Ancient Egyptian human remains, mummified and skeletal, have been studied for centuries by archaeologists and egyptologists, who have focused on mummification techniques, palaeopathology and signs of activity. However, some of these studies have been lacking in taphonomic and osteological knowledge. This dissertation considers if some of the interpretations of osteoarchaeological data in these studies can be better explained by taphonomic processes, a more in-depth knowledge of paleopathology and osteological identification techniques. As a result, the interpretations of terrible working and life conditions at Tell el Amarna, the capital city founded by Akhenaten were created by interpreting common pathologies as indications of forced labor and poor diet, and by ignoring facts about the context.  The identifications of KV55 and KV60-A individuals cannot be considered valid. No reliable radiologic methods exist that can age an individual between the ages of 35-45. A damaged vertebra and a femur were incorrectly said to contain osteophytes. The damages described in the cranium and teeth of this individual may even be of peri-mortem origin. The tooth used to identify KV60-A with Hatshepsut does not have the wear expected for the age group of the individual, while the cranial morphology shows a high indication of masculine traits.  Unknown man E, Unknown woman A and the Greek-roman mummy seemed to have been affected by common taphonomic and archaeothanatological processes. The healing process of the mandibula and maxilla makes it unlikely that the so called “bridges” were used during life. In conclusion, a much deeper knowledge of taphonomy, paleopathology and general osteological knowledge in these studies would have been necessary to avoid misinterpretations.

This is a biography of the scribe Butehamun. A member of a well-known family who had long lived in the village of Deir el-Medina working on the tombs in the Valley of Kings, Butehamun’s coming of age saw invasion and civil war in Thebes, and the end to the making of new tombs in the Valley, as the New Kingdom came to an end. Instead he was given the task by the High Priests of Amun to remove and rewrap royal mummies and rebury them in secret caches, while plundering them of their gold and other valuables for the coffers of the priestly rulers of Thebes. In many respects Butehamun was a tomb raider in the service of the High Priests of Amun. That project seems to have been successful: The mummy of every single king from the 18th through 21st Dynasties that has been identified and was found in a tomb was found in the two caches KV 35 or TT 320 (with the sole exception of Tutankhamun). Butehamun is unusually well-documented, leaving behind many letters, labels on coffins he worked with, graffiti, and highly unusual imagery on his own coffins. Two houses he lived in have been excavated, one with inscriptions about his family. This paper seeks to create a biography of Butehamun through the study of these things he left behind. One seems to reflect he may have suffered a crisis of faith, others may display instead a deep piety for Amun and pride in the royal mummy reburial project he carried out in the service of the god. / Detta är en biografi över skrivaren Butehamon. Han kom från en mycket känd familj som i många generationer verkat i byn Deir e-Medinah och arbetat med gravarna i Konungarnas dal. Han växte upp under en tid av invasion och inbördeskrig i Thebe, vilket ledde till slutet på det Nya riket och på byggandet av nya gravar i Dalen. Butehamons uppdrag från guden Amuns överstepräster blev istället att svepa om mumierna med nytt linne och avlägsna allt guld och andra värdesaker. Mumierna begravdes i nya hemliga förvaringsplatser, medan värdesakerna gick till Thebes religiösa härskare. Man kan beskriva Butehamon som en gravplundrare i tjänst hos översteprästerna. Projektet tycks ha varit en succé: Varenda kung från 18:e till och med 21:a dynastierna vars mumie har identifierats och som hittades i en grav fanns i ett av de två gömställena, KV 35 eller TT 320 (med Tutankhamon som enda undantag). Butehamon är ovanligt väldokumenterad, med många brev, etiketter på likkistor han arbetat med, graffiti samt de mycket ovanliga bilderna på hans egna likkistor. Två hus där han bodde har grävts ut, ett med inskriptioner om hans familj. Denna avhandling är en biografi över Butehamon baserad på studier av de saker han lämnade efter sig. En av dem tyder på en andlig kris, medan andra tycks avspegla en djup fromhet och tro på Amun och stolthet över det mumieprojekt han ledde i gudens tjänst.