Djehutihotep ("''Thoth is satisfied''") was an ancient Egyptian

nomarch A nomarch ( grc, νομάρχης, egy, ḥrj tp ꜥꜣ Great Chief) was a provincial governor in ancient Egypt; the country was divided into 42 provinces, called nomes (singular , plural ). A nomarch was the government official responsib ...

of the fifteenth '' nomos'' of

Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south. In ancient E ...

(''" the Hare"'') during the

twelfth dynasty The Twelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty XII) is considered to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom by Egyptologists. It often is combined with the Eleventh, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth dynasties under the group title, Middle Kingdom. Some ...

, c. 1900 BC.

Biography

Djehutihotep lived under the reigns of Amenemhat II,

Senusret II Khakheperre Senusret II was the fourth pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He ruled from 1897 BC to 1878 BC. His pyramid was constructed at El-Lahun. Senusret II took a great deal of interest in the Faiyum oasis region and began work on an ...

, and Senusret III and was one of the most powerful

s of the Middle Kingdom. His tomb—the only one among the necropolis of

Deir el-Bersha Deir El Bersha ( ar, دير البرشا; also written as Dayr al-Barsha, Deir el-Bersheh) is a Coptic village in Middle Egypt, in the Minya Governorate. It is located on the east bank of the Nile to the south of Antinoöpolis and almost opposit ...

that wasn't damaged by the explosives used in recent quarrying methods—is well known for the great quality of its decorations, a work carried out by an artist named Amenaankhu. For this reason, it is believed that Djehutihotep died prior to the strict measures reducing the power of the nomarchs that were established by Senusret III. Indeed, as their charge became hereditary at the end of the

Old Kingdom In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning c. 2700–2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth ...

, the nomarchs became local rulers effectively, although not nominally, independent of the

pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the ...

s. This situation led to excesses in the exercise of power that worsened steadily during the First Intermediate Period. It was not until Senusret's measures were imposed that such abuse of power later exercised by nomarchs, stopped posing a threat to the integrity of the Egyptian state.Michael Rice, ''Who is who in Ancient Egypt'', 1999 (2004), Routledge, London, , p. 48. Being part of the hereditary nomarch system, Djehutihotep's family held the office of local governor for several generations. Djehutihotep was the son of a woman named Satkheperka and an official named Kay. The latter was the brother of Djehutynakht VI and Amenemhat, both of whom became governors of the Hare nome, although Kay did not. Djehutihotep was married to a woman named Hathorhotep. Her parents are not recorded in known sources. Several children of Djehutihotep are known. See " Nomarchs of the Hare nome" for further notes about his genealogy. Two

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

jambs from Djehutihotep's tomb entrance are now on display in the National Archeological Museum of Florence (inv. nos. 7596 and 7597), having been purchased by

Ernesto Schiaparelli Ernesto Schiaparelli (; July 12, 1856 – February 14, 1928) was an Italian Egyptologist. Biography He was born in Occhieppo Inferiore (Biella). He found Queen Nefertari's tomb in Deir el-Medina in the Valley of the Queens (1904) and ...

in 1891–92. The jambs list his several civil and religious titles, which include ''Treasurer of the King'', ''Unique friend (of the King)'', ''Overseer of the priests'', and ''Great overlord of the Hare nomos'' (i.e. nomarch). Djehutihotep was represented at the bottom of the jambs.

The “colossus on a sledge”

By far, Djehutihotep is known best for the famous decoration inside his tomb that represents the transport of a

colossal statue Colossal may refer to: * ''Colossal'' (film), a 2016 science fiction film starring Anne Hathaway * (Colossal) Pictures, entertainment company which closed in 2000 * Colossal (band), American punk band formed in 2001 * "Colossal", a song by Scale ...

of him that was nearly high, being transported by 172 workers using ropes and a slide, in an effort that is facilitated by pouring water in front of the slide. With an estimated weight of , it was carved by a scribe, Sipa son of Hennakhtankh. Unfortunately, no traces of this colossus have ever been found. The colossus' depiction itself was irremediably vandalized and destroyed in 1890, and all the existing drawings are based on a single photo taken the previous year by a certain Major Brown. It is assume a rate of 5% of water ease the transport by up to around 30%. Colosse-djéhoutihétep2

Biography

The “colossus on a sledge”

References

Further reading