The Panehsy Church Project, 2006

Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
The church
Architecture
The apse
The nave
Possible antechamber
The entrance
Decoration
A pre-church decoration phase
Decorative Scheme 0
Decorative Scheme 1
Decorative Scheme 2
Decorative Scheme 3
Graffiti
Modifications post-dating the church
Conclusion
Publications cited

Acknowledgements

This project was carried out by Gillian Pyke and Richard Colman between 1/4/07 and 26/4/07, and consisted of the recording of the conversion of the rock-cut tomb (No. 6) of the Eighteenth dynasty courtier Panehsy into a church. New floor plans and elevations of the columned hall were made, showing both alterations that could be identified as belonging to the church, and those possibly of a later use of the tomb, probably as a dwelling. Full digital and conventional photography of all architectural and decorative features associated with the church was completed. The period of work coincided with the main season of the Egypt Exploration Society’s Amarna expedition, directed by Barry Kemp, and the project benefited much from this. That it achieved its goals is also due to the co-operation of the SCA and the inspector assigned to the project, Gamal Abu Bakr. Funding was primarily from a grant from the Gerald Averay Wainwright Foundation of the University of Oxford, which is gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

The conversion of the rock-cut tomb (No. 6) of the Eighteenth dynasty courtier Panehsy into a church involved extensive remodelling of the original structure. The interior modifications were cursorily published by Norman de Garis Davies (1905), whose main focus was the original pharaonic architecture and decoration. Although the Coptic modifications are shown on both plans and elevations in his publications, Davies merely gives examples of the types of decorative motifs present, and little of it is shown in situ on the elevations. His discussion of the Coptic remains is brief, as they are clearly of only passing interest to him. The publication includes only two black and white photographs. A more recent article on the church and its archaeological context was published by Jones (1991: 129–44), based on Davies’s and his own observations, focussing on comparisons with a similar site at nearby Sheikh Said.

The principal importance of this church is that it is representative of a type of church that is relatively common in Egypt, but poorly recorded and published. This is partly due to the priorities of early archaeologists, whose interest was solely in the pharaonic tombs obscured by the Coptic modifications. This had the unfortunate result that the Coptic remains were often cleared without being recorded. Davies is an exception to this rule, including a brief discussion of the architecture and decoration in his (1905) publication of the tomb, as well as illustrating some of the most significant motifs, indicating some of the modifications on his plan (Figure 1) and on his line drawings.

Figure 1. Davies’ (1905: Pl. II) plan of the tomb of Panehsy

The Church

The nature of the architecture and decoration of the church is far from straightforward, with a number of significant points requiring further investigation. The deep tank located within the apse has been identified (Davies 1905: 11; Jones 1991: 131) as a baptismal font or possibly an Epiphany tank (Jones 1991: 131), forming the focus of the church. The location of such an architectural feature within the apse is entirely without precedent, and seems at odds with the function of the apse as the holy of holies, containing the altar. Jones (1991: 132) solves this problem by moving the altar to the inner chamber, but this interpretation overlooks the fact that the semi-domed structure fits the architectural iconography of an apse. Other architectural questions include the location of the south wall and of the entrance of the church.

The remaining decoration of the church is largely restricted to the east wall, focussed on the apse. While it is known (Davies 1905: 12; Jones 1991: 130–2) that there are several layers of painted decoration, the extent and nature of the decorative schemes had not been established prior to the work of the Panehsy church project.

Architecture

The tomb of Panehsy has a clear axis running through its successive doorways, leading back into the rock of the gebel cliff. Its alignment is south-west to north-east, from entrance to shrine. Davies (1905: passim) chose to reinterpret this orientation along the cardinal points, so that the rear of the tomb is positioned to the north. This has the unfortunate effect of making the apse of the church in the north wall of the outer hall, which does not work out at all from the perspective of church architecture, which dictates that this architectural element should be to the east. For the purposes of discussing the church, the orientation convention has therefore been altered so that the wall containing the apse is the east wall.

The physical conversion of the columned hall into a church appears to be a single phase of construction. There is no evidence to support Davies’s (1905: 12) somewhat fanciful supposition that the builders forgot (or were unaware of) the basic architectural layout of a church, necessitating the addition of the northern extension in order to make the apse centrally placed in relationship to the nave. This construction event also included the removal of the north columns, placing of niches in the north side of the west wall and the exterior wall and laying of the plaster floor. This floor was essentially a relatively quick and easy way of evening out the surface of the new floor of the northern extension, the unfinished Eighteenth Dynasty floor and the partially removed columns.

The architectural elements clearly pertaining to the Coptic church (Figure 2) are all located in the northern half of the outer chamber of the tomb, consisting of the apse, nave and a possible further room to the south. The location of the south wall of the nave, perhaps consisting of a partition, is not clear.  Dimensions of architectural features are given in metres as height x length x depth unless otherwise stated.

Figure 2. Schematic plan of the columned hall showing architectural elements of the church

The apse

The most easily distinguished feature of the church is the apse (Figure 3), the sanctuary of the church housing the altar that is the focus of the liturgical ritual performed by the clergy, screened off from the congregation in the nave. It is located in the north side of the east wall of the columned hall and is the result of the extensive modification of the northern false door of the original tomb. This false door was almost certainly chosen over its counterpart to the south because access to the southern false door is made virtually impossible by the position of the stairs leading down to the burial chamber.

Figure 3. General view of the apse

All that is now discernable of the original false door is the cornice, which was left intact, surmounting the apse proper. The apse is framed by a round-topped arch resting on two engaged and poorly articulated pilasters. The simple, inward facing, capitals of these pilasters might have supported a curtain screening off the apse from the nave. The interior of the apse is divided into two architectural elements by a horizontal bevelled modelled band at the height of the top of the pilasters, by which the lower part, consisting of a curved vertical wall forming the rear wall of the apse, is slightly recessed from the upper semi dome.

In the north side of the rear wall is a square niche (0.71 x 0.58 x 0.30 m) the back wall of which curves from the upper exterior edge to the back of the sill. The back wall of the niche and front of the sill have been heavily restored during the conservation of the tomb, but traces of three circular depressions remain in the upper surface of the sill.

The semi-dome, as the name suggests, consists of a half dome-shaped element, extending from the top of the rear wall to the inner edge of the underside of the arch. At the south end of the semi-dome is a tall, narrow niche (0.39 x 0.20 x 0.15m), the curved back wall of which is similar to that of the square niche. The sill slopes upwards towards the rear of the niche and its upper part is heavily blackened due its use to hold a lamp. Two extremely localised patches of intense burning on the ceiling (Figure 4) might indicate the positions of candles on the altar within the apse.

Figure 4. Possible candle burns on the semi-dome

Little of the original floor of the apse now remains due to the later excavation of a deep sub-circular tank in this area. The two small areas, one near the north pilaster and the other associated with the rear wall, suggest that the rock-cut floor of the apse was approximately 20 cm higher than the floor of the hall. This is entirely in keeping with the standard arrangement of the floor levels within a church, in which the sanctuary area is at a higher level than the nave. The surface of the floor is much better finished than that of the northern extension possibly indicating that it was not plastered

The nave

The nave is the main congregational area of the church, located in the northern half of the columned hall of the Eighteenth Dynasty tomb. In the architectural programme of the original tomb, the north false door was located immediately adjacent to the north wall. When the false door was remodelled into the apse, the lower part of the north wall was cut back to a depth of 2m along its entire length, but only to a height of approximately 2.15 m. This made the apse centrally placed in the east wall, and allowed sufficient headroom for members of the congregation without wasting energy in unnecessary quarrying. A series of slightly off-vertical scars on the north wall of the extension were left when blocks of stone were detached (Figure 5). Towards the base of the wall there appear to be a series of less well defined, and more closely set, horizontal scars, indicating a change in strategy for the removal of stone as the desired floor level was approached.

Figure 5. North-east corner of the nave, with vertical and horizontal quarry marks

The floor, ceiling and walls of the extension were left undressed, appearing extremely rough in comparison with the substantially finished stonework of the Eighteenth Dynasty tomb. All these surfaces were, however, rendered smooth by the addition of a plaster layer. The plaster remains that can now be seen on the lower part of the walls indicate that the wall plaster was applied and painted before the plaster of the floor was laid. The wall plaster extends all the way down to the quarried stone, and the paint has been applied over the entire surface, with careless strokes onto the quarried stone as well (Figure 6). The clean state of the stone surface suggests that it was not left uncovered for long before the floor was laid.

Figure 6. Lowest extent of plaster and paint by the north wall of the nave

The most prominent architectural feature of the north-east wall of the nave is a large rectangular cupboard with cut-outs at each corner for the insertion of doors. It is not entirely clear if this cupboard should be seen as belonging to the church, and if so whether it is an original or added feature. Traces of mortar on the wall surrounding the cupboard and inside the cut-outs and on the side walls suggest that they are associated with its construction, perhaps for the attachment of the doors. The application of the mortar directly onto the stone would suggest that, at the time the cupboard was made, the walls were unplastered. Plaster is preserved only on the south side of the cupboard, where it is overlying, and therefore later than, the mortar.

Figure 7. Niche in the west wall of the nave

There is a round-topped niche (Figure 7) located on the west wall immediately to the north of, and slightly overlapping, the inner north doorjamb of the entrance portal. The upper surround of the niche has a groove around its exterior, with a bevelled band below, the upper part of which preserves the original wall surface, with a further groove at the interior edge. This surround is very similar in character to that of the arch of the apse. The interior of the niche is poorly finished, the rear wall slopes from the edge of the surround to the rear of the slightly concave sill in the same way as that of the square niche inside the apse. The similarities between this niche and elements of the apse suggest that they should be seen as belonging to the same architectural programme. This niche is similar to one (see below) located on the south side of the exterior of the entrance portal, now partly obscured by the modern iron door.

Figure 8. Remains of the upper parts of the north columns

The north columns were removed, probably at the same time as the extension of the nave, to create a large open space for the congregation. The lower parts of the columns have been almost completely removed, leaving a slight inconsistency in floor height, which was likely corrected through the laying of the plaster floor. The upper parts of the columns (Figure 8) can be seen at ceiling level, the east column now consisting of a pronounced scar and the west column a short stub, both covered with tool marks so extensive that no original surface of either column is left. This appears to be the only modification made to the chamber at ceiling level.

The remains of the plaster floor can be seen in the northern part of the nave, and to the west of the north-west column. The floor was laid in order to create an even surface after the creation of the northern extension and removal of the northern columns. This solution was probably preferred to the dressing of the quarried stone surface as it would have been less time-consuming, labour-intensive and, probably, expensive. This floor was laid after the walls of the northern extension were plastered and painted. The uneven, roughly hewn quarried stone of the floor was built up in layers, starting with a patch of grey mortar, followed by a levelling layer of limestone pebbles or chippings. Fired red bricks (Figure 9), with mortar between them, were used to fill a particularly deep hole in the north east corner of the nave. The final thick (1–1.5 cm) plaster layer consisting of a hard, dense matrix has a mid-grey colour, consistent with a high ash component, as often seen in mortar of the late Roman and Medieval periods (Sheehan, 2006: pers. comm.). This ash is too fine to be visible through a hand lens (x10 magnification) but rare-to-common fine black particles are almost certainly to be identified as ash. Other identifiable inclusions are common medium-coarse white sub-angular particles (limestone) and rare coarse sub-rounded red particles (brick fragments).

Figure 9. Fired bricks used as filling layer in the floor of the nave

It is likely that the whole of the uneven floor of the extension and northern part of the columned hall were plastered, up to the pronounced lip running west-east between the north jambs of the two portals. This may represent the southern extent of the nave, perhaps consisting of a partition rather than a more solidly constructed wall. However, no clear evidence for attachments for a wooden partition could be discerned on the east or west walls. A number of small holes have been made in the north jamb of the east portal, and in the adjacent area of floor.

Possible antechamber

The evidence for this architectural feature consists of alterations to the floor of the southern part of the columned hall (Figure 10), and to the southern columns. While the plaster floor in the north half of the columned hall can be clearly identified as part of the church construction, the modifications to the stone floor in the south area cannot be securely dated.

Figure 10. Smoothed floor with lipped edge, holes, modified columns and emplacement for partition of possible antechamber

A lipped edge runs east-west between the south edges of the north jambs of the entrance portal and portal to the inner chamber, probably marking the southern extent of the plastered floor of the nave. To the south the floor has been carefully smoothed, leaving it at a slightly lower level than that of the quarried stone of the northern part. The fact that this smoothed area extends to the bases of the north columns in their current appearance indicates that this was undertaken either at the time of the remodelling of the columns, or at a later date. The lower level and different surface treatment of the floor in this area might indicate that this area was perceived, at the time of the modification, to be different from the northern part.

A number of holes are visible in the smoothed part of the floor, the majority of which are arranged in two parallel series, running from the lipped edge towards the columns. If the two rows of holes leading from the lipped edge of the floor to the two columns are part of the church, they might represent flimsy partitions sub-dividing the possible ante-chamber either flanking or preceding the nave. Similar rooms, flanking the main axis of the church can be found in the churches of Deir al-Abyad (Clark 1912: Pl. XLVIII; Monneret de Villard 1925: Pl. 3) and Deir al-Ahmar (Clark 1912: Pl. XL; Monneret de Villard 1925: Pl. 33) in Sohag at Deir Abu Hinnis (Clark 1912: Pl. LVI; Grossmann 1971: 162) and, possibly, closer to home at Kom el-Nana (Faiers, et al. 2005: Fig. 0.3). Alternatively, this chamber could be interpreted as an antechamber preceding the nave, at a perpendicular angle due to the constraints of the modification of an existing structure.

Figure 11. Water emplacement cut into the base of the south-west column

It is likely that the modifications to the lower parts of the south columns are part of the expansion of this area to form the antechamber. While the base of the east column has been cut back so far that it now consists only of the core, the treatment of the base of the west column is somewhat different. Several circular basins have been cut into the upper surface of the base on the west side of the column, that on the north-west side comprise four inter-connected elements including one cut into the floor. This emplacement (Figure 11) is associated with the cutting back of the shaft of the column. The similarity between the water installation in the south-west part of the smooth-floored area and elaborate zir stands (kilgaat) associated with Christian architectural remains in Old Cairo might suggest that this part of the columned hall was deemed to be inside the church structure. However, a similar emplacement is present in the tomb of Meryra (tomb 4), which was not converted into a church.

The entrance

A round-topped niche with a modelled surround is located on the exterior wall of the tomb, on the south side of the entrance portal, overlapping the Eighteenth Dynasty jamb. The niche is in a comparable position in relationship to the entrance portal as the niche on the west wall of the hall, albeit reversed, so that both niches are to the right of the doorway as one faces it. These niches can be seen both as framing the entrance to the church and as providing an architectural link from the exterior of the church into the nave.

Decoration

All the post-Eighteenth Dynasty plaster and painted decoration within the hall can be attributed to the church. Davies (1905: 12) comments that:

all the walls on this (north) side of the hall have been covered in like manner [to the upper plaster layer in the apse] with a thin wash of plaster, which on the W. wall (i.e. the upper north wall) has adhered with deplorable tenacity.

This suggests that at least some of the plaster, particularly on the upper north wall, was removed by Davies, presumably in order to record the underlying Eighteenth Dynasty decoration.

The focus of the remaining decoration is the apse, in which several painted plaster layers, representing successive decorative schemes, can be discerned. Further areas of plaster are preserved in the northern extension. Painted decoration applied directly onto stone can be found on the east and west walls, and the exterior niche. All the plaster associated with the Coptic church is white rather than of mud plaster, presumably of lime or gypsum origin (both minerals being locally available).

It seems that, architecturally, the apse remained essentially unchanged throughout its lifetime. The decorative scheme, however, changed several times, entailing quite drastic alterations on each occasion. Davies (1905: 12) and Jones (1991: 130–2) propose several decorative phases (Table 1), based on the most visible traces of decoration both inside the apse and around it on the east wall of the nave. The association of these areas within the decorative scheme is entirely reasonable as they form the main focus for the congregation during the Mass. Detailed analysis of both the plaster layers and painted decoration (Table 2) has resulted in the identification of one decorative episode that probably predates the conversion of the tomb into a church, three significant decorative phases, one apparently in two episodes, and a final phase that seems never to have been executed.

Table 1. Concordance of decorative phases.
Table 2. Summary of the plaster and decorative phases in the nave and apse

A pre-church decoration phase

The initial phase of Christian decorative activity within the tomb is probably entirely opportunistic and predates its conversion into a church. It consists of a red chi-rho (Figure 12) cross painted directly onto the stone of the north-east wall, possibly matched by a second monogram, of which only faint traces remain and possibly the alpha-omega mentioned by Jones (1991: 132), in a similar position on the south-east wall.

Figure 12. Chi-rho monogram painted directly onto stone of north-east wall of the columned hall

Decorative Scheme 0

The first phase of decoration (DS 0) within the church, which in the apse is almost completely obscured by the later plaster layers, seems to have been extremely simple. It is associated with plaster layer P4 in the apse, which is visible in the sequence preserved at the bevelled edge between the upper and lower registers of the apse, and at the rear of the square niche. The plaster of this layer consists of a dense, hard white matrix containing abundant medium yellow rounded sand and rare fine black particles. The preserved parts of this layer have a smoothed white surface, with some isolated traces of red lines associated with the pilasters and a possible horizontal red band at the division between the rear wall and the semi-dome. Unfortunately, this decorative scheme is completely obscured by later layers in the semi-dome. The red paint on the cornice above the apse is probably also part of this decorative scheme.

Figure 13. DS 0, Red-painted plaster on the north wall of the nave

It is likely that the earliest identifiable decoration in the nave belongs to this decorative scheme. This consists of a wide red border (west wall), or completely red-painted plaster (layer N1, north and far north part of north east walls, Figure 13) in the nave, associated with the red on the round-topped niches and apse cornice, and traces of simple red edging lines on the pilasters and below the lamp niche. This decorative scheme is the only one to include red paint on an unplastered surface. The scheme, as far as can be seen today, does not include any figurative, floral or geometric elements.

Decorative Scheme 1

The first of the complex decorative schemes (DS 1) consists of the addition of what appears to be a skim layer in the apse and on the surround, leaving the DS 0 decoration on the cornice, in the nave and outer parts of the church intact. The innovations of this decorative scheme include a wide red band and a guilloche band on the exterior of the arch (Figure 14) and an acanthus and pomegranate frieze on the underside.

Figure 14. DS 1, wide red band and guilloche band on exterior of arch of apse

The semi dome seems to contain a large-scale image that is dominated by a dark red colour, now too damaged and obscured by the later decorative scheme to be identified. The decoration of the semi dome is separated from the wall below, which seems to be left white, by a narrow horizontal red line. It is likely that the plaster layer associated with this scheme (P3) did not extend much beyond this line.

Decorative Scheme 2

The second complex decorative scheme (DS 2) is essentially the one that is visible on the walls today. Except for the west wall, all the walls of the nave and apse seem to have been re-plastered (P2). The exact nature of the scheme in the nave is not certain, but the upper walls at least were probably white, with a red band at the top, just below the ceiling. The exterior of the arch is plastered over, but is perhaps not repainted. The acanthus and pomegranate frieze is renewed with an elegant new version (Figure 15), terminating with urns above the pilasters. Inside the apse, the lower wall seems to have remained white.

Figure 15. DS 2, acanthus and pomegranate frieze on underside of arch of apse

The large motif in the semi-dome is changed to a six-winged creature (Figure 16), the north set of wings of which were probably repainted at the time of the execution of the decoration. Both Davies (1905: 12) and Jones (1991: 131-2) discuss the possible identification of this figure. Davies (1905: 12) describes the bird as a ‘soaring eagle (?)’ draws attention to the vision of Isaiah (6: 1-3), in which the seraphim are described in the second verse as: ‘each one had six wings; with twain he covered his feet, and with the twain he did fly’.

Figure 16. DS 2, Six-winged creature in the semi-dome of the apse

This description does not, however, exactly fit the appearance of this creature, which has all of its wings outstretched. Jones (1991: 131) points out that eagles with tripartite wings did not exist in Coptic art (Palli 1978: 175–91, Pls. XLVIII–LIV), and goes on to discuss the depiction of various other types of bird, including doves and peacocks, both of which are included in this decorative scheme (see below). Jones (1991: 132) also proposes other subjects, including an archangel, six-winged saint, seraph or one of the four Evangelists. Of all these suggestions the latter group seems most likely. These individuals are often equated (Moorsel 1978: 325–33, Pls. LVIII–LXIII) with the four beasts of the Apocalypse of the vision of St John (The Revelation of St John the Divine 4: 1–11), in which they are described in verses 6-8 as follows.

(6) And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (7) And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (8) And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within.

Representations of the four beasts/Evangelists are not uncommon in Coptic painted decoration, often appearing with the enthroned Christ, especially as part of Ascension scenes. These scenes are usually bipartite, with the upper section, representing Christ in Heaven accompanied by the four beasts/Evangelists, occupying the semi-dome of the apse. An example of this type of scene was found in the apse of the church in the nearby monastery of Kom el-Nana (Pyke, 2003: 16–17). The prominent representation of a solitary beast/Evangelist is, however, without precedent and the lack of eyes on the wings problematic.

The birds flanking the central figure are repeated on the surround of the apse. Other motifs on the surround include a peacock above the cornice, perhaps with a garland above it, and traces of black below and to the south of the peacock that might be the remains of an inscription. There is also a pair of candles, a pair of birds and a saint flanked by foliage. This saint (Figure 17) is the only human figure in the whole decorative scheme. As far as it is possible to tell from the fragmentary remains, the saint does not appear to be part of a figured scene, but instead stands alone. It is clear from his yellow nimbus that he is a saintly person, and his tunic and cloak are consistent with the depiction of both apostles and saints, reflecting the secular dress of the middle and upper classes of the Roman Empire at the time of Christ (Mayo 1984: 11–12). It is possible that this figure could be a representation of the founding father of the church and/or the community living at the north tombs.

Figure 17. DS 2, Figure of a saint on the east wall of the nave

Decorative scheme 2A

DS 2 has survived relatively intact, but with a number of additions, which have been designated DS 2A. The most significant of these is the replastering of the lower part of the apse with a fine, dense white plaster on which are painted a series of alternating red and yellow (Figure 18), and green and white marbled panels.

Figure 18. DS 2A, detail red and yellow marbled panel on rear wall of apse

Above the panels are a pair of friezes, the lower a poorly rendered guilloche band, the upper an inferior copy of the acanthus and pomegranate band on the underside of the arch. The latter band is bisected by the tail of the six-winged creature. The marbled panels and guilloche frieze are repeated on the north part of the east wall, with a garland above. The marbling on the pilasters might also belong to this decorative episode. The encaustic yellow of the guilloche band is also used on the exterior of the arch (Figure 19), which is painted with red, yellow and black bands, the latter with red dots.

Figure 19. DS 2A, detail of encaustic yellow paint on exterior of arch of apse

Decorative scheme 3

The additions of which DS 2A is comprised represent the penultimate episode of the modification of the decorative scheme. The last (DS 3) is the keying of the plaster in both the semi-dome and the lower part of the apse in readiness for the addition of a further plaster layer, which was apparently never put in place.

Graffiti

A dynastic graffito is located on the west wall of the columned chamber, immediately below the figure of Panehsy in the scene in which he is rewarded by the royal couple (Davies, 1905: Pl. XI, upper register above first group of bowing figures). It is not clear whether this association with the owner of the tomb and protagonist of the scene was coincidental. The fragmentary incised graffito comprises at least three lines of demotic. The use of this language indicates that the inscription must post-date the original cutting and decoration of the tomb, but is certainly of an earlier date than the church, by which time demotic had fallen out of use.

A number of Coptic graffiti, most of which are incised, were found throughout the church. The majority of graffiti are located in the apse on the friezes and main scene of the semi-dome, areas which are both accessible and highly visible. All the graffiti in this area are incised and while most are clearly Coptic, at least one seems to be in Arabic. A single graffito is located on the green marbled panel of the uppermost plaster layer near the centre of the rear wall of the apse. It is the only example of a painted graffito, consisting of the front of a horse that is probably part of a horse-back saint (Figure 19).

Figure 20. Apse, rear wall, first plaster layer. Black-painted graffito of horse-back saint

Further incised Coptic graffiti are located on the west and east walls of the nave, and in the entrance portal. One of the inscriptions in the entrance portal includes the name Paul. The presence of several graffiti on the south-east wall of the columned hall can be seen as further supporting evidence for its inclusion within the church. However, a number of graffiti were made in the portal to the inner room and the shrine, which do not seem to be related to the church in any way. An Arabic graffito is located in the rear of the cupboard on the east wall of the nave. The incised inscription is written on either side of a triangular motif

Modifications post-dating the church

Many of the changes to the architecture of the tomb are in no way associated with its use as a church. One of the primary keys to the understanding of the architecture of the church is the acceptance of the fact that not all the features have to belong to either the Eighteenth Dynasty tomb or the Coptic church. The distinction between church use and domestic use should, however, be treated with care, as the experience of Somers Clark (1912: 159) at the White Monastery shows that a single (if, in this case, much larger) building can be used for both functions simultaneously. The prominent location of the church in the columned hall of the tomb perhaps argues that it would be difficult for it to be a living space at the same time, and the presence of the tank inside the apse would preclude its continued functioning as a sanctuary.

Davies (1902: 13), in discussing the abundant evidence for the use of the Amarna tombs as dwellings, draws attention to the fact that:

Everywhere the walls have been pierced for staples; sometimes high up for the suspension of lamps etc., sometimes close to the ground for the tethering of animals, and at every intermediate height. In some cases the rope of palm fibre still remains in place.

The abundant modifications that probably post-date the use of the church are difficult to interpret. These alterations can be seen as entirely opportunistic and episodic, often made in response to a particular need at a precise moment in time. Without any idea of the context of the modification, and any information about how it functioned in three dimensions now that the additional elements are long gone, it is virtually impossible to understand the jumble of holes on walls, floors and columns. Holes and tethering-points could have a range of different uses over time or within the same use episode.

The most significant change within the apse was the addition of a deep sub-circular water tank (Figure 21), with which the cutting back of the raised floor to a number of levels was probably associated. It is not necessary to try to explain this feature within the context of its function within the church, as its presence within the apse indicates that the church was no longer in use. Instead, other evidence tells us that it was, in fact, a water cistern. A large sub-square hole cut in the top of the north pilaster and the small cupboard on the opposite wall of the apse acted as a beam slot by which a bucket was lowered into the tank. Damage to the surface of plaster layer 1 on the rear wall can be seen as due to the repeated knocking of the wet bucket against the wall. The tank was probably placed in this location as it is a self-contained area. The considerable capacity of the tank perhaps means that it served a number of families. Water storage must have been an important consideration for those living in and around the tombs, as the closest water source would have been the Nile.

Figure 21. Later water tank cut into the floor of the apse

Another major change to the apse was the insertion of a large rectangular window (Figure 22) in the rear wall. This appears to have had a catastrophic effect on the plaster, which is entirely lost all around the window, indicating a lack of regard for its preservation. The purpose of the window is far more prosaic than the imaginative interpretation of Davies (1905: 11), who describes its use in conjunction with the tank as follows.

The apse seems to have been designed with a view to baptismal immersion, for a font five feet deep occupies nearly the whole space. Two rough steps would enable a person to scramble from the edge into the inner room through a narrow aperture which has been cut in the back wall.

Fortunately, Davies himself has the good sense (1905: 12) to be a little sceptical about this reconstruction, and it is much more likely that the window was cut to allow light into the rear chamber of the tomb when it was used as a dwelling.

Figure 22. Window cut in the rear wall of the apse

Many relatively modest modifications were also made within the inner chamber. The majority of these consist of small circular holes for flimsy wooden architecture, none of which are now preserved. Most of the columns show signs that they were linked by flimsy wooden beams. A number of tethering-points, the one in the ceiling of the portal between the columned hall and the inner chamber clearly for suspending a lamp, were also noted.

The most significant alteration within the inner chamber is a plastered area in the south-west corner of this chamber. This is decorated with crosses (Figure 23), some with alpha-omegas, painted in black with a broad brush. The character, and indeed colour, of this decoration is entirely different from that associated with the church. It seems likely that, as with the monograms in the columned hall, these motifs are not related to the church. However, the fact that the black monograms in the inner chamber are painted on plaster, while the red monograms in the columned hall are painted directly onto the stone wall probably indicates that they belong to different episodes.  It is not clear whether the plaster originally had a greater extent, and it is by no means certain that the plaster and painted decoration represent a single episode.

Figure 23. Black-painted crosses on the west wall of the inner chamber

Conclusion

The study of the conversion of the tomb of Panehsy into a Coptic church has identified its remaining architectural and decorative elements. The question of the location of the south wall has been addressed. Although no definitive or completely satisfactory solution could be arrived at, the available evidence has been recorded as completely as possible. Several more recent modifications, mistakenly and confusingly attributed to the church, have been reassigned on the basis of observations made throughout the tomb, which confirmed that the church was one of many phases of use of this space. The church probably does not even represent the first Christian activity here, which is probably represented by the red monogram on the east wall of the columned hall.

The architectural adaptation of the columned hall of the tomb into a church was a major undertaking, and one that seems to have consisted of a single episode. The decorative scheme, more easily modified, was subject to a number of re-workings. This focussed particularly on the apse, leaving the outer elements such as the round-topped niches, painted crosses and, for a while, the nave, as it was first decorated. A progression can be seen in the decorative schemes, from extremely simple, using blocks and lines of red paint, to more complex use of friezes and large-scale motifs. Elements from the first of these schemes, such as the use of a large motif in the semi-dome, and the acanthus and pomegranate band, are repeated in the second, and again reused in its final form. The details of the composite scheme visible today comprise well-known Coptic images such as the doves, peacock, candle and saint, as well as the more challenging six-winged creature, which is apparently without parallel.

Publications cited

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Davies, N. de G., 1905. The rock tombs of El Amarna. Part 2. The tombs of Panehesy and Meryra. London: Egypt Exploration Society.

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Grossmann, P., 1971. ‘Neue Untersuchungen in der Kirche von Dair Abu Hinnis in Mittelägypten,’ Mitteilunger des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 27, 157–71.

Jones, M., 1991. ‘The earliest Christian sites at Tell el-Amarna and Sheikh Said.’ Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 77, 129–44.

Mayo, J., 1984. A history of ecclesiastical dress. London: Batsford.

Monneret de Villard, U., 1925. Les couvents près de Sohâg (Deyr el-Abiad et Deyr el-Ahmar). Milan: Tipografia pontificia arcivescovile San Giuseppe.

Moorsel, P. van, 1978. The Coptic apse-composition and its living creatures. In: No editor named, Études nubiennes. Colloque de Chantilly 2-6 juillet 1975. Cairo: IFAO, 325–33.

Palli, L., 1978. ‘Observations sur l’iconograpie de l’aigle funéraire dans l’art copte et nubien.’ In: No editor named, Études nubiennes. Colloque de Chantilly 2-6 juillet 1975. Cairo: IFAO. 175–91.

Pyke, G., 2003. ‘Church wall paintings from Kom el-Nana.’ Egyptian Archaeology 22, 16–17.