Maya

Maya was an important figure during the reign of Pharaohs Tutankhamun, Ay and Horemheb of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Maya's titles include: Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King, Overseer of the treasuries, chief of the works in the necropolis, and leader of the festival of Amun in Karnak.

The early years of Maya's life and career are not well known. It is possible that Maya started his career during the reign of Amenhotep III. He may be the same person as a royal scribe named Maya who is attested in Malkata in year 34. He may also be the same person as a courtier named May known from a tomb in Amarna during the reign of Akhenaten. The May from Amarna shares some of the titles with Maya, but he was not a treasurer. Meryt, Maya's wife, is known to have died before her husband since her funeral was performed by Nahuher, Maya's half-brother.

Maya is known to have lived until at least Year 8 of Horemheb when an inscription mentions he was charged with tax collection for the entire country and organizing offerings for the gods.

Administrative titles Overseer of the Treasury of the Lord of the Two Lands Overseer of the Treasury of Silver and Gold Overseer of the Double Treasury of Gold Overseer of the Double Treasury of Silver

Religious titles Guardian of the secrets of the House of Gold in the temples of all gods He who leads the procession He who leads the feast of Amon Guide to the feast of Amon in Karnak

Appellation titles Loved by the Lord of The Two Lands One that the Lord of The Two Lands loves because of his virtues [He] Who does what pleases his majesty Who does what pleases the Lord of the Two Lands (He) whose every act satisfies the One (the king) (His) conduct is beneficial in his heart (the king) (He) whose ka was shaped by the Lord of the Two Lands Great in the Palace Great in his dignity pleasant (in) the heart of the sovereign

Tomb and burial

Maya's own tomb at Saqqara was initially partly excavated in 1843 by the archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius, and its impressive reliefs were recorded in sketches and some of them brought to Berlin. Over time, however, the tomb was covered by sand, and its location was lost. In 1975, a joint expedition of archaeologists from the Egypt Exploration Society in London and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, Netherlands began a quest to rediscover the tomb, and on 6 February 1986, they finally succeeded. On this date, Professor Geoffrey T. Martin together with Dr. Jacobus Van Dijk representing the Leiden museum discovered the burial chamber of Maya's subterranean tomb at Saqqara some 18 metres (60 feet) below the surface. in Leiden, Netherlands since 1823. Recently, the pair has been lent to The Archeological Civic Museum (MCA) of Bologna from 17 October 2015 to 17 July 2016.