Review by Campbell Price
This book is the result of the very recent PhD research of Liverpool University student Katherine Slinger – so recent, in fact, that Dr Slinger graduated after the book was published, which must be some sort of record. Unlike too many promptly published doctoral theses, the contents here are genuinely of value. Tomb Families is a comprehensive study of the placement of West Bank non-royal Theban tombs with respect to their date, and the titles held by their owners. Packed full of information that has not previously been available in a similar format, the volume puts forward intriguing connections that may have previously been overlooked, and is useful for independent research.
The book begins with an introduction describing the methodology of using ‘Quantum Geographical Information Software’ (which allows features to be plotted exactly on maps) and reviewing previous literature. Chapter 2 is an exploration of the general topography of the Theban necropolis, with emphasis on the importance of processional routes, and the locations of major temples – which are integral to analysis of the development of tomb locations.
Chapter 3 investigates the existence of the earliest tombs – pre-dating the New Kingdom by up to a millennium, and generally rather less well-known. Chapter 4 sketches out the evolution of the necropolis throughout the New Kingdom and sets the scene for the geographical analysis that follows. In each section, locations and dates of use (and, importantly, reuse) are explored, together with the relationships between tombs and their owners, based on common titles or family connections. The study also encompasses Deir el-Medina, which is often treated separately from the wider Theban necropolis.
