
E.Th 42
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 rdudmmṇś
E.Th 43
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 p
E.Th 44
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 dquq ewmlane teboτ γkemś
E.Th 45
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 krwṣ
E.Th 46
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 prpwrik̑ kblowś
E.Th 47
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 ẉdbośkn ewṃḷạṇe ḳ[…]
E.Th 48
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 βrsi
E.Th 49
Graffito at the end of the corridor.
1 balewlane šrbḳ[.]sal
E.Th 50
Graffito at the vestibule.
1 pnx
E.Th 51
Graffito at the vestibule.
1 p
E.Th 52
Graffito at the vestibule.
1 plqodse ewmxxxx (ewmlane?) rqemw kx[…]
E.Th 53
Graffito at the vestibule.
1 dršśiem
E.Th 54–55
Two graffiti with the same word, perhaps a personal name, are located on the right and left wall of the stairs descending to the first hypostyle hall, past the second door, situated almost directly opposite one another at a height of about 1.40 m and 1.47 m respectively. Letter heights are between 2.5 and 3.5 cm for E.Th 54 and 1.5 and 3 cm for E.Th 55.
(→)
1 ddrsa
References:
Adiego, I.- J. 2007. The Carian Language, Leiden/Boston. (E.Th 1–E.Th 53)
Leclant, J. 1951. “Fouilles et travaux en Egypte, 1950–1951,” Orientalia 20, 453–475. (474 and plt. LXIV).
Shevoroshkin, V. V. 1965. Исследования по дешифровке карийских надписей [Studies on the decipherment of the Carian inscriptions], Moskva.
Vilalba Varneda, P. 2007. “Grafitos Carios en la Tumba de Monthemhat (Tebas, Egipto, 2007),” Revista Internacional d´Humanitats 12, 13–26. (Nos. 3–4, 8, 17, 21, 26 = E.Th 27, 38–40, 53–54).
Images:
J. Leclant, 1951
V. V. Shevoroshkin, 1965
P. Villalba Varneda, 2007




















