Kha and Merit were buried with real food for the afterlife: loaves of bread, dried fish and meat, fruit, grain, spices, and jars that once held wine, oil and other liquids, some still sealed. Because the tomb was never robbed, these provisions survived in remarkable condition and give a rare look at everyday food in New Kingdom Egypt.
The tomb of Kha and Merit (TT8) at Deir el-Medina was found intact by Ernesto Schiaparelli's Italian mission in 1906. Kha was an architect and overseer of works in the royal necropolis during the 18th Dynasty, serving under Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III, and his tomb's complete furnishings are now one of the highlights of the Museo Egizio.
