THEMES

Please note the following:

Most main themes have the subthemes Va (Various) and ? (Unknown). Subthemes which can be recognised but do not fall within the existing categories will be found in Va (Various). All unrecognisable subthemes are placed in the category ? (Unknown) of the main theme they belong to. If this main theme cannot be recognised then these scenes fall under the main theme EX.
Ka-servants are grouped together with “Servants without attributes” (= OF/S).
The manufacture of seals belongs to the category VA/Ma (Various/Market scenes)

You can choose the following overviews:

Overview of subthemes per main theme
Alphabetical list of subtheme abbreviations

Themes and colouring scheme

Abbr.

Main theme

A
General

AG

Agriculture; grain and flax

AL

Agriculture; land preparation and horticulture

EX

Extra categorical

FI

Fishing

FO

Fowling

FU

Funeral

GA

Games / Music

HU

Hunting

KI

Kitchen scenes

MA

Marsh scenes

OF

Offerings

SH

Ships

SL

Slaughtering

ST

Stock/ cattle-breeding

TR

Trades

VA

Various

Overview of subthemes per main theme

A	General
A>	Owner (looking right), incl. family members
<A	Owner (looking left), incl. family members
A	Owner (orientation unknown), incl. family members

EX	Extra categorical
FD	False door
FM	Family members
OF	Offeringlist
T	Text
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

AG	Agriculture; grain and flax
Hfl	Flax harvest
Hg	Grain harvest
M	Measuring of grain etc.
P	Putting papyrus flower on grain pile
Ps	Piling sheaves
S	Storage of grain and other products
Sc	Scribes administrating
Tc	Threshing by cattle
Td	Threshing by donkeys
Tr	Transportation by donkey (to / from threshing)
Ts	Threshing by sheep/goats
W	Winnowing etc. of grain
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

AL	Agriculture; land preparation and horticulture
H	Horticulture
Hf	Fig harvest
Hg	Grape harvest
Ht	Tree-fruits harvest
Lh	Land preparation with hoe
Lp	Land preparation with plough
Sc	Scribes administrating
Si	Silo
So	Sowers (with bags)
St	Sheep covering / treading seed
W	Wine-growing / Viticulture
Wa	Wine-growing / Viticulture + (rendering of) accounts
Wb	Wine-growing, beating a rhythm
Wf	Filling wine-jars
Wp	Pressing wine
Ws	Sealing wine casks
Wt	Treading wine
Wtg	Wine, transport of grapes
?	Unknown

FI	Fishing
B	Fishing with basket
D	Fishing with dragnet (/seine)
F	Fishing with fyke
Fn	Fishing with fyke-net
H	Fishing with hand net / landing net
L	Fishing with line with fishhooks
Pr	Fish processing
Sc	Scribes administrating
Tr	Fish transportation
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

FO	Fowling
A	Aviary / bird house
Bc	Caging birds
Bs	Scaring birds
Bt	Transporting birds in cages
Cf	Care / feeding
Fw	Folding wings
H	Hexagonal net (= Clapnet)
Hn	Hand net (for quails)
Mn	Manufacture of bird-nets
Sc	Scribes administrating
St	Spring trap
T	Tree-net
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

FU	Funeral
Cs	Cult of statue
D	Funeral dance
Ds	Dragging statues
Ft	Funeral at tomb
O	Opening of the Mouth
P	Pilgrimage by boat ("Saisfahrt")
T	Tomb
Vp	Funeral voyage (/crossing) and/or procession
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)

GA	Games / Music
B	Board games
Bb	Boys with birds
C	Children’s games
D	Dancing
E	Eating and drinking
M	Musical group / orchestra, incl. singing
S	Singing

HU	Hunting
D	Desert Hunt
H	Hippopotamus Hunt
L	Lasso
?	Unknown

KI	Kitchen scenes
Ba	Baking bread
Br	Brewing beer
C	Carving meat
Cp	Cooking in pots
Fp	Food preparation, various kinds
G	Grinding flour
Mg	Measuring of grain for baking of bread
Pb	Plucking birds
R	Roasting on the spit
Sc	Scribes administrating
?	Unknown

MA	Marsh scenes
A	Attendants
B	Birds
Fp	Fabrication of objects out of papyrus
Hl	Lotus harvest / gathering
Hp	Papyrus harvest (never done by the owner; often adjacent to MA/Os or MA/Ot, compare MA/Opp)
O?	Owner in Marshes (unknown which subtheme: Op, Opp, Os or Ot)
Op	Owner in Marshes: journey on papyrus boat
Opp	Owner in Marshes: Pulling papyrus (= zSS wAD, never adjacent to MA/Os or MA/Ot, compare MA/Hp)
Os	Owner in Marshes: Fishing with spear
Ot	Owner in Marshes: Fowling with throwstick
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

OF	Offerings
E	Estates
F	Furniture
G	Garments / linen
M	Milk jars
O	Offerings on display
Ob	Offering bearers, incl. ka-servants and attendants with attributes
Obb	Offering bearers on boats
Ov	Offerings, vessels
Pb	Presentation of birds
Pf	Presentation of fish
Pi	Presentation of incense
Pj	Presentation of jewellery
Pl	Presentation of lotus
Pm	Presentation of pieces of meat
Pra	Procession of domestic animals
Prb	Procession of birds
Prc	Procession of domestic cattle
Prd	Procession of desert cattle
Pt	Presentation of tree-fruits
Pv	Presentation of vessels
S	Servants without attributes (incl. ka-servants)
Sc	Scribes administrating
Sr	Sacrificial ritual
St	Storage of tree-fruits
Vs	Vessels on sledge
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

SH	Ships
Es	Escort
Fb	Jousting scene / Fighting boatmen
Ft	Felling trees
O	Oilships
Pb	Papyrus boat building
Ps	Papyrus skiffs
T	Transport ships
Wb	Wooden boat building
Wr	Wooden rowing boats
Ws	Wooden sailing boats
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

SL	Slaughtering
C	Domestic cattle
D	Desert animals / cattle
Sg	Skinning of goat
St	Slaughtering while hanging from tree
?	Unknown

ST	Stock / cattle-breeding
Bc	Birth of domestic cattle
C	Copulating
Cc	Care of domestic cattle
Ccr	Cattle-crossing (waterways)
Cd	Care of desert cattle
Gb	Goat giving birth
Gg	Grazing goat
Gt	Goat browsing in trees
H	Herd
M	Milking
S	Shepherds meal
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

TR	Trades
C	Carpentry
Fr	Fabrication of ropes
L	Leather-working
Li	Linen working / manufacturing
M	Metal working
Mb	Manufacturing bed
Mj	Manufacturing jewellery
Ms	Manufacturing statues
Msa	Manufacturing sarcophagus
Mst	Manufacturing sticks
Mv	Manufacturing stone vessels
O	Ointment / Oil preparation
P	Pottery
Rw	Rewarding weavers
Sc	Scribes administrating
Va	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	Unknown

VA	Various
A	Attendants
B	Bed making
M	Medical scenes
Ma	Market scenes
MB	Monkeys / Birds
Mm/d	Monkey + man/dwarf
Mp	Manicure / pedicure
P	Palanquin scene
Ps	Painting (personified) seasons
S	Siege scene
Sb>	Sunblind (with owner looking right, excluding depictions of the owner in a palanquin)
<Sb	Sunblind (with owner looking left, excluding depictions of the owner in a palanquin)
Sc	Scribes administrating
Scb	Scribes, bastonnade
Tm	Transportation of offering cabinets (mrt)
?	Unknown

Alphabetical list of subtheme abbreviations

Subtheme	Main Theme	Description
	<A	Owner (looking left), incl. family members
	A	Owner (orientation unknown), incl. family members
	A>	Owner (looking right), incl. family members
A	FO	Aviary / birdhouse
A	MA	Attendants
A	VA	Attendants
B	FI	Fishing with basket
B	GA	Board games
B	MA	Birds
B	VA	Bed making
Ba	KI	Baking bread
Bb	GA	Boys with birds
Bc	FO	Caging birds
Bc	ST	Birth of domestic cattle
Br	KI	Brewing beer
Bs	FO	Scaring birds
Bt	FO	Transporting birds in cages
C	GA	Children's games
C	KI	Carving meat
C	SL	Domestic cattle
C	ST	Copulating
C	TR	Carpentry
Cc	ST	Care of domestic cattle
Ccr	ST	Cattle-crossing (waterways)
Cd	ST	Care of desert cattle
Cf	FO	Care / feeding
Cp	KI	Cooking in pots
Cs	FU	Cult of statue
D	FI	Fishing with dragnet (/seine)
D	FU	Funeral dance
D	GA	Dancing
D	HU	Desert hunt
D	SL	Desert animals / cattle
Ds	FU	Dragging statues
E	GA	Eating and drinking
E	OF	Estates
Es	SH	Escort
F	FI	Fishing with fyke
F	OF	Furniture
Fb	SH	Jousting scene / Fighting boatmen
FD	EX	False door
FM	EX	Family members
Fn	FI	Fishing with fyke-net
Fp	KI	Foodpreparation, various kinds
Fp	MA	Fabrication of objects out of papyrus
Fr	TR	Fabrication of ropes
Ft	FU	Funeral at tomb
Ft	SH	Felling trees
Fw	FO	Folding wings
G	KI	Grinding flour
G	OF	Garments / linen
Gb	ST	Goat giving birth
Gg	ST	Grazing goat
Gt	ST	Goat browsing in trees
H	AL	Horticulture
H	FI	Fishing with hand net / landing net
H	FO	Hexagonal net (= Clapnet)
H	HU	Hippopotamus hunt
H	ST	Herd
Hf	AL	Fig harvest
Hfl	AG	Flax harvest
Hg	AG	Grain harvest
Hg	AL	Grape harvest
Hl	MA	Lotus harvest / gathering
Hn	FO	Hand net (for quails)
Hp	MA	Papyrus harvest (never done by owner; compare MA/Opp; often adjacent to MA/Os or MA/Ot, compare MA/Opp)
Ht	AL	Tree-fruits harvest
L	FI	Fishing with line with fishhooks
L	HU	Lasso
L	TR	Leather-working
Lh	AL	Land preparation with hoe
Li	TR	Linen working / manufacturing
Lp	AL	Land preparation with plough
M	AG	Measuring of grain etc.
M	GA	Musical group / orchestra, incl. singing
M	OF	Milk jars
M	ST	Milking
M	TR	Metal working
M	VA	Medical scenes
Ma	VA	Market scenes
Mb	TR	Manufacturing bed
MB	VA	Monkeys / Birds
Mg	KI	Measuring of grain for baking of bread
Mj	TR	Manufacturing jewellery
Mm/d	VA	Monkey + man/dwarf
Mn	FO	Manufacture of bird-nets
Mp	VA	Manicure / pedicure
Ms	TR	Manufacturing statues
Msa	TR	Manufacturing sarcophagus
Mst	TR	Manufacturing sticks
Mv	TR	Manufacturing stone vessels
O	FU	Opening of the mouth
O	OF	Offerings on display
O	SH	Oilships
O	TR	Ointment / Oil preparation
O?	MA	Owner in Marshes (unknown which subtheme: Op, Opp, Os or Ot)
Ob	OF	Offering bearers, incl. ka-servants and attendants with attributes
Obb	OF	Offering bearers on boats
OF	EX	Offeringlist
Op	MA	Owner in Marshes: journey on papyrus boat
Opp	MA	Owner in Marshes: Pulling papyrus (= zSS wAD; never adjacent to MA/Os or MA/Ot, compare MA/Hp)
Os	MA	Owner in Marshes: Fishing with spear
Ot	MA	Owner in Marshes: Fowling with throwstick
Ov	OF	Offerings, vessels
P	AG	Putting papyrus flower on grain pile
P	FU	Pilgrimage by boat ("Saisfahrt")
P	TR	Pottery
P	VA	Palanquin scene
Pb	KI	Plucking birds
Pb	OF	Presentation of birds
Pb	SH	Papyrus boat building
Pf	OF	Presentation of fish
Pi	OF	Presentation of incense
Pj	OF	Presentation of jewellery
Pl	OF	Presentation of lotus
Pm	OF	Presentation of pieces of meat
Pr	FI	Fish processing
Pra	OF	Procession of domestic animals
Prb	OF	Procession of birds
Prc	OF	Procession of domestic cattle
Prd	OF	Procession of desert cattle
Ps	AG	Piling sheaves
Ps	SH	Papyrus skiffs
Ps	VA	Painting (personified) seasons
Pt	OF	Presentation of tree-fruits
Pv	OF	Presentation of vessels
R	KI	Roasting on the spit
Rw	TR	Rewarding weavers
S	AG	Storage of grain and other products
S	GA	Singing
S	OF	Servants without attributes (incl. ka-servants)
S	ST	Shepherds meal
S	VA	Siege scene
Sb>	VA	Sunblind (with owner looking right, excluding depictions of the owner in a palanquin)
<Sb	VA	Sunblind (with owner looking left, excluding depictions of the owner in a palanquin)
Sc	AG	Scribes administrating
Sc	AL	Scribes administrating
Sc	FI	Scribes administrating
Sc	FO	Scribes administrating
Sc	KI	Scribes administrating
Sc	OF	Scribes
Sc	TR	Scribes administrating
Sc	VA	Scribes administrating
Scb	VA	Scribes, bastonnade
Sg	SL	Skinning of goat
Si	AL	Silo
So	AL	Sowers (with bags)
Sr	OF	Sacrificial ritual
St	AL	Sheep covering / treading seed
St	FO	Spring trap
St	OF	Storage of tree-fruits
St	SL	Slaughtering while hanging from tree
T	EX	Text
T	FO	Tree-net
T	FU	Tomb
T	SH	Transport ships
Tc	AG	Threshing by cattle
Td	AG	Threshing by donkeys
Tm	VA	Transportation of offering cabinets (mrt)
Tr	AG	Transportation by donkey (to / from threshing)
Tr	FI	Fish transportation
Ts	AG	Threshing by sheep/goats
Va	All main themes	Various (Rest, remainder)
Vp	FU	Funeral voyage (/crossing) and/or procession
Vs	OF	Vessels on sledge
W	AG	Winnowing etc. of grain
W	AL	Wine-growing / Viticulture
Wa	AL	Wine-growing / Viticulture + (rendering of) accounts
Wb	AL	Wine-growing, beating a rhythm
Wb	SH	Wooden boat building
Wf	AL	Filling wine-jars
Wp	AL	Pressing wine
Wr	SH	Wooden rowing boats
Ws	SH	Wooden sailing boats
Wt	AL	Treading wine
Wtg	AL	Wine, transport of grapes
Va	All main themes	Various (Rest, remainder)
?	All main themes	Unknown