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A project of the American Research Center in Egypt

QV 74
Anonymous Princess & Queen Duatentipet

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Entrance to QV74.
More Details

Entryway A

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A long graded Ramp with no Steps provides access to the tomb. The entryway was cut directly into the gebel and an Overhang is present above the entrance, although heavily eroded today. There are remains of plaster on the ramp walls.

Architectural Features

Overhang
Ramp

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Gate B

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This gate provides access to the tomb and is covered by a metal grill door with mesh. The lintel was rebuilt in fired brick and small remnants of plaster decoration are visible on both sides of the doorway. A large area of post-fire rock loss occurred in the ceiling above the doorway. 

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Decoration undetermined
Excavated

Pillared chamber B

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This pillared chamber is orientated east-west and lies perpendicular to the tomb's axis. Two reconstructed pillars still stand here and were added after the chamber was cut. A small side chamber lies to the east of the pillared chamber. There is fire-related darkening of the ceiling and the walls, visible as a mustard brown color. The lower parts of the walls are not blackened, most likely having been protected by sand and debris. A large area of post-fire rock loss occurred on the east wall and there is a large open, east-west fracture in the ceiling.

The scenes in this chamber are comparable to QV 38, QV 40, QV 52, and QV 75 and follows the "Satra repertoire" identified by Heather Lee McCarthy. The east and the west walls contain processions of deities found in the Book of the Dead Spell 17 and the north wall depicts the Book of the Dead Spell 15. The Queen is also depicted seated before an offering table on the north wall, and Neb-Nerou and Hery-Ma'at are depicted on the south wall. These scenes center on the solarization and protection of the Queen. The pillars are also decorated and contain images of various deities, priests, and amuletic symbols.

Porter and Moss designation:

Outer Hall

Architectural Features

Pillars

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Deities

    Procession of deities including Imsety and Duamutef, Anubis, Maanitef, Irrendjesef, Isis, and Neit (West) wall
  • Queen and monkey

    Queen seated before offering table and monkey before shrine (North) wall (left part)
  • Deities and Book of the Dead

    Vulture, hippopotamus-headed deity, and full-face deity in shrine and Spell 15 depicting Ka deity, 2 fecundity deities carrying offerings, and the day (mandjet) and night (mesketet) solar barks. (North) wall (right part)
  • Deities

    Anubis as jackal and lion reclining on chapels (South) wall (right part)
  • Deities

    Neb-Nerou and Hery-Ma'at and two anonymous deities in shrine (South) wall (left part)
  • Deities

    Procession of deities including Hapy, Qebehsenuef, Horus Khenty-irty, Serqet, and Horus-in-his-Youth (East) wall
  • Iwnmutef Priest

    front (West) pillar
  • Deity

    Anubis left (West) pillar
  • Text and Amuletic Symbol

    Cartouche of the Queen and Djed Pillar rear (West) pillar
  • Deity

    Ptah seated right (West) pillar
  • Iwnmutef Priest

    front (East) pillar
  • Deity

    Ptah seated left (East) pillar
  • Text and Amuletic Symbol

    Cartouche of the Queen and Djed Pillar rear (East) pillar
  • Deity

    Anubis right (East) pillar

Gate Ba

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This gate is cut into the eastern wall of the pillared chamber and provides access to a small side chamber. The surviving decoration includes text on the lintel and reveals and depictions of the Four Sons of Horus on the thicknesses, two on each side.

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Text

    Lintel
  • Text

    Reveals
  • Deities

    Imsety and Duamutef left thickness
  • Deities

    Hapy and Qebehsenuef right thickness

Side chamber Ba

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This small side chamber lies to the east of the pillared chamber. There is evidence of post-fire rock loss, particularly on the north wall. 

The major scene in this chamber is on the eastern wall and centers on the Book of the Dead Spell 180, which depicts the union of Re and Osiris

Porter and Moss designation:

Side-Room

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Amuletic Symbol

    Djed Pillar (West) wall (right part)
  • Amuletic Symbol

    Tyet Knot (West) wall (left part)
  • Priest before Deity

    Priest in adoration before Anubis jackal (North) wall
  • Priest before Deity

    Priest in adoration before Anubis jackal (South) wall
  • Book of the Dead

    Spell 180. Re-Osiris flanked by Isis and Nephthys with the Queen consecrating offerings before them. (East) wall

Gate C

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This gate lies on axis with the tomb's entrance and provides access to a small corridor with Ramp. There are remains of mud brick walls against the right thickness that were added during the Roman Period. 

The only surviving decoration of this gate is on the thicknesses and contains images of Hathor performing the Nini ritual.

Porter and Moss designation:

7

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Deity

    Hathor performing the nini ritual Thicknesses

Stairwell C

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This small corridor or vestibule lies on axis with the tomb's entrance. The floor has Steps leading down to the lower burial chamber.  The walls have suffered blackening from fire and there are fragile, cracked, and detached areas of plaster on the east wall.

The scenes in this small chamber center on the protection of the deceased. The south wall is decorated with amuletic symbols and the east and west walls contain depictions of Osiris and mummiform Neith and Serqet protected by Isis and Nephthys.

Porter and Moss designation:

Vestibule

Architectural Features

Steps

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Amuletic symbol

    Djed Pillar (South) wall (right part)
  • Amuletic Symbol

    Tyet Knot (South) wall (left part)
  • Deities

    Mummiform Neit protected by kneeling Isis with Osiris (West) wall
  • Deities

    Mummiform Serqet protected by kneeling Nephthys with Osiris (East) wall

Gate D

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This gate lies on axis with the tomb's entrance and provides access to the burial chamber. The rock surfaces have suffered blackening from fire.

The remaining decoration includes a winged Ma'at figure on the lintel and two unidentifiable female deities performing the Nini ritual

Porter and Moss designation:

11

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Winged Ma'at

    Lintel
  • Deity

    Unidentifiable female deity performing the nini ritual Thicknesses

Burial chamber D

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This chamber served as the burial place for the queen and lies on an east-west axis, perpendicular to the tomb's axis. The ceiling is vaulted and the chamber originally contained two constructed pillars, one of which has since collapsed. A later pit that continues to a small lower side chamber was cut into the northwestern side of the burial chamber floor. The blackening of the walls and ceiling in this chamber are darker in color than the preceding chambers, suggesting that the fire itself occurred here. The lower parts of pillars and walls escaped fire damage, indicating that they may have been protected by sand or debris. Substantial packing with debris was necessary to fill large voids in the walls and was subsequently plastered over. A large amount of this infill material has now been lost, leaving large gaps in the walls.

The scenes in this chamber are severely blackened and thus difficult to identify. They center on the protection and transformation or mummification of the Queen. The west wall contains a depiction of the queen consecrating merit-boxes, the linen used for mummification, before Anubis. The south wall includes the scene of Hathor as a cow emerging from the western mountain. The eastern pillar still retains some of its decoration and includes depictions of Mehet-Weret, a soul of Nekhen performing the Henu gesture, and Meretseger as a cobra. 

  • Chamber plan:

    Rectangular
  • Relationship to main tomb axis:

    Perpendicular
  • Chamber layout:

    Flat floor, pillars
  • Floor:

    One level
  • Ceiling:

    Vaulted

Porter and Moss designation:

Inner Hall

Architectural Features

Pillars
Pit
Vaulted ceiling

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Deity

    Consecration of offerings before the Son of Horus, Duamutef (South) wall (right part)
  • Deities

    Hathor as a cow emerging from the western mountain with a Son of Horus, Qebehsenuef, behind her (South) wall (left part)
  • Text and Deities

    Cartouche of the Queen flanked by two winged cobras (Wadjet) (West) wall (upper part)
  • Queen before Deity

    Queen consecrating merit-boxes before Anubis (West) wall
  • Text and Deities

    Cartouche of the Queen flanked by two winged cobras (Nekhbet) (damaged) (East) wall (upper part)
  • Kheker Frieze, Vulture, and Deity

    Three registers: Kheker Frieze, winged vulture, and Mehet-Weret as cow front (East) pillar
  • Kheker Frieze, Vulture, Text and Deity

    Three registers: Kheker Frieze, winged vulture, and Cartouche of Queen next to Soul of Nekhen performing the Henu gesture left (East) pillar
  • Kheker Frieze, Vulture, and Amuletic Symbol

    Three registers: Kheker Frieze, winged vulture, and Djed Pillar rear (East) pillar
  • Kheker Frieze, Vulture, and Deity

    Three registers: Kheker Frieze, winged vulture, and Meretseger as cobra right (East) pillar

Side chamber Da

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A pit cut into the northwestern side of the burial chamber floor and leads down to this side chamber. It was cut in the 22nd-23rd Dynasties during a period of reuse and was used for communal burial. When the tomb was surveyed by the TMP in 1981, they noted that the chamber was filled with bones and debris.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

About

About

QV 74 is located on the northern side of the main Wadi, adjacent to other 19th Dynasty tombs, such as QV 73 and QV 71. The tomb is entered through a long Ramp (A) leading into chamber (B) with two constructed pillars and a side chamber (Ba) to the east. On axis with the entrance, a small stairwell (C) leads down into the vaulted burial chamber (D) that originally contained two constructed pillars, one of which has since collapsed. A later pit that continues to a small lower chamber (Da) was cut into the burial chamber floor. The ramp and chambers are cut out of highly weathered marl, as found in other adjacent tombs on the northern side of the Valley. Generally, the interior rock quality was good, allowing the tomb walls to be cut fairly straight. However, infilling with rock shards and plaster was still needed in localized areas. Floors are roughly cut throughout the tomb and may be unfinished. Extensive raised relief painted plaster survives throughout the tomb in fragmentary condition. This also includes remnants of plaster on walls of ramp (A) and small areas of painted plaster on both sides of the entrance doorway.

QV 74 was constructed and decorated for a princess of Rameses II but was never occupied. A portrait of the princess exists in Chambers B and Ba and titles of the princess, s3t nswt "King's daughter", survive in Chamber Ba. Spaces for the name of the princess, however, were left blank. The tomb was later used for Queen Duatentipet in the reign of Rameses IV. The workmen's strike in Year 2 of Rameses IV reign may have been the reason for the re-use of earlier non-used tombs. Duatentipet was a wife of Rameses IV and mother of Rameses V. She is depicted in the temple of Khonsu in Karnak, where she is associated with Rameses III and IV. She is also mentioned in the tomb of an official, Amenhotep (TT 346), who held the title of "Superior of the royal harem of the Adoratrice Tentipet'. She may have been the last Queen to have had the title of God's wife of Amun, as it became custom afterwards to be held by princesses. Evidence of re-painting and re-carving the titles of the queen exist in Chambers B and D when the tomb was reused. A different color scheme may also have been used in the pillared chamber (B) and burial chamber (D), indicating that some part of decoration was completed after the initial decoration in the 19th Dynasty. However, this may also be due to color alteration from burning. There is fire-related blackening and heat-related deterioration, though the overall blackening is not as severe as in other tombs. During the 22nd and 23rd Dynasties, the tomb was reused as a communal burial and pit (Da) was cut. Remnants of mud brick walls were recorded by CNRS in 1985 in the entrance doorway and on the east jamb of the doorway leading into chamber C, though the former is no longer extant. Both were built in the Roman period.

The tomb has been accessible at least since the time of Robert Hay of Linplum (1826), who noted that the tomb was full of burned bones and pottery and described the painted figures as, "not so well executed". Jean Francois Champollion mentions damage of the wall paintings caused by fire. The TMP drawings record chamber (Da) as being "filled with bones and debris". The tomb was most recently cleared by the Franco-Egyptian team in 1984, and then again between 1987-88. The tomb is not open to visitation and the entrance doorway has been partially rebuilt with a fired-brick lintel and has a metal grill door without mesh.

Noteworthy features:

QV 74 was constructed and decorated for a princess of Rameses II but was never occupied. The tomb was later used for Queen Duatentipet in the reign of Rameses IV.

Site History

The tomb was constructed in 19th Dynasty for a princess but was not used. It was then redecorated and used for the burial of Queen Duatentipet in the 20th Dynasty, during the reign of Rameses IV. In the Third Intermediate Period, Dynasties 22 and 23, the tomb was reused and the pit was dug in the burial chamber. QV 74 was reused once again in the Roman Period and mud brick walls were constructed in gates B and D.

Dating

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

New Kingdom
Dynasty 19
Rameses II
New Kingdom
Dynasty 20
Rameses IV
Third Intermediate Period
Graeco-Roman Era
Roman Period

Exploration

1826: Documentation
Hay, Robert
1828: Documentation
Wilkinson, John Gardner
1828-1829: Documentation
Franco-Tuscan Expedition
1844-1845: Documentation
Lepsius, Carl Richard
1854: Documentation
Brugsch, Heinrich Karl
1927 & 1964: Documentation and Planning
Porter and Moss
1959-60: Documentation
Thomas, Elizabeth
1970s: Photography
Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE)
1981: Mapping/planning
Theban Mapping Project
1984 & 1987-1988: Excavation
Franco Egyptian Mission
1988-1991: Conservation
Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE), Egyptian Antiquities Organization (EAO)
1988: Survey and Documentation
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
2003: Study
McCarthy, Heather Lee
2006-2008: Survey and Documentation
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)
2007: Mapping/planning
Getty Conservation Institute
2008: Tomb clearance
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)
2009: Photography
Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE)

Conservation

Conservation History

According to the GCI-SCA, a comprehensive campaign of edging repairs has been undertaken throughout the tomb, though no large plaster repairs were done. There is also evidence of localized areas of grouting as holes and drips of an acrylic-looking material are visible. Small cleaning tests were undertaken in various areas to attempt removal of blackening from fire. Insect nests were also removed. Treatment testing was undertaken by Franco-Egyptian Mission in 1989, but it is not clear what exactly was done at this time as some of the interventions may pre-date this intervention. 

Site Condition

According to the GCI-SCA, the 1m Overhang to the right above the entrance doorway has eroded and threatens partial collapse as it is not supported by more stable marl rock. Loss of rock above the entrance doorway appears to be associated with exposure to rain water infiltration. The walls and ceilings of the tomb still essentially retain their architectural form and the fissuring of the rock is not as severe as in other tombs. There are, however, a few large, deep losses in the walls where plaster and rock shard infill material has collapsed. There are also many smaller areas of surface loss, including both pre-fire and post-fire loss, which contribute to the fragmentary appearance of the surviving decoration. A large area of post-fire rock loss occurred above the entrance doorway, on the east wall of pillared chamber (B), and on the north wall of side chamber (Ba). There is a large open, east-west fracture in the ceiling of pillared chamber (B). Salt veins are present on the west wall of the burial chamber (D). Fire blackening and heat-related deterioration is visible throughout the tomb. The level of blackening is not uniform from chamber to chamber. The blackening in burial chamber (D) is darker in color with a matte appearance. There is heat-related pigment alteration throughout the tomb, most noticeably in the burial chamber where the paintings have a distinct overall reddish-brownish coloration, most likely yellow earth pigments altering to red. Some areas of plaster also have serious cracking and plaster detachment as a result of heat effects. The heat source may have been located in the rear chamber (D), which suffered substantial loss of its decoration. Large losses in the decoration and rock walls throughout the tomb can also be associated with the failure of the substantial packing material needed to fill voids in the walls, perhaps weakened further by exposure to fire. The thinness of the upper plaster layer has also led to extensive shearing and loss, also made worse by heat alteration from the fire. 

Hieroglyphs

Queen Duatentipet

King's Daughter, Great Royal Wife, Great Royal Mother, Lady of the Two Lands, Mistress of the North and the South, Duatentipet
sAt-nswt Hmt-wrt-nswt mwt-wrt-nswt nbt-tAwy Hnwt-Smaw-mHw dwAw-t(A)-nt-ipt

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.

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.

Bibliography

Champollion, Jean-François. Monuments de l'Egypte et de la Nubie. Vol. 1-2. Paris: Firmin-Didot Frères; Geneva: Editions de belles-lettres, 1845.

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

Gosselin, Luc. Les divines épouses d'Amon dans l'Egypte de la XIXème à la XXIème dynastie. Etudes et mémoires d'égyptologie, no. 6. Paris: Cybèle, 2007.

Grajetzki, Wolfram. Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary. London: Golden House Publications, 2005.

Hay of Linplum, Robert. Hay MSS [Robert Hay of Linplum and his artists made the drawings etc. in Egypt and Nubia between 1824-1838]. British Library Add. MSS 29812-60, 31054.

Leblanc, Christian and Ibrahim Abdel Rahman. Remarques relatives à la tombe de la reine Douatentipet. Revue d’égyptologie 42 (1991): 143-169.

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

Leblanc, Christian. Architecture et évolution chronologique des tombes de la Vallée des Reines. Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire  89 (1989): 227-247.

Leblanc, Christian. Ta set nefrou: une nécropole de Thèbes-ouest et son histoire, 1: géographie- toponymie: historique de l'exploration scientifique du site. Cairo: Nubar Printing House, 1989.