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A project of the American Research Center in Egypt
About the image
Entrances to QV30 and QV31.
More Details

Entryway A

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The shaft has a modern cemented masonry surround with a metal grill.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated

Burial chamber B

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A rectangular burial chamber that lies on axis with the tomb's entry shaft. The tomb is cut into extensively fractured shale, with the rock below the ceiling in this chamber an ochre and yellowish brown in color with many veins of white salts running through it. A thick layer of cracked, dried mud is on the floor in the front part of chamber, indicating that water has infiltrated the tomb in the past.

  • Chamber plan:

    Rectangular
  • Relationship to main tomb axis:

    Parallel
  • Chamber layout:

    Flat floor, no pillars
  • Floor:

    One level
  • Ceiling:

    Flat

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated

About

About

QV 30 is located on the south slope of the main Wadi and is comprised of a single, rectangular chamber (B) with a vertical shaft (A). The shaft has a modern cemented masonry surround with a metal grill.

The tomb was discovered by the Italian Archaeological Expedition in 1904. Although it had already been looted, Canopic jars found at the time of Ernesto Schiaparelli's discovery identified the tomb owner as Nebiri, the Superintendent of the Royal Stables under Thutmes Ill (Egyptian Museum in Turin, S.5110 - 13). Fragments of two mummies - one believed to be Nebiri's (Turin Museum, S.5109) and the other may be his servant's - Faience objects, vases, and pottery were also recovered from the tomb. The pottery vessels display the "Aegean" style (Cypriote), which helped Schiaparelli date the tomb. As with other 18th Dynasty tombs, QV 30 was not decorated.

Noteworthy features:

QV 30 was discovered by the Italian Archaeological Expedition in 1904. Although it had already been looted, Canopic jars found at the time of Ernesto Schiaparelli's discovery identified the tomb owner as Nebiri, the Superintendent of the Royal Stables under Thutmes Ill. 

Site History

The tomb was constructed in the 18th Dynasty and was probably looted soon afterwards.

Dating

This site was used during the following period(s):

New Kingdom
Dynasty 18

Exploration

1904: Discovery
Italian Archaeological Expedition
1981: Mapping/planning
Theban Mapping Project
1986: Survey and Documentation
Franco Egyptian Mission
2006-2008: Survey and Documentation
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)

Conservation

Site Condition

According to the GCI-SCA, the tomb is cut into extensively fractured shale. A thick layer of cracked, dried mud is on the floor in the front part of chamber (B), indicating that water has infiltrated into the tomb in the past. Following the GCI-SCA assessment in December 2009, the tomb was judged to be structurally sound. One bat was observed roosting in the tomb in 2008. The poor quality of rock is the principal cause of deterioration. Furthermore, the tomb opening is in a location susceptible to upslope runoff. 

Hieroglyphs

Stable Master, Nebiri

Stable Master, Nebiri
Hry-ihw nb-iry

Articles

Geography and Geology of the Valley of the Queens and Western Wadis

The Valley of the Queens and the Western Wadis are made up of numerous valleys spread out over a vast space of desert, each containing tombs for the New Kingdom queens and other royal family members. The poor quality rock has led to damage in several tombs after suffering from earthquakes and floods.

Bibliography

Bruyère, Bernard. Rapport sur les fouilles de Deir el Medineh (1924-1925). Fouilles de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire 3, 3 (1926). Cairo: Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire.

Demas, Martha and Neville Agnew (eds). Valley of the Queens. Assessment Report. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2012, 2016. Two vols.

Dolzani, Claudia. Vasi canopi no. 19001-19153. Catalogo del Museo egizio di Torino. Milan: Cisalpino-La goliardica, 1982: 18-19.

Leblanc, Christian, and Alberto Siliotti. Nefertari e la valle delle regine. 2nd ed. Florence: Giunti, 2002.

Schiaparelli, Ernesto. Realazione sui lavon della Missione archeologica italiana in Egitto, anni 1903-1020: la tomba intatta dell’architetto Cha: nella necropoli di Tebe. Vol. 2. Turin: Casa editrice Giovanni Chiantore, 1927.