The material gathered from the tomb of Sennedjem and several other tombs, allows for a greater understanding of non-royal tombs in the 19th dynasty. Sennedjem was a foreman of Deir el-Medina who lived during the reign of Seti I and Ramesses II. The tomb of Sennedjem provides valuable information on significant funerary beliefs and practices of the time by looking at the decorations in the interior of the tomb, the contents within the tomb and the physical structure of the tomb.
The interior of Sennedjem’s tomb reveals a significant amount of decorations and raised reliefs which provide information about Egyptian funerary beliefs and practices. The paintings on the walls of Sennedjem’s burial chamber reveal a great deal about the afterlife; the “Fields of the blessed” depict what the Egyptians believe happens in the afterlife which demonstrates the importance of the afterlife as part of their funerary beliefs. Moreover, the varied scenes in the tomb of Sennedjem display the god Osiris and other gods, emphasising the significance of gods in funerary beliefs in Egyptian culture. Similarly, the ritual scenes of everyday life in Ipuy’s tomb further highlights funerary beliefs and practices in Egyptian culture. The images of farming, fishing, cooking and laundry show that the interior was decorated for the gods to recognise the activities and customs in the afterlife, despite the fact that the citizens of Deir el-Medina did not engage in these practices. This is carried out to please the gods and request an afterlife full of privilege. The tomb of Sennedjem and Iput highlight the significance of decorations and raised reliefs as an important component of Egyptian funerary beliefs and practices.
The contents placed in Sennedjem’s tomb further conveys an important funerary practice as the Egyptians believed these contents were necessary to move on into the afterlife. A