Inventory number

General description

“Necropolis Journal” with several annotations relating to the work in the tomb of Ramesses X  

Texts found on this manuscript concern the work during year three of the reign of Ramesses X and provide us with invaluable information. On the one hand, it tells us about the workers at Deir el-Medina, which is still relatively unknown for this period, and, on the other, about the construction of tomb KV 18. The annotations record the work that was done on the royal tomb and the inactivity of the workers. Deliveries to the temple were also noted, which included sweets, coal, firewood, fish, plaster, pottery and sandals, and reports on distributing grain rations and collecting tools were made as well. According to the text, the inactivity of work at the tomb was due to the presence of “foreigners” and the delay of food supplies.  

After only two days of work on the tomb of Ramesses X, the work came to a complete stop for two months. One of the main reasons given is the appearance of “foreigners”; apparently, Libyan invaders from the Western Desert. Another reason was that the supply of food and tools for the workers had not been guaranteed. Overall, we learn from the texts that of the 221 days recorded in the third year of his reign, the work on the tomb of Ramesses X lasted only 37 days with 32 workers, which explains the poor progress of the tomb as there was ultimately no time left for its completion.