This study analyzes 134 intact or nearly intact New Kingdom tombs from Thebes to assess whether burial assemblages reflect underlying socioeconomic structures. Building on Smith’s (1992) “manually” established tomb groupings, we employ several multivariate statistical approaches, including PERMANOVA, PERMDISP, pairwise distance analysis, and unsupervised K-Means clustering, to evaluate the consistency and distinctiveness of these groupings. While PERMANOVA suggests significant group differences, PERMDISP reveals high variance in group dispersions, debunking those results. Pairwise distance analysis supports Smith’s classifications, showing lower within-group variability and higher between-group differences. In contrast, the K-Means algorithm produces alternative clusters driven less by total tomb valuation and social dynamics and more by the specific composition of burial goods, identifying distinct provisioning patterns related to fertility items, furniture, and vessels. Together, these approaches offer complementary perspectives on both systemic and individualized aspects of funerary behavior in the New Kingdom.
Please take a look at the final report pdf for the full analysis.
Hébert, James. Applied Multivariate Statistics: PERMANOVA. University of Washington. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://uw.pressbooks.pub/appliedmultivariatestatistics/chapter/permanova/. Hébert, James. Applied Multivariate Statistics: PERMDISP. University of Washington. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://uw.pressbooks.pub/appliedmultivariatestatistics/chapter/permdisp/. Smith, Stuart Tyson. Intact Tombs of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Dynasties from Thebes and the New Kingdom Burial System. MDAIK 48 (1992): 193–222.