The Tekenu and Ancient Egyptian Funerary Ritual

By (author) Glennise West

Book cover: The Tekenu and Ancient Egyptian Funerary Ritual

Extent: 312 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: Ancient Egypt

Series: Archaeopress Egyptology

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(June 2019)

ISBN: 9781789691825

8.07 x 11.42 inches

Price: $88.00

In stock

Attested from the Fifth Dynasty until, and including, the Saite Period, the Tekenu is a puzzling icon depicted within funerary scenes in the tombs of some ancient Egyptian nobles. In this work four distinct types of Tekenu are identified and classified and then a Corpus Catalogue is formed.


What is the Tekenu? What was its function? What are its origins? These are questions upon which Egyptologists have long pondered. However, Egyptologists, until now, have avoided any major work on the topic. Previous treatments of the Tekenu largely adopt a selective approach focusing on a specific form. Rarely has the Tekenu been examined profoundly in all of its forms or contexts with its possible origins commented upon merely in passing. The aim of The Tekenu and Ancient Egyptian Funerary Ritual is to provide a provocative examination and interpretation of the Tekenu in an endeavour to proffer plausible answers hitherto eluding scholars. Attested from the Fifth Dynasty until, and including the Saite Period, the Tekenu is a puzzling icon which is depicted within the funerary scenes in the tombs of some ancient Egyptian nobles. In this work four distinct types of Tekenu are identified and classified and then a Corpus Catalogue is formed. The Tekenu is appraised within the context of the wall scene. Two tombs are dealt with in greater detail.

List of figures Acknowledgements Abbreviations Chronology code used throughout the work Part 1 Formulation of the corpus catalogue: Chapter 1 Introduction and literature review Chapter 2 Aims and method Chapter 3 Typology: criteria and creation Chapter 4 Corpus catalogue Part 2 Evaluating the primary sources: Chapter 5 Textual references, pictorial representations and context Chapter 6 Special complex scenes: the Tekenu in TT 20 and TT 100 Part 3 The search for the origins of the Tekenu: Chapter 7 Cattle culture, early dynastic figures and standards Chapter 8 The Tekenu and The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony Chapter 9 Summary and conclusions Appendix A Tombs containing Tekenu images Appendix B Tekenu Traits Appendix C Chronology of scholars' views of the function of the Tekenu Appendix D Pictorial context: diagrammatical interpretation Bibliography,

List of figures; 
Acknowledgements; 
Abbreviations; 
Chronology code used throughout the work ; 
Part 1 Formulation of the corpus catalogue:
Chapter 1 Introduction and literature review; 
Chapter 2 Aims and method; 
Chapter 3 Typology: criteria and creation; 
Chapter 4 Corpus catalogue; 
Part 2 Evaluating the primary sources:
Chapter 5 Textual references, pictorial representations and context; 
Chapter 6 Special complex scenes: the Tekenu in TT 20 and TT 100; 
Part 3 The search for the origins of the Tekenu:
Chapter 7 Cattle culture, early dynastic figures and standards; 
Chapter 8 The Tekenu and The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony; 
Chapter 9 Summary and conclusions; 
Appendix A Tombs containing Tekenu images; 
Appendix B Tekenu Traits; 
Appendix C Chronology of scholars’ views of the function of the Tekenu
Appendix D Pictorial context: diagrammatical interpretation; 
Bibliography
  • By (author) Glennise West

'The great worth of this volume is that it gathers all the sources for the tekenu in one place and presents them with copious illustrations, many of them in colour. The catalogue is certainly the longest and most-detailed part of the book and will be of considerable use to anyone who is interested in Egyptian funerals and their representation on tomb walls.'
— Christian Knoblauch