KV 57
Horemheb
Entryway A
See entire tombThe stepped entryway passes beneath an unusually deep overhang, leaving only the upper third of the stairs open. A modern shelter now covers the entryway.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate B
See entire tombThis gate is undecorated.
Porter and Moss designation:
Corridor B
See entire tombThe ceiling and floor of corridor B descend steeply toward gate C. The walls are not decorated.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate C
See entire tombThe floor of this simple gate continues the descent from corridor B to stairwell C.
Porter and Moss designation:
Stairwell C
See entire tombTrapezoidal recesses flank the steep stairway, which has a second overhang above the bottom. The latter occurs for the first time in the Valley of the Kings in this tomb.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate D
See entire tombThe steps from stairwell C continue partly through gate D.
Porter and Moss designation:
Corridor D
See entire tombA landing precedes gate E.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate E
See entire tombThe threshold and soffit of this gate are level.
Porter and Moss designation:
Well chamber E
See entire tombThis chamber has a well shaft, today partly filled with debris, although the excavators reported a small chamber opening off the bottom. A concrete and iron bridge has been constructed over the well shaft. The chamber is decorated with representations of the king with various deities.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate F
See entire tombModern stairs in the gate partially cover the ancient blocking.
Porter and Moss designation:
Pillared chamber F
See entire tombThis chamber exhibits another architectural innovation: its long axis is roughly parallel to the axis of the upper corridors, and the axis of the stepped descent and the lower chambers are parallel and offset to the west. The excavators noted the presence of blocking in the descent that had been broken through in antiquity. There are two pillars in the chamber. There is a round hole in the left (west) wall above the descent.
Porter and Moss designation:
Descent F
See entire tombThis stairway is cut into the floor in the northwest (left rear) corner of chamber F and extends to gate G.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate G
See entire tombGate G connects descent F to corridor G.
Porter and Moss designation:
Corridor G
See entire tombCorridor G is undecorated.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate H
See entire tombThis simple gate connects corridor G with stairwell H.
Porter and Moss designation:
Stairwell H
See entire tombTrapezoidal recesses flank the top of the stairway beneath a sloping ceiling and extend to the lintel of gate I.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate I
See entire tombGate I contains a compound jamb. It was once closed by a wooden door. The gate has a sloping threshold and level soffit.
Porter and Moss designation:
Chamber I
See entire tombThe decoration shows the king in the presence of deities.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate J
See entire tombThe lintel of this compound gate has suffered structural damage and is no longer intact. The outer thicknesses display figures of Ma'at. The gate was once closed by a wooden door.
Porter and Moss designation:
Burial chamber J
See entire tombThe burial chamber is divided into two parts: a pillared section which is level with gate J and a lower section reached by two stairways, one between the last set of pillars and on the other to the left (west) of them. The pillared section consists of three pairs of pillars, some of which have undergone restoration. A gently sloping ramp begins its descent between the first set of pillars and leads to the stairway which lies between the last set. The second stairway was cut in the floor to the west of the first set of stairs, but it was filled in during the restoration process. The pillars were also restored and partially reconstructed at this time. The lower level has a flat ceiling. There is a large red granite sarcophagus placed off-center on the floor. Chamber J has gates to five side chambers, two in the rear (west) wall, one in the right (north) wall, and two in the left wall.
The decoration is of particular interest here not only for the innovative subject matter, but its unfinished nature shows the different stages in the work of the artists. As in well chamber E and chamber I, the intended decorative technique was to have been raised relief. The relief carving was left unfinished, however, and the only painted decoration was on the uncarved plaster surface in the southwest corner. Preliminary sketches on the right, left, and rear walls preserve excellent examples of the first stage of the decorative process.
Chamber plan:
RectangularRelationship to main tomb axis:
ParallelChamber layout:
Pillared front upper level, sunken rear lower levelFloor:
Two levelsCeiling:
Flat
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate Ja
See entire tombSide chamber Jaa has a steeply stepped pit cut into its floor giving access to side chamber Jaa. The pit has a recessed lip for holding a cover slab.
Side chamber Ja
See entire tombThis gate leads from the pit cut in the floor of side chamber Ja to the lower side chamber Jaa.
Side chamber Jaa
See entire tombThis side chamber lies below and to the rear (west) of side chamber Ja. It served as a crypt and was entered from a pit in the floor of side chamber Ja.
Gate Jaa
See entire tombThis shaft connects side chamber Ja with side chamber Jaa. It is part of a pit cut into the floor of side chamber Ja. The pit has a recessed lip for holding cover slabs.
Gate Jb
See entire tombThe gate is located in the left (west) wall of burial chamber J.
Porter and Moss designation:
Side chamber Jb
See entire tombThere is a representation of Osiris on the rear (west) wall. This decoration is painted over a thin wash directly on the wall surface.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate Jbb
See entire tombThis gate lies in the right (north) wall of side chamber Jb.
Porter and Moss designation:
Side chamber Jbb
See entire tombThis undecorated side chamber lies to the right (north) of side chamber Jb.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate Jc
See entire tombThe gate is located in the rear (north) wall of burial chamber J. It contains compound jambs and is only partly cleared.
Porter and Moss designation:
Side chamber Jc
See entire tombThe chamber is still partly filled with debris.
Porter and Moss designation:
Gate Jcc
See entire tombThis gate lies in the right (east) end of the rear (north) wall of side chamber Jc and connects it to side chamber Jcc.
Side chamber Jcc
See entire tombThis undecorated side chamber lies to the rear (north) of side chamber Jc.
Gate Jccc
See entire tombThis undecorated, unfinished gate lies in the rear (north) wall of side chamber Jcc.
Side chamber Jccc
See entire tombThis side chamber is unfinished and is located on a higher level than side chamber Jcc.
Gate Jd
See entire tombThe gate is located in the right (east) wall of burial chamber J.
Side chamber Jd
See entire tombThis undecorated side chamber lies to the right (east) of burial chamber J.
Gate Je
See entire tombThe gate is located in the right (east) wall of burial chamber J.
Side chamber Je
See entire tombThis undecorated side chamber lies to the right (east) of burial chamber J.
About
About
KV 57 is located in the west branch of the southwest Wadi. The tomb's opening, just above the Valley's ancient floor, is low in the south side of a hill that projects eastward into the central wadi from the cliff face where KV 35 (Amenhetep II) is cut. Three sloping corridors (B, C, D) lead to a well chamber (E) and a pillared chamber (F). A side descent and two sloping corridors (G and H) lead to chamber I giving access to the burial chamber J. This has side chambers (Ja-Je), also with side chambers (Jaa, Jbb, Jcc, Jccc). The tomb represents a transition in tomb architecture from the bent axis plan, characteristic of Dynasty 18, to the straight axis royal tombs of Dynasties 19 and 20. The decoration is composed of representations of deities (well chamber E, chamber I, gate J, side chamber Jb), Horemheb with deities (well chamber E, chamber I), and scenes from the Book of Gates (burial chamber J).
Noteworthy features:
This tomb descends with the steepness of earlier tombs in the Valley of the Kings, but several unique features were added. A Ramp descending to a set of stairs was cut between the pillars of the burial chamber J; a second set of stairs was cut beside the first. Both lead to a crypt on a lower level. Also, a lower side chamber (Jaa) was cut beneath side chamber Ja. The decoration in the burial chamber and other parts of the tomb was left in various stages of work, allowing scholars to study the processes involved in preparing painted relief. KV 57 is the first tomb to show the Book of Gates.
Site History
No remains of Horemheb were found, but evidence exists that the tomb was at one time sealed, at least from gate F onwards. The broken lid of the Sarcophagus found lying on the floor, as well as the shattered condition of the Canopic chest and other burial furnishings, suggest that the burial was robbed. Several Hieratic inspection dockets from Dynasty 21 may record temporary caching of burials here before they subsequently were removed, perhaps to KV 35.
Dating
This site was used during the following period(s):
Exploration
Conservation
Conservation History
In 1934, the Service des Antiquités carried out some restoration work in chamber I. Following the closure of the tomb after the 1994 flooding, conservation work has been carried out (particularly in chambers E, I, and J) and walkways and lighting were installed.
Site Condition
Significant portions of the painted decoration and blue background have flaked off the walls in well chamber E and chamber I. When discovered, much damage had already happened to the pillars and ceiling of the burial chamber. The blocking of the doorway in the north (rear) wall of well chamber E had been broken through in antiquity, resulting in damage to some of the painted scene that covered it. Damage to the decoration around gates I and J also occurred. This damage has since been repaired. Flooding in the Valley in October and November 1994 caused water to enter the tomb and although much was caught in the shaft of well chamber E, some water seeped across the bridge over the shaft and entered the lower chambers.
Hieroglyphs
Horemheb
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sacred are Manifestations of Ra, Chosen by Ra, Son of Ra, Horus is in Festival, Beloved of Amen
niswt-bity Dsr-xprw-Raw stp-n-Raw sA-Raw 1r-m-HAb mry-n-Imn
Articles
Anatomy of a Tomb: Ancient and Modern Designations for Chambers and Features
Decorating the Tombs
Funerary Equipment
Bibliography
Reeves, Carl Nicholas. Valley of the Kings: The Decline of a Royal Necropolis (= Studies in Egyptology). London: KPI, 1990. Pp. 75-79.
Robins, Gay. Anomalous Proportions in the Tomb of Haremhab (KV57). Göttingen Miszellen. Göttingen. 65 (1983): 91-6.
Thomas, Elizabeth. The Royal Necropoleis of Thebes. Princeton: privately printed, 1966. Pp. 93, 95-96.
Weeks, Kent R. (ed.). Atlas of the Valley of the Kings (=Publications of the Theban Mapping Project, 1). Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2000. Map sheets 66-67.
Weeks, Kent R. The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Vercelli: WhiteStar, 2005; Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005. Available in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. Pp. 258-267.
Wilkinson, Richard H. and Carl Nicholas Reeves. The Complete Valley of the Kings. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996. Pp. 130-133.