The Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

ian artisan Qen lived in Deir el-Medina on the west bank of the Nile

Nile

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...

, opposite Thebes

Thebes, Egypt

Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...

, during the reigns of Ramesses II

Ramesses II

Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...

. His titles included Servant in the Place of Truth

Servant in the Place of Truth

sDm-aS m st mAat, usually translated as Servant in the Place of Truth is an Ancient Egyptian title that is used to refer to someone who worked in the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile in Thebes....

, meaning that he work on the excavation and decoration of nearby royal

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings , less often called the Valley of the Gates of the Kings , is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom .The valley stands on the west bank of...

 tombs

Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens is a place in Egypt where wives of Pharaohs were buried in ancient times. In ancient times, it was known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning –‘the place of the Children of the Pharaoh’, because along with the Queens of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties many princes and princesses...

. He was buried in a tomb

TT4

The Theban Tomb TT4 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the Ancient Egyptian artisan named Qen....

 in the village necropolis.

Family

Qen was a son of Thonufer (or Tjanufer) (Chiseller of Amun in the Khenu) and Lady Maetnefert.
In the tomb two wives are mentioned:

• Nefertari was the mother of a daughter named Taqari and a son named Merymery (sometimes called Meryre). Nefertari may also have been the mother of a son named Huy. In TT4
  TT4
  The Theban Tomb TT4 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the Ancient Egyptian artisan named Qen....
  
   Nefertari is said to be Qen's dear and always favorite sister, Lady of the house and favored one of Hathor
  Hathor
  Hathor , is an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt...
  
  . Nefertari is the daughter of Qen And Wadjetrenpet. A stela from Deir el-Medina (no. 320) has an interesting text with Qen stating that: "I am a man who went on oath falsely, because of the lady of the house Nefertari, justified. The divine wrath befell (me).." It's not clear what Qen was untruthful about as the rest of the text is damaged.
• Henutmehyt was the mother of Tjau-en-Huy, Kewer and Pendua(u).

Qen had at least five (possibly six) children:

• Taqari is the only known daughter. She is depicted before Qen and Nefertari and was likely Nefertari's daughter. Taqari is shown offering ointment to her parents in TT4
  TT4
  The Theban Tomb TT4 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the Ancient Egyptian artisan named Qen....
  
  . In another scene she is depicted as a female mourner before her parents.
• Merymery (or Meryre) is a sculptor. he is said to be a son of Nefertari. He is shown censing/libating before the bier in the funeral procession.
• Pendua(u) is a son of Henutmehyt. He takes part in the funeral procession and is shown with a naos. A record of a bequest of slaves from Qen to Pendua has been preserved. Qen lists ca. ten slaves he had inherited form his mother Maatnofret. Qen states that the slaves must go to his son Pendua "who has been good to him" and not to any of his other children.
• Tjau-en-Huy (or Tjau-en-Anuy) was a son of Henutmehyt. He is depicted several times in TT4
  TT4
  The Theban Tomb TT4 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the Ancient Egyptian artisan named Qen....
  
   and participates in the funeral procession. He is depicted on a Stela now in Turin (N 50074).
• Huy may be another name for Tjau-en-huy or another son. Huy is mentioned on a stela now in the Copenhagen National Museum (B.3.) The stela is dedicated to Qen and Nefertari, and Huy may be another son of Nefertari. The Turin stela mentions both Tjau-en-huy and Huy.
• Kawer is a son of Henutmehyt and is mentioned in TT4
  TT4
  The Theban Tomb TT4 is located in Deir el-Medina, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial place of the Ancient Egyptian artisan named Qen....
  
  . Kawer also appears on the stela form Turin, together with his brother Tjau-en-huy.