Anatomy of a Tomb: Ancient and Modern Designations for Chambers and Features
What was in a royal tomb?
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Tomb
- KV 34: Thutmes III
- KV 35: Amenhetep II
- KV 11: Rameses III
- KV 20: Thutmes I and Hatshepsut
- KV 57: Horemheb
- KV 17: Sety I
- KV 1: Rameses VII
- KV 22: Amenhetep III
- KV 2: Rameses IV
- KV 47: Siptah
- KV 9: Rameses V and Rameses VI
- KV 10: Amenmeses
- KV 15: Sety II
- KV 38: Thutmes I
- KV 43: Thutmes IV
- KV 62: Tutankhamen
- KV 6: Rameses IX
- KV 7: Rameses II
- KV 8: Merenptah
- KV 13: Bay
- KV 14: Tausert and Setnakht
- KV 19: Mentuherkhepeshef
- KV 23: Ay
- KV 25: Unknown
- KV 42: Hatshepsut-Meryet-Ra
- KV 4: Rameses XI
- KV 12: Unknown
- KV 16: Rameses I
- KV 24: Unknown
- KV 32: Tia'a
- KV 36: Maiherperi
- KV 37: Unknown
- KV 3: Son of Rameses III
- KV 44: Unknown
- KV 45: Userhat
- KV 46: Yuya and Thuyu
- KV 55: Tiye (?) or Akhenaten (?)
- KV 5: Sons of Rameses II
- KV 01: Rameses VII
- KV 07: Rameses II
- KV 08: Merenptah
- KV 18: Rameses X
- KV 21: Unknown
- KV 26: Unknown
- KV 27: Unknown
- KV 28: Unknown
- KV 29: Unknown
- KV 30: Unknown
- KV 31: Unknown
- KV 33: Unknown
- KV 39: Amenhetep I (?)
- KV 40: Unknown
- KV 41: Unknown
- KV 48: Amenemipet
- KV 49: Unknown
- KV 50: Unknown
- KV 51: Unknown
- KV 52: Unknown
- KV 53: Unknown
- KV 54: Tutankhamen cache
- KV 56: Unknown
- KV 58: Unknown
- KV 59: Unknown
- KV 60: Sit-Ra, called In (?)
- KV 61: Unknown
- KV F: Unknown
Ownership
- Amenhetep II
- Thutmes III
- Horemheb
- Rameses III
- Rameses VII
- Thutmes I and Hatshepsut
- Unknown
- Amenhetep III
- Merenptah
- Rameses II
- Rameses IV
- Rameses V and Rameses VI
- Sety I
- Siptah
- Amenmeses
- Rameses IX
- Sety II
- Thutmes I
- Thutmes IV
- Tutankhamen
- Ay
- Bay
- Hatshepsut-Meryet-Ra
- Mentuherkhepeshef
- Rameses XI
- Tausert and Setnakht
- Maiherperi
- Rameses I
- Son of Rameses III
- Sons of Rameses II
- Tia'a
- Tiye (?) or Akhenaten (?)
- Userhat
- Yuya and Thuyu
- Amenemipet
- Amenhetep I (?)
- Rameses X
- Sit-Ra, called In (?)
- Tutankhamen cache
Decorating the Tombs
The artists and workmen responsible for decorating the tombs used a variety of implements in wood, metal and stone in different stages of the process.
Development of Tombs in the Valley of the Kings
Knowledge of the early stages of New Kingdom royal tomb development is hampered by a lack of evidence.
Foundation Deposits
While more commonly found in association with temple constructions, foundation deposits also have been unearthed at some royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Funerary Compositions
From the end of Dynasty 5 onward, religious texts were inscribed in the burial chambers of royal tombs.
Funerary Equipment
The types of funerary equipment Egyptians put into their tombs had become standardized long before the New Kingdom.
Geography and Geology of the Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings actually consists of two valleys that run northeast from the slopes of a prominent ridge along a high plateau into the Western Desert.
Historical Development of Royal Cemeteries
The royal tombs cut in the Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom represented a shift in form and location from the royal cemeteries that preceded them.
Historical Development of the Valley of the Kings
The reasons New Kingdom kings chose the East Valley of the Kings for their burials are unclear.
History of the Valley of the Kings: Third Intermediate Period to the Byzantine Period
At the end of the New Kingdom, Egypt entered a period of political and economic decline.
Selecting a Tomb Site
Choosing the location for a royal tomb was an important responsibility.
Tomb Builders
The village of Dayr al Madinah was home to the workmen who excavated and decorated the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Tomb Digging and Cutting Techniques
The preparation of royal tombs was relatively easier in the New Kingdom than in previous eras when huge pyramids were being constructed.
Tomb Numbering Systems in the Valley of the Kings
The present numbering system for the sixty-five tombs in the Valley of the Kings was first established by John Gardiner Wilkinson in 1827 for his map of Thebes.
Tomb Robberies
From the day they were first sealed in antiquity, treasure-filled tombs in the Valley of the Kings were potential targets for theft.
Tombs in Collision
The Valley of the Kings was used for over five hundred years and as more and more tombs were dug there the site became increasingly crowded.
Who's Who: Key Players in the Discovery of Tutankhamen's Tomb
Learn about the key figures directly involved in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and their impact on the major archaeological event.