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II.2.1. Place of function As for the geographical distribution of the place of function of ‘royal wb3s’, there are only some cases when sources provide information or relatively certain conclusions can be drawn regarding their place of duty. In the 18" dynasty, there are references to their place of service in the royal palaces at Thebes and Memphis, as well as at Amarna, while there are only some instances referring to Memphis or Pi-Ramesse during the Ramesside period. Memphis played an important role in the state administration as a royal residence, as well as the centre of the vizierate in Lower Egypt from the reign of Thutmose III during the whole period of the New Kingdom, in addition it was an essential settlement as a military and naval base. It is not surprising that most of the references, especially during the 18" dynasty, indicate Memphis as the place of function of the ‘royal wb3s’. Under the reign of Thutmose III, two officials are known with northern connections, despite the fact that their burials were in the Theban necropolis. The biographical stele of Nebamun in his tomb TT 24 reveals different stages of his career. He served under Thutmose II and Thutmose III and the inscription relates his official advancement to jmj-r3 h°.w nb.w n nswt ‘overseer of all royal boats’ under the latter ruler.*? The office belonged to the naval administration and its authority covered the coordination and control of war ships as well as royal transportation and cargo vessels.” In all probability, the person in this place had a direct connection with the harbour and storage facilities located at this time at Perunefer, founded by Thutmose III. Considering that Nebamun held the title wdpw m stp-s3 ‘nh wd} snb ‘wdpw in the palace, life, prosperity, health’, as an ‘overseer of all royal boats’ he might have been responsible for directing ships carrying goods and supplies to and from the palace, especially for the personal provision of the king and his family. Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose, that he served in the royal palace in Memphis, from where the harbour of Perunefer and its storage facilities were easy to approach. The other ‘royal wb?’ who served under Thutmose III and spent the later part of his career in the northern region is Qenamun.”* He might have been of Theban origin and ' Badawi, 1948; Helck, 1958, 24-28; van Dijk, 1988, 37-38; Raven, 2009, 154-155. 3 For the biographical inscription of the stele of Nebamun see [1.1] Theban Tomb 24 on p. 327. 34 Gnirs, 2013, 652. 5 Perunefer itself was also a royal estate during the Thutmosid Period, see Gnirs, 2013, 654; Bietak, 2017, 65; and especially for the location of Perunefer, see Bietak, 2009a; Bietak, 2009b; Bietak, 2017. 36 For the titles of Qenamun, see the inscription on his [3.1] Stelophor statue on p. 348.
