The Tomb of Ni-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep in Badrshein, Egypt
The decorated tombs that have survived from ancient Egypt share detailed biographical information about the their occupants. From the elaborate wall-paintings and hieroglyphic inscriptions, we can learn a great deal about the deceased—their names and ages, their professions and accomplishments, the size and composition of their families. In the 1960s, archaeologists were flabbergasted to discover a tomb that was not like the others. Instead of a husband and wife, the tomb had been built for two men named Ni-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep, who had worked together as manicurists and hairdressers at the royal court during the Fifth Dynasty. More than 4000 years ago, two men had decided to spend eternity together.
Ni-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep commissioned an unusual series of wall paintings to decorate their tomb. In addition to scenes from daily life of the time—which are common in the Saqqara necropolis—they included several double portraits in which they were depicted holding hands and embracing. These paintings have survived and can be still seen in the tomb today.
Ever since the tomb’s discovery, it has been the subject of debate between archaeologists. Were Ni-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep close friends and colleagues who made the unusual decision to build a joint tomb for their two families? Were they brothers—perhaps identical twins—who posed for a double-portrait in the tomb where they were buried alongside their extended family? Or, as visitors to the tomb often wonder, were Ni-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep the first gay couple in recorded history?
Archaeologists continue to study the tomb and its enigmatic wall paintings. But one thing is clear: whether Ni-Ankh-Khnum and Khnum-Hotep were friends or brothers or lovers, the affection that they felt for one another has endured for more than four millennia. These two men continue to open our eyes to the richness and complexity of ancient Egyptian society.
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