Tia

Tia was an ancient Egyptian high official under king Ramses II. His main title was that of an overseer of the treasuries. Tia was married to a woman with the same name, the princess Tia who was sister of Ramses II.

Career and Family Not much is known about the early years. One of the earliest mentions of Tia is on a block now in the University of Chicago Oriental Institute (no. 10507). Tia and a man named Amenwashu are shown before King Seti I and the then crown-prince Ramesses II. Habachi conjectured that Amenwashu was Tia's father, but there is no evidence to support this idea. The identification of the man Tia on the Chicago stela with the official Tia is based on the rarity of the name. It is not known when Tia married Ramesses's sister Tia. Tia is clearly stated to be the King's sister and this scene shows that she was indeed the sister of Ramesses II.

Tomb at Saqqara

Tia and Tia are best known from their tomb at Saqqara which was placed between the tomb of the 18th Dynasty general Horemhab (the later king) and the overseer of the treasuries Maya, the latter had the same title as Tia. The tomb is not very well preserved. The main entrance was on the east side. There was a first courtyard and a second one that was adorned with columns. At the back there were chapels and at the very back a small pyramid.

The outer courtyard of the tomb contained two smaller tomb-chapels. One of the chapels belonged to Iurudef, while the name of the owner of the second chapel is not known. A stela of an official belonging to the household of Tia, named Panakhtenniut, was found nearby. There is, however, no evidence that he was the owner of the chapel.

Tia was once buried in a set of three coffins. There was a wooden inner, anthropoid coffin, a middle granite, anthropoid coffin and an outer, wooden, rectangular coffin. The coffins were only found in small fragments.

Chapel at Kafr el-Gebel Not all materials mentioning Tia and Tia come from the tomb in Saqqara. Ahmed Mahmoud Moussa discovered a funerary chapel at Kafr el-Gebel which is located to the south of the Giza Pyramid Plateau at the edge of the desert.

Inscriptions The 1997 excavation report contains a list of known inscriptions associated with Tia and Tia. Freestanding Block Stela (Cairo JdE 89624). A four sided stela showing Tia adoring Re-Horakhti, Atum, Osiris and Sokar. The stela mentions Ramesses II. Relief on Sandstone block (Royal Ontario Museum No 955-79-2) Hathor of the Southern Sycamore adored by Queen Tuya, the treasurer Tia and the King's Sister Tia. Limestone Stela (Florence Inv. 2532) Stela depicts both husband and wife. Schist Stela (Louvre E.7717) Tia adoring Ptah Re and Amun. Stone Relief (In trade in Paris 1973) Both husband and wife are mentioned. Pyramidion (ex-Lethieullier Coll.) Tia shown worshipping a soul bird adoring Re-Horakhti, Osiris, Atum and Osiris a second time. Stamped brick mentioning Tia from Thebes. Shabti figure (Formerly J.F. Lewis Coll., USA) Inscribed for the Osiris, Royal Scribe, Treasury Chief Tia, justified. Stela of retainer Amenemhab-Pakheru (Gubelkian Museum, Durham, N 1965). Dedicated by Iurudef, Son of Pakhuru.