QV 85
Unfinished*
About
About
QV 85 is located on the eastern branch of the main Wadi, between QV 51 and QV 52. The tomb is very shallow and unfinished. The Ramp walls were cut with partially finished surfaces. According to Christian Leblanc, the tomb was started in the 20th Dynasty and construction was stopped because of poor rock quality in the area.
Site History
Excavation of the tomb began in the 20th Dynasty and was abandoned due to the poor quality of the rock in the area.
Dating
This site was used during the following period(s):
Exploration
Conservation
Site Condition
According to the GCI-SCA, the marl rock of QV 85 is weathered and exposed to rainfall. There are vertical fractures at south and north corners and an area of loss in the east wall of the Ramp. Exposure to water and weathering damage and the poor quality of rock that the tomb is cut into largely contributed to its deterioration. The GCI-SCA has recommended to leave the tomb as is, since it is only a shallow trench.
Articles
Tomb Numbering Systems in the Valley of the Queens and the Western Wadis
Geography and Geology of the Valley of the Queens and Western Wadis
Bibliography
Demas, Martha and Neville Agnew (eds). Valley of the Queens. Assessment Report. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2012, 2016. Two vols.
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.