The dance scenes in the private tombs at Amarna

Abstract

To the east of the city of Akhetaten there are two necropolises with the tombs of some of the high dignitaries who lived during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. In them, as in the private Theban tombs of the New Kingdom, we can find different scenes of music and dance, thanks to which we can understand the importance of both activities during the Amarna period. This paper presents a brief study of the architecture and decoration of these tombs and will focus on the study of the different dance scenes found in them. These representations, performed by both men and women, can be divided into different groups according to their typology: female orchestras, pantomimic dances, and dance scenes within the royal harem. Each group has its own characteristics, related to iconography and meaning. In addition, they are clearly different from the dance scenes found in other necropolises used during the New Kingdom (such as Thebes or el-Kab), so a comparison between them is necessary to understand the religious and artistic changes that occurred during the reign of Akhenaten.