period was made.

[Illustration: 356.jpg THE TOMB-HILL OF SHEKH 'ABD EL-KUBNA, THEBES.]

The tombs of the magnates of Amenhetep III's reign and of the reigns
of his immediate predecessors were excavated, as has been said, on the
eastern slope of the hill of Shêkh 'Abd el-Kûrna, where was the earliest
Theban necropolis. No doubt many of the early tombs of the time of the
VIth Dynasty were appropriated and remodelled by the XVIIIth Dynasty
magnates. We have an instance of time's revenge in this matter, in the
case of the tomb of Imadua, a great priestly official of the time of
the XXth Dynasty. This tomb previously belonged to an XVIIIth Dynasty
worthy, but Imadua appropriated it three hundred years later and covered
up all its frescoes with the much begilt decoration fashionable in his
period. Perhaps the XVIIIth Dynasty owner had stolen it from an original
owner of the time of the VIth Dynasty. The tomb has lately been cleared
out by Mr. Newberry.

Much work of the same kind has been done here of late years by Messrs.
Newberry and R. L. Mond, in succession. To both we are indebted for the
excavation of many known tombs, as well as for the discovery of many
others previously unknown. Among the former was that of Sebekhetep,
cleared by Mr. Newberry. Se-bekhetep was an official of the time of
Thothmes III. From his tomb, and from others in the same hill, came many
years ago the fine frescoes shown in the illustration, which are among
the most valued treasures of the Egyptian department of the British
Museum. They are typical specimens of the wall-decoration of an XVIIIth
Dynasty tomb. On one may be seen a bald-headed peasant, with staff in
hand, pulling an ear of corn from the standing crop in order to see if
it is ripe. He is the "Chief Reaper," and above him is a prayer that the