THE TRANSVERSE CHAMBER

This represents the horizontal bar of the inverted "T" shape of the internal chamber plan and includes two wings, south (left) and north (right). The north wing is reserved for the scenes of the funeral ceremony and the presentation in front of Osiris, whilst the south wing is connected with the procession of the divine barque of Montu, as well as scenes of offering.
The ceiling is almost completely destroyed. It included, in each wing, two panels, east and west, surrounded by the usual yellow bands, strangely they include no text. Inside the two panels of each bay was a coloured geometric checkerboard motif, the east one being different to that on the west. The area between the entrance and second passageway had a design with something different, now unknown, but possibly birds.
This chamber is approximately 7.50m in length (north/south) by 1.75m, with the left wing being 3.20m long and the other 3.50m, the section between the wings being approx. 0.8m wide. The height of the chamber is just over 2m.

South wing (left)

The three walls which constitute it are each divided into two superimposed registers, sometimes with sub-registers. The upper one is about 0.8m in height, whilst the one below is slightly less. The top registers are related to one or a group of processional festivals of the god Montu, more particularly the movement of the divine statue in his small boat from Armant (On) to another Montu temple at the town of Tod, where is found the other statue of the god. Khonsu played an important role in these ceremonies and wanted to immortalise them in his tomb. By sympathetic magic, they will thus occur again, eternally.

At the top of all the walls is a frieze, approx. 0.3m in height, creating almost a single register; however, even though its height is the same throughout, its themes vary from one wall to the other.
Below, on the two side walls, the two main registers, which contain the scenes of activity, are separated by another frieze of a different design. Only a small portion of this middle frieze has survived on the west wall and nothing of the bottom register. On the south wall there is no middle frieze. On all the walls, the bottom registers are supported by a protective dado area, from which they are separated by two thick bands, yellow (at the top) and red (below), edged with thin black lines.

East wall

The beginning of the registers, situated close to the entry, is lost. This was partially restored by Davies (see ).

1) - Top frieze

(see )

This motif has already been seen in the entrance passageway. Anubis, in the shape of a black canine, reclines on the roof of a chapel. He wears, as usual, a red ribbon around the neck and a golden whip which extends from the middle of his back. Between each chapel are two khekeru, this is an ancient plant motif, surmounted here by a solar disk. Under the actual frieze, is a thick blue line edged with red.

2) - Upper register : the barques

a) - The portable barque of Montu

This navigates the Nile placed on the god's true river barque, pulled by two military vessels.
Only the extremity of the kiosk can be seen, overhanging the divine chapel. In front of this stands two masts with banners, a reminder of those which are in front of the pylons of the temples, a way of showing that the barque is a floating temple and that the area where the divine statue is always "djeser", meaning consecrated, or better, isolated (see ).
Above is a large protective wing (one of a pair), perhaps representing the Behedety falcon (Horus of Edfu). Under the chapel, impossible to discern correctly on the photo, is Ramesses II, the reigning Pharaoh, who is dedicating some offerings to the god. At the prow of the barque, is found the remains of a falcon head of Montu associated with a large multicoloured necklace.

Two characters are standing in front of the chapel. The scene is very damaged, but it has been improved by superimposing the Davies line-drawing (see image left). The first man, who makes with one hand a fumigation of incense and holds in the other a vase with a short spout, wears the characteristic long white garment of a vizier. This represents Usermontu, who has already been discussed (not to be confused with Usermontu, son of Khonsu). Behind him stands Huy, his brother, dressed in a panther skin, holding in one hand a bouquet and with the other a unidentifiable object. Behind Huy can be seen a small sign of a standard surmounted by a jackal with the head of the pharaoh, the head mounted with the double Ma'at-feather. Finally, there is a large upright multicoloured bouquet.

All of this is confirmed by the six columns of text above the images: "Making an incense and libation to Montu, lord of Ermant, so that he may give good and pure food to the Ka of the Osiris, the hereditary lord, the mayor and vizier, Usermontu, justified, born of Maia, justified, (and of) Osiris, the priest of Montu, lord of Ermont, Huy, justified, born of Maia, justified".
The same vizier, Usermontu, is also named in the Ramesside tomb , of Amenemope, where he is defined thus: "His father, the prince, the count, the Divine Father, loved by the god, the superior one of the City and vizier, Usermontu, justified". The vizier, having lived about 180 years earlier, cannot be the biological father. Amenemope, as Khonsu, makes reference to a prestigious ancestor, who seems to have accomplished something special for the cult of Montu.
Tomb TT324 belongs to another high-priest of Montu, Hattiay. Usermontu (of whom the family links with the owner is again not clear) is represented opposite another vizier whose identity cannot be specified any further.
It should be remembered that in the passageway no one censored this reference to an Amarnian vizier having thus served a Pharaoh (probably Tutankhamun) who had been banished from the official list of sovereigns of Egypt.

b) - The towing vessels

The divine barque is towed by two military vessels, each propelled by fourteen rowers (seven on each side). A robust rope connects the two boats (although apparently only attached to the rearmost one) and the divine vessel which they tow. However, the decorator seems to have added another rope, fixed to the prow of the divine barque and held by two men on the stern of the towing boats. The smaller man was probably intended to be on the rear boat (see and ). Between them a man handles the rudder.
The ends of the towing vessels are decorated, at the prow and at the stern, with images of Montu (again in the form of a falcon head on a large necklace), as well as with another image of the pharaoh, with a feline body and a human head, wearing a false beard and the double feather crown. Both are protected from behind by a snake who spreads its wings in front of itself (see ). Other signs which confirm that these are military vessels, are the two men on the roof of the cabin engaged in single-stick exercises (which they would actually have done on the deck). It is a matter of ritual activity as much as miming yje activity of the destruction of the enemies of Horus. Habitually, it would be performed in the presence of the king, but here it is Montu who is the spectator. Either side of the cabin are two men carrying a standard, a small man on the left and a large one at the other end. This last man is identified as "His father, standard-bearer of the great regiment of Nebmaatre, Nebemhyt" (see ). This possibly represents the father of Neferhotep (therefore the paternal grandfather of Khonsu).
Finally, everything happens as if Khonsu had wanted to represent all the members of his family, who were or had been involved in the cult of Montu.

c) - Upper sub-register: the welcome by priests

(see and )

Four priests are shown indepentantly dedicating offerings. The four sub-scenes are almost identical: only a bovine carcass at the feet of the first (left) breaks the monotony. It should also be noted that a dead ox is placed above the bows of the boats below, due to a lack of space. Each priest has a shaven skull and wears a panther skin over an original yellow tunic punctuated of red spots, which in turn covers a white tunic (or a loincloth). A red scarf is attached in the back, and a kind of pouch hangs from the belt (see ). Each makes a fumigation of incense with the left hand and pours water from a vase in the shape of ankh cross with the right hand. The offerings are stacked on three pedestals whose feet are decorated with a garland of flowers. At the foot of the first three tables, a large lotisform chalice contains other foodstuffs (absent from the fourth, where the pile of offerings is smaller).
The four men hold positions appropriate to the funerary cult of a Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. The first is "The funerary priest of Aakheperure (= Amenhotep II) , Neferhotep, justified". He is, without possible dispute, the biological father of Khonsu. The next two are designated as "His son, the funerary priest of Aakheperkare (Thutmosis I) , Nay, justified" and "His son, the funerary priest of Thutmosis I, Iuy, justified". The last is "His son, the lector (priest) of Amenhotep II, Montuhotep".

d) - Khonsu and the barque

The scene which finishes the register, at the south side, gives the place of honour to "His son, the high-priest of Montu, Lord of Tod, Khonsu, who brought into the world Tauseret". He is in the same priestly garments as the ones which have just been described. He makes libation and incensement in front of the portable barque of Montu (see ). The only difference is that he wears sandals, because he walks in the temple on the sanctified ground, represented white under his feet. Some food offerings are stacked on a low white table.
The portable barque has been off-loaded and has been placed in the shrine of a chapel resting on a white solid base. The carrying bars can be easily seen, as well as the artificial sledge which rests on a chest decorated of two images of Pharaoh, whose arms are raised holding up the blue hieroglyph which represents the sky (see ).

3) - Floral frieze

(see )

As with the one at the top of the wall, its height justifies that it is separate from the register below. It contains only a floral display of lotus blossoms in its upper part and a blue and white design below. These are bordered above and below with bright red motifs interrupted by dark red ones, the decorator obviously used the motifs which he thought worth viewing.

4) - Bottom register

(see )

This now contains two scenes, each having suffered damage, the area closest to the entrance, which probably contained a third scene, has disappeared completely.

a) - The scene on the left

(see )

Khonsu and a woman (possibly his mother) were seated (now lost) in front of a table of offerings on which three tall lighted tapers (candles) separated by two cone-shaped lamps (see ). Davies dedicated these to a special article where he showed the association between these cones made of grease (or tallow) with wicks and the slim taper ones. The red bands on them, which can be seen here, are probably made from another colourful grease, but they could also be bands of cloth intended to hold the structure together when burning. The aim of the scene is two-fold: the tapers serves to bring light, the wax candle to bring the lasting smell of smoke, which doesn't however replace that of the incense since, as here, there is often found a priest making the incensing close by. In the 18th Dynasty, a priest can often be seen carrying two candles in the setting of the ritual of the light offering to the deceased, in order that he can find his path in the obscurity of the necropolis. The significance given to the process evolved during the time and the amalgam between light and fumigation was made. Progressively the custom instituted itself for the deceased's friends to bring between two to five lighted candles and cones, for light and odour, this last did not however replace traditional incensement.

Here, we therefore have three candles and two cone blocks, apparently, placed on a table, and a person named Pahesy (the name is uncertain) who plays the role of lector priest, making the libation and the incensement, as indicated by the text: "Making incensement and libation to the Osiris, the high-priest of Thutmosis III (?), Khonsu". He is followed by four women who are there to assist him.

b) - The scene on the right

(see and )

A priest, who has nearly disappeared completely, makes libation and incensement over the top of offerings placed on two monopodal tables. To the left is seated a man and three women. The text identifies them: "Making libation and incensement for the Osiris, the overseer of the livestock of Menkheperre, Khonsu, who is called To, justified", "The mistress of the house, greatly praised by Hathor of Ermant (Iunu), May", "His mother, the chantress of Montu, Lord of…, Tauseret" and "His daughter, the chantress of Montu, Wiay".