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Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 June 2000 Issue No. 485 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 June 2000 Issue No. 485
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons The enigmatic nobleman
By Reham El-AdawiThere are statues of the 26th-dynasty nobleman Harwa in the museums of Aswan, Cairo, Leipzig, Paris and London; but to the average Egyptophile, the name doesn't ring any bells. Among the archaeological set, however, Harwa is a well-known figure, almost solely due to the elaborate tomb he built at Assasif, on the western bank of the Nile at Luxor.
One statue of Harwa, regarded as one of the oldest ancient Egyptian portraits, is particularly interesting for its realistic rendering of the nobleman. Pharaonic statues, particularly funerary, were usually highly stylised, making Harwa's an unusual case in his time. The statue depicts Harwa as an old, bald man with a large face, almond-shaped eyes and thin lips. His body is extremely fat -- a demonstration of his wealth and power.
There are other reasons Harwa has piqued Egyptologists' interests. "Harwa is an ambiguous figure in Egyptian history, because, despite the vastness of his tomb, there is little literary evidence about his personal life," said Francesco Tiradritti, Egyptological consultant of the Milan Museum archeological mission in Egypt.
Tiradritti, who discovered Harwa's tomb in 1995 and recently took part in the eighth International Congress of Egyptology, indicated that as excavations uncover more artefacts at the site, Harwa's personal life has begun to shift into focus. Texts carved on the surfaces of his statues affirm that he was born into a family of Theban priests and that his father was a priest of the temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak.
Harwa chose an ideal location for his vast tomb, built beneath the hard limestone plateau of Assasif. Indeed, so appropriate was his choice that it was recognised by his successors -- his tomb would later become the centre of the whole Assassif necropolis. High priests and noblemen who followed him constructed their tombs around his huge burial complex, in front of the temples of Mentuthotep II and Hatshepsut at Deir Al-Bahari. He started a tradition that lasted for about two centuries.
(Left) A funerary statuette of the 26th-dynasty nobleman Harwa, in the Aswan Museum; (above) the smaller of two pillared halls in Harwa's tomb at Luxor
Harwa was born in the eighth century BC. At that time, Egypt was ruled by the Kushites, who had long embraced Egyptian culture and swore to revitalise the country after a period of decline. Archaeological evidence suggests that Harwa had embraced the Nubian cause. Far from objecting to foreign rule, he acquiesced in it, and was by many indications a faithful servant. It was perhaps for this loyalty that Harwa was appointed to one of the highest positions of the state.
The hypothesis of Harwa's rise in position is quite new. Tiradritti said that the discovery of a limestone funerary statuette depicting Harwa holding the royal emblems confirms the tenability of the theory. "As far as I know, it is the only example of non-royal statuary displaying such a feature," Tiradritti said. Further evidence that Harwa's career was somewhat controversial is in his tomb itself -- despite his long life and high position, it was never completed. Excavated on four underground levels of about 4,500 square metres, the tomb entirely lacks a superstructure, and the northern part of the court is undecorated.
Examination of the wall reliefs show fascinating artistic innovations. A certain archaism, or rather, a celebration of earlier artistic principles, characterised art in the 25th and 26th dynasties, known today as a period of revival, a so-called renaissance. This reversion to the past is evident in the art of Harwa's tomb.
Texts and decorations on the walls show Harwa moving from life to death, and from death to the afterlife. A text describing his exemplary life is followed by a scene in which the jackal-headed god Anubis holds Harwa's hand and leads him toward the netherworld.
The significance of Harwa and his vast tomb came to light during the 1995-97 Italian archaeological mission. The success of the mission -- and the further questions it raised -- have inspired the mission director to propose an intriguing future project to the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA): "Harwa 2001."
"Harwa 2001", still to be presented to the SCA by the Italian mission, is an experimental programme of simultaneous excavation and public awareness. Harwa's tomb, regarded by Tiradritti as "one of Egypt's most splendid monuments, unknown until now," would be developed into a museum-cum-archaeological site, where it will be possible for tourists to visit the monument and perhaps even assist archaeologists and conservators working at the site, Tiradritti said.
Chambers of the tomb would be illuminated, but any apparatus introduced onto the site would respect the integrity of the original monument. The possibility of exhibiting objects from various excavations inside the tomb is also being looked into.
It is a radical idea, which has surprisingly been kept under wraps; perhaps due to scepticism about the idea. If successfully implemented, the programme would demystify archaeology and the process of excavation -- something that perhaps neither the tourism industry nor the scientific establishment is ready for.
