Faunal Remains in the Tomb Karabasken (TT 391)

This chapter examines the faunal remains unearthed in the tomb of Karabasken. The Pillared Hall of the tomb chapel of Karabasken yielded a dense deposit of 875 bones that showed signs of some degree of weathering and erosion, possibly because of flood and wind activities, combined with sand and soil abrasion. In addition to bones, date pits, cow and ovicaprid dung, and vegetal material were found. The entire deposit of animal bones in the Pillared Hall of Karabasken's tomb can be estimated to consist of at least 2,900 cattle and 580 ovicaprids. None of the bones bore butchery marks. The bones might be the result of years of religious feasts and celebrations that involved the slaughter of cattle, such as the two annual Eids, the birth of children, and funerals. Nevertheless, the absence of butchery marks, together with the presence of all the bones, is puzzling.