The banquet scenes of Nakht's New Kingdom tomb

Within the walls of the tomb of Nakht, the family of the deceased is shown together being entertained by musicians and dancers. This banquet scene is a common genre in New Kingdom tombs, emphasizing the closeness of the family and their continued existence together in the afterlife. Some scholars suggest these scenes were also intended to guarantee the deceased potency in the hereafter, evidenced by the inclusion of mandrakes and lotus flowers held by the women.

Nakht served as a scribe and astronomer of Amun during the Eighteenth Dynasty, likely during the reign of Thutmose IV. His tomb features a standard T-shaped design common for non-royal Theban tombs, consisting of a broad hall, a long hall, and a shrine containing a statue of the deceased. Unlike Old Kingdom mastabas, where decorations primarily provided magical sustenance for the ka, these New Kingdom decorations served to identify the deceased.

On the walls, Nakht is shown overseeing men who are ploughing, sowing and harvesting the fields. These agricultural scenes may metaphorically show an eternal life through the process of farming through the seasons, or they may represent the continuation of his life in the Field of Reeds. Nearby, scenes of fishing and fowling further show Nakht and his family receiving food and entertainment after death.

Across the tomb, the family remains joined in many scenes. The scholar Davies suggested that the Egyptians enjoyed family life and that the strength with which love of family survived death is witnessed to by the family groups painted on nearly every wall, suggesting that one purpose of the tomb scenes was to guarantee their company beyond death.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons