This, the main chamber, is divided in two by the entrance on its east side and the Osiris niche (facing it) on the west side. It measures approximately 9 metres north to south, an average of 2 metres wide and slightly over 2.6 metres in height. The southern side is longer (by a metre) than the northern side The floor level is considerably lower than that of the entrance, whilst the ceiling is only slightly higher. In the floor of this chamber, situated in front of the Osiris niche and almost extending to the entrance passageway, is the shaft to the first subterranean complex. Chamber A - east wall, southern section For this section of the main chamber, the general form of the header frieze, borders and text bands has already been discussed, leaving only description of the actual content of the two picture registers and text bands. Above the scenes of both registers is a dark blue band, which has not been finished at the ends as a hieroglyph of the sky, but does contains white stars on the upper of the two bands only. The content of both the upper and lower picture registers closely resemble those of the east side of Room A of TT178, however, the number of actual scenes has been reduced in this tomb.
Upper text band
Ptah-Sokar, who is in the Sektit ("the evening barque of the sun"), Nefertem-Horhekenu, and all gods of the necropolis. May they give: a blessed spirit in the heavens, power on Earth, and justification to me. So that I may sit like they sit and stand like they stand. So that my name is known like one of them, like the beautiful transfigured ones in the necropolis. For the Ka of the Osiris, the real scribe of the king, whom he prefers, the deputy administrator of the treasury of the Lord of the Two Lands of the city ("Thebes"), Nefersekheru, justified. Through his beloved sister, the chantress of Amun, Nefertiri, justified in peace. Upper picture register The register suffers from several small areas of damage, some of which were deliberate. That at the beginning (left) edge is due to damage of the entrance corner, which also affected the southern entrance passage wall. This contains (reading from the right of the entrance) five interconnected scenes. Firstly, two portal (sbxt) scenes, taken from chapter 144-147 of the "Book of the Dead", (each guarded by demons, whose job is to repulse evil) through which the deceased must pass, via the scene of adoration of Osiris, on the way to the scene of the judgement hall.
The deceased has both arms arms raised in adoration, his wife has only her right arm raised, whilst in her lowered left one she holds the stem a large papyrus umbel, about which are leaf tendrils. The animal-form demons squat inside on two levels, in each case on a thick green mat and each holding a knife. The opened door of the shrine is shown in black ladder-like stripes on a yellow background and with black edges. At the top is a frieze of dark blue grapes on yellow background, two colour ladder bands and finally, a yellow cornice forms the roof, on top of which is represented a green spear-shaped kheker frieze. The rear wall of the shrine consists of two colour ladder bands. The whole thing stands on a pedestal with a white cornice and a lower part embellished with a blue and red flower garland.
Nefersekheru again has both arms raised in adoration and from his left elbow hangs the hieroglyph of writing materials, whilst his wife this time holds a duck in her left hand, along with the entwined stem of the papyrus umbel. The four demons are seated mummy-like, again on green mats bound at the ends, two per mat, one pair above the other. They all hold black whips with red whip strings on top of their bent knees. Their brightly colour garments enclose the entire body. With the exception of the roof adornment, the shrine is identical to that of the previous scene. Instead, rising from the roof are yellow uraeus snakes with red sun disks, which, with the exception of the last (which faces right and ends the frieze) look to the left. A blue feather is behind first snake, after which there are always two feathers.
An inscription separates a great offering construction from the judgement scene and continues above the heads of the couple. This is part of the "Hymn to Osiris". The couple raise their hands in adoration, with her left hand, the woman shakes a sistrum. Before the couple is an offering construction piled on four stands, from which hangs an elaborate garland, and three standing bouquets between them. This stands on a corniced pedestal of the same design used for the shrines in the previous scenes. On top of the various offerings is a large bouquet and a white dish from which emanates plumes of smoke. Between the pile of offerings and the deceased stands a large rod bouquet of decorated papyrus umbels.
In front of them is the actual weighing scene which is frequently called "the weighing of the heart". The shaft of the scales stands on a stone corniced pedestal with the beam hanging free, through a ring connected to a hook in the form of the feather of Ma'at. Behind the hook, squats the scribe-god Thoth, who watches over the precision of the scales, in his form of a baboon. The two scale pans hang down from the ends of the beam on cords. In the left pan is the form of the goddess Ma'at, the counterbalance to the red heart of the deceased in that on the right. To be proved justified, the heart of the deceased must not weigh heavy against Ma'at ("truth"). On the left lurks the devourer of the dead awaits the result of the examination. Of its crocodile head, only the uppermost part (the end) of its jaws survive. A red-brown shaggy mane rests on the yellow lion front part which ends at the shoulder and changes into a cumbersome hippopotamus hind quarters. Horus (face damaged) adjusts the plumb of the scales, its correctness is guaranteed by the baboon form of Thoth. The usual form of Thoth (face damaged), with his scribe's pallet in his left hand, announces the result to Osiris, the sovereign of the deceased. Above the weighing scene, sit the associate judges: four gods in mummiform with was-sceptres in their hands, each before an offering construction. Their function is to oversee the examination with the scales and to pass judgement after the declaration of the result of weighing, which Horus then relays to Osiris. The whole action takes place before Osiris, seated in a shrine, in front of which is the imiut, a spotted animal fur hanging from a pillar. Symbolically, Nephthys (in front) and Isis stand, with raised hands, behind Osiris (their faces been hammer out). In front of him, on the top of a large lotus blossom, stand the images of the four sons of Horus. The shrine is framed on both sides by a double ladder band, another double band frames the top with the addition of a corniced roof, topped by a uraeus frieze. The mummiform Osiris sits on a throne, standing on a dark-blue Ma'at sign. He holds the crook and flail of power across his chest Middle text band [An offering which the king gives to Osiris, First of the West, Wennefer,] the Lord of the Sacred land, the Great God, Ruler of Abydos, the Ruler in the Necropolis, the great in Busiris, the eldest in [Heracleopolis], who is in the tomb hills, the First of the horizon. Who is with the atef-crown, who came from his mothers body, whose body the uraeus snake decorates, the Ba with the secret face in his Ennead of gods, who is in the hills of the western-mountains, the Lord of Praise, to whom obeisance is made. One kisses the earth at the place where he is, the Lord of embodiment with numerous manifestations, from his thought everything, which is, arose. ... missing section ... May you grant that I am in the entourage of your Ka, that I am associated with your praises and that I accompany those who are transfigured, that I survive in peace, as they survive; the Osiris, scribe of the divine offering of all the gods, Nefersekheru. Lower picture register This lower register also suffers from many small areas of damage, some of which were deliberate. It also has a large missing section towards the right-hand end of the register (see photo), which affects the last two scenes. The damage to the beginning edge is the damage to the entrance corner.
Due to damage of the text above the couple the deceased's wife is not identified, but she is almost certainly Nefertiri.
The text above the couple gives their names and information about the occasion, "Receiving onions from you on the night of Baraset (Bastet) and at the first festival of Osiris,...", thus associating this scene with the festival of Sokar. The couple sit with their left hands raised in salutation. The woman holds a piece of cloth in her right hand, on her lap. Her spouse holds a yellow plant and blossom bordered sekhem-sceptre on his lap with his right hand. Behind the chair of Nefertiri stands a small naked girl, probably her daughter, but, because of her position, could she also be deceased? In front of the couple is the large offering construction, decorated around the stand with two long garlands. The offering itself is made from two tall bouquets, which frame a large onion skein. The onions are bound to a strap at the top and widen fan-like downwards. On the other side of the offering, kneeling on the ground, is a mourner, who holds her left hand in mourning to her forehead. This is the daughter of the deceased (and probably Nefertiri). Behind the mourner, a sem-priest (recognised by his animal fur) offers libation and fumigation offerings.
As in the previous scene, the woman grasps a long cloth on her lap with her right hand, in her left she holds a lotus blossom, symbol of the regeneration, to her nose. Her spouse again has his hand raise in salutation, whilst in his right hand he holds only a sekhem-sceptre. On the other side of the offering table, the sem-priest again offers libation and fumigation offerings. Nothing can be inferred from the inscriptions about the name of the offering, only the animal fur confirms a sem-priest.
The board rest on a slim pillar on four thin legs, blossom garlands encompassed the middle and top. The yellow painted board is subdivided into 6 by 10 fields on the left and is blank on the right. Directly in front of the deceased stand five larger ("Halma'-style") pieces, alternately coloured dark-green and red. Three short spools are on the other side of the gaming field, of which two are dark green and one red. Because of the board design and the gaming pieces, it is unlikely that this is the game of Senet (as with TT178, no name is given in the text). Perhaps the board was intended for playing two different games. Nefersekheru holds a sekhem-sceptre in his left hand and the long cloth, which hangs down before his kilt to calf-height. In his outstretched right hand he balances a white spool-shaped piece on his forefinger. His wife has her right arm about her spouse; the fingers of her hand appear on his right shoulder. Her left arm is raised as if in greeting, although there is no one opposite the pair.
The major damage is the large missing section, which has removed the whole person of the deceased with exception of an elbow, the lower part of his kilt and feet, though other small areas of damage are scattered over the whole image. The deceased stands in front of a rich offering construction, before the shrine of the deified royal pair, Amenhotep I and Ahmose-Nefertari (mother of Amenhotep I). The king, with a flail in his right hand and an ankh-sign in his left on his lap, is throned like his mother on a chair upholstered with a pillow. He wears the blue khepresh crown, whose red bands fall down over his back. Ahmose-Nefertai has a blue wig, which stands out slightly from her black skin colour, on which lies a golden vulture-bonnet, crowned by a red sun disk between two golden feathers. In her left hand, the queen holds an ankh-sign, in her right, she has a fly whisk, which falls over her shoulder. Chamber A - east wall, northern section This section of the east wall wall of the main chamber is considerably shorter than the southern side. The general form of the header frieze, borders and text bands has already been discussed, leaving only description of the actual content of the two picture registers and text bands. However, the header frieze on this section of wall, unlike any of the others, contains at one end (the north end) an udjat-eye in a small shrine. Above the scenes of both registers is a dark blue band, which, in the case of this section of wall, does not appear to contain stars.
Upper text band An offering which the king gives to: Osiris, First of the West, the Great God, Ruler of the living, Isis, the Great, the God's mother, Mistress of Heaven, Mistress of the Two Lands, Anubis, Lord of the cavernous openings, Imiut, Lord of the exalted land. So that they may be transfigured in the heavens through Re, have power on Earth through Geb, and justification through the great god. For the Ka of the Osiris, the deputy administrator of the treasury of the Lord of the Two Lands in the southern city [Thebes], Nefersekheru, justified, the worthy. Upper picture register
Although this register may appear to consist of more than one scene, it is in fact just one. There are several small areas of damage, the largest being to the seated figure of Osiris at the northern (left) end of the register. Because of the wide distribution of these damaged areas, the faces of the deceased and his wife (who on this register is Nedjmaat-Mut) and the body of Osiris, may or may not have been deliberate. The deceased and his wife stand in front of a shrine, which contains a reduced version the Book of the Dead 125B (the 'Negative Confession'). The couple cross through this, in order to justify themselves before Osiris. The couple approach a shrine with its doors open at both ends, so that they can pass through it. Above its cornice, stands a frieze of uraei and feathers, at the centre of which are a pair of falcon-eyes. On the visible outside wall are thirty vertical lines of invocations from the Book of the Dead (which actually contains forty-two). Each column is divided by a a box containing a crouching demon. Above it is the text calling its name, whilst the text below has the name of the deceased and the designation of the action which he has not committed. Only the first 10 entries follow those of the full traditional forty-two. For example, the 4th: Hail, Engulfer of shadows, who comes from the cavern, the Osiris Nefersekheru, justified (says): I have not stolen. As if he has just walked through the shrine, the deceased appears on the other side of the shrine, behind the opened door. He has his hands raised in reverence before Osiris, who sits in his shrine accompanied by Ma'at, standing behind him. Thoth stands in front of the deceased and introduces him. With writing material over his arm, and the feather of Ma'at, he is also here represented as the scribe of Ma'at. Inside the shrine, in front of the sovereign of the dead, is a blossom which supports the Sons of Horus: Amseti and Hapy with human-head, Duamutef with a jackal-head and Qebehsenuef with falcon-head. Middle text band An offering which the king gives to Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, the Lord of Schetit, Nefertem-Horhekenu, the Great Ennead, the Lords of the necropolis. May they arrange that everything which comes from their offering tables for the Ka of the Osiris, the scribe of the divine offerings of all gods of Thebes, Nefersekheru, justified. May your Ba is useful to you and sweet breath be in your nose. May Anubis puts his arms on your limbs. May the westerners unite with you, and may one open the two doors of the Duat. May one give you courage, open for you the heavens, so that you may be united with him and with the immortal (stars). Lower picture register
This register consist of only one long scene. There are several small areas of damage, the largest being located at the bottom, nearest to the entrance, at the right end of the register. The scene represents the burial, and corresponds to the vignette of the 1st Chapter of the Book of the Dead. It shows the transition from the worldly side into the tomb, which would serve the deceased as his abode for his life in the hereafter. The register is divided into three sections. The left-hand section being full height. The middle section being divided in two sub-registers, the upper of which is much narrower than the lower one. The right-hand section is again divided into two sub-registers, this time the split is more even. Upper right sub-register, from the right to left : Four men pull the red sleigh with the canopic chest. The light blue-green shrine stands on a corniced podium decorated with a wide blossom garland. The necropolis-god, Anubis, reclines on top with the golden flail over his back and a red bandage about his neck. Tall rod-bouquets are placed at the front and rear of the shrine. Before the four men, who pull the canopic-sleigh, a man carries a chest on his back behind a second, who balances a bed on his head with his right hand and carries a tall box in his left. In front stride two men with a tray, on which stand two jugs and a red mummy-mask. Two further men are in front of these, each of which carry a shrines on a bar over their shoulders. At the front, a man carries a seat with pillows. Both lower sub-registers, from the right to left : A team of four cows, driven by a drover, pull the coffin sleigh before which a sem-priest offers fumigation and libation offerings. The coffin shrine is open, as in other representations, the mummy lies inside. Rod-bouquets decorate the front and rear of the shrine. A wailing woman crouches before the shrine with her hands raised to her head. Three men follow the sleigh, two of which hold rods from which two ribbons hang down. These are obviously a group of dignitaries. A bald-headed priest leads the coffin shrine procession. From a vessel held above his head, he pours liquid on the ground before his feet. The original idea of this action was that the water was poured on the ground before the sleigh to assist in its gliding. The train is received by two women mourners, facing the priest. The four mourners facing the other way, one of which kneels on the ground, belong to the final (left-hand) section of the full register). The breasts of all the women are bare and their hair is tied at the neck. Upper left sub-register, from the right to left : In the register over the mourners, the action also refers to the rites before the tomb. The baseline is raised about 7cm, which indicates its separation from the previous action. A small calf guided by the mother-cow (drawn without udders) follows a man, who approaches the tomb with a thigh of beef. In front of him, women mourners kneel on the ground, their right hands raised to their heads, their left lowered to the ground maybe to to pick up sand which they scatter on themselves as the sign of mourning. Before them kneels a man with his hands raised in a henu-gesture. The sub-division of the register finishes here. Left-hand section of the register, from the right to left : The main-action now expands to its full height. Two priests stand side by side, the lector-priest, in the foreground, recites from a papyrus, on which (as in TT178) is the title of the ritual: "The Opening of the Mouth ritual, carried out for the Osiris, Nefersekheru." Preceding them is another group of three men, again all priests. The one in the foreground, a sem-priest, pours a purification offering from a hes-vessel on to the offering construction, which stands before the the mummy at the tomb. The second, with a darker skin colour, lifts a nemset-jar with both hands. The third priest raises an 'Opening of the Mouth' instrument. In front of the priests, the action is placed on a raised stand, possibly representing the courtyard of the tomb. Above the offering construction and enclosed within the area of text, is a tall chest, above which is a low table filled with appliances for the 'Opening of the Mouth' ceremony. These are all drawn in red, mainly in outline only. The wife of the deceased kneels before the offering construction. Lamenting, she places her hands on the body and the legs of the upright mummy. A rod-bouquet stands beside her and reaches up to the chest of the mummy. A stela stands behind the mummy of the deceased, which is unusually shown turned side-on as a narrow stripe. Surrounding the forehead of the mummy is a coloured band, a perfume cone with a lotus blossom sits on his head. A gold mask covers the face and upper body. A tall papyrus stem stands between the mummy and the stela. Behind the stela is the tomb itself, a white rectangular construction with a corniced roof. The tomb includes a yellow door enclosed in red. Above the tomb rises a white pyramid, which is crowned by a pyramidion of black stone. On the facing side of the pyramid is a black outlined yellow stela on a blue pedestal. A rod-bouquet rises from the roof of the tomb, its papyrus umbel leans forward towards the stela. The tomb is created with its left side into the mountains of the west. Sticking out from the side of the mountain, in yellow (to be interpret as gold) with red outlining, is the head and crown of the Hathor-cow, a blue menit necklace hanging about her neck. Her crown is formed of feathers, a sun disk and horns at the back. Hathor, who is here called Mistress of the West, in her role as goddess of the necropolis, receives the deceased.
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