AUC Press Archaeological Reports Life Histories of Theban Tombs Transdisciplinary Investigations of a Cluster of Rock-Cut Tombs at Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qurna Edited by Andrea Loprieno-Gnirs In recent years, archaeological research has undergone major changes. The material turn in archaeology and related disciplines prompted the adoption of sophisticated scientifc, digital, and technical approaches and methods often conducted on a micro level, enhancing our understanding of depositional processes and of the creation and life of an archaeological object. This volume refects seven seasons of transdisciplinary archaeological research at a cluster of rock-cut tombs in Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qurna, an ancient Egyptian hillside cemetery and part of the much larger Theban Necropolis. Organized in twelve main chapters, Life Histories of Theban Tombs presents current investigations in landscape archaeology (including recent excavations at a large debris hill previously covering a tomb), geo- and bioarchaeology, the archaeology of tomb construction, burial practices, and domestic uses as well as various epigraphical, visual, and material studies. The last two sections provide additional insight into the applied recording, surveying, and visualization methods and techniques and the database system used for data recording and organization. ISBN: 978-1-617-97991-0 9 7 8 1 6 1 7 9 7 9 9 1 0 ANDREA LOPRIENO-GNIRS is a research associate at the University of Basel and a Principal Researcher for the Life Histories of Theban Tombs project. “It is rare to fnd a volume that moves the standards of the feld forward in this way: Life Histories of Theban Tombs represents a new development in how Egyptian tombs are published. It provides, in addition to traditional archaeology, philology, and art historical studies, analyses of geology, landscape, and human remains, among other subjects, all of which allow for a holistic interpretation of the sites and their context. User-friendly and lavishly illustrated, this book will have something of interest for every Egyptologist, while the many bibliographical references serve as a perfect starting point for anyone wishing to delve into the individual subjects discussed.”—University of Copenhagen “This set of studies gives an exemplary picture of what is the very spirit of modern archaeology: reconstructing the complete history of monuments in their environment over the long term. Through the detailed reports of a large number of researchers and engineers from all disciplines, a group of pharaonic tombs on the west bank of Thebes reveals the different stages of their long existence, from their creation in the Theban mountains to the visits of twentieth-century archaeologists.”—Institut français d’archéologie orientale “This volume provides a genuinely transdisciplinary approach to the complex archaeology of the burial landscape of Western Thebes. By bringing together specialists from a range of disciplines, with varying technical and methodological approaches, it makes a unique and innovative contribution to the state of the feld of Egyptian archaeology, one that will have lasting impact for years to come.”—University of Vienna “Theban tombs are theaters of memory where local and global identities are defned and where different visions of the past and present meet the future. This volume is a wonderful journey through an archaeological landscape and the outcome of true multidisciplinary research. It lays out the process of interpreting the past and its careful study, thereby defning a collective memory capable of providing answers to the questions that arise in society over time.”—Egyptian Museum of Turin Cover photograph by Matjaž Kacicnik, 2017; c. The University of Basel Cover design by Fatiha Bouzidi The American University in Cairo Press www.aucpress.com Loprieno-Gnirs Life Histories of Theban Tombs Life Histories of Theban Tombs_Jacket.indd All Pages 18/06/2021 17:26