Userhet was a ‘Royal Scribe’ during the reign of Amenhotep II of the 18th Dynasty . His title suggests that he was brought up in the royal court as one of the companions of the royal children and was a close friend of the king in adulthood. His most prominent title was ‘Scribe who counts breads in Upper and Lower Egypt’. 

​

The painted tomb of Userhet is well-preserved with unusual scenes of many subjects

​

In the hall to the left of the entrance, Userhet can be seen in the company of his wife Mutnefert and a daughter, offering to Osiris and Hathor, Mistress of the West. The next five registers depict Userhet’s duties as a grain accountant and other agricultural scenes. These include inspecting rows of cattle and ‘overthrowing bulls’ in order to brand them. There are pictures of grain being reaped, measured and transported and below, women pulling flax.

​

The left-hand side of the southern wall again shows Userhet and his wife with two daughters and a son making offerings to them. A tiny monkey can be seen under Mutnofert’s chair, beside her mirror, and under Userhet’s chair his quiver of arrows and his scribal equipment. Banqueting scenes representing the ‘Beautiful Feast of the Valley’ follow on this wall with a harpist, a girl playing an oboe and clappers providing the musical entertainment. The upper register shows female guests at the banquet.

​

The right-hand side of the southern wall shows rows of military recruits. Barbers are giving haircuts to some of the men while others wait apprehensively in the queue in the shade of a tree or squabble over a shared chair. Another scene shows soldiers being given provisions and perhaps this was part of Userhet’s responsibilities. Officers appear seated in rows before plentiful supplies of food, wine and beer, but the troops are lined up waiting for baskets of bread. A supervisor with a whip checks the rations as they are taken from the storehouse. The right-hand side of this wall shows a red-headed Userhet offering a bouquet and fruit to the king in a kiosk. Amenhotep II is accompanied by his bodyguards.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The left-hand wall of the chapel is painted in two registers. Userhet is shown hunting in his chariot, firing his arrows at a collection of fleeing desert animals, gazelle, hares, fox and hyena, with his military escort following behind. Below is a conventional fishing and fowling scene where Userhet, with his family (and cats), stands poised to throw a stick or spear fish from a papyrus boat. In the scene below men are trapping fowl in a draw-net and offering the produce to Userhet and his wife. Next depicted is a damaged scene of the grape harvest, with baskets of grapes and wine jars waiting to be filled. A scribe records the vintage. Userhet is making an offering to the serpent-goddess Renenutet (Termuthis).

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

At the end of the chapel is a statue niche which once held the statues of Userhet and Mutnefert, but little remains today.

​

The scenes on the right-hand wall are show in three registers and depict the funeral procession and the ritual of ‘Opening the Mouth’. The burial goods are shown transported to the tomb accompanied by mourning women in the traditional manner. ‘The Abydos Pilgrimage’ in the bottom scene shows Userhet’s sarcophagus in a boat being towed by four others on its sacred journey.