QV 88
Prince Ahmose
Entryway A
See entire tombA shaft entrance that is considerably eroded and filled with debris. It does not have a protective modern masonry surround.
Burial chamber B
See entire tombA small, undecorated rectangular burial chamber that is on axis with the entrance. The walls and ceiling are uneven.
Chamber plan:
RectangularRelationship to main tomb axis:
ParallelChamber layout:
Flat floor, pillarsFloor:
One levelCeiling:
Flat
About
About
QV 88 lies in the Valley of Prince Ahmose, a small Wadi immediately adjacent to and south of the main wadi. The tomb has a vertical shaft (A) with a single chamber (B) and the entrance has eroded considerably.
Discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli's mission in 1903, inscriptions found in this tomb attribute it to prince Ahmose, a son of Nebesu and lan. Schiaparelli speculated about Ahmose’s royal origin, although a king named Nebesu is not known in this Dynasty. The funerary goods discovered in the tomb include fragments of mummy wrappings, as well as alabaster and glass jars. Fragments of Canopic jars and ushabti are inscribed with his and his parents' names. A mummified fetus was found by the Italian Archaeological Expedition in 1903 and Schiaparelli records that perfumed oil was sprinkled over the mummy and its fine linen wrappings. The fetus was found within a wooden box, which was also wrapped in linen, and is now on display in the tomb of Amenherkhepshef (QV 55).
Noteworthy features:
The funerary goods discovered in QV 88 include fragments of mummy wrappings, alabaster and glass jars, and fragments of Canopic jars and ushabtis inscribed with Prince Ahmose's and his parents' names.
Site History
The tomb was constructed in the 18th Dynasty.
Dating
This site was used during the following period(s):
Exploration
Conservation
Site Condition
Since QV 88 is mostly filled with debris, it was not assessed by the GCI-SCA from the interior. However, it is susceptible to continuing erosion from surface water draining through the Valley of Prince Ahmose. While the volume of such water is relatively small compared to that of the main Wadi, the susceptibility of the surrounding rock to water accelerates the rate of decay, as does the lack of a protective surround at the shaft entrance. According to the GCI-SCA, since substantial debris has accumulated in the shaft, it should be entirely reburied and marked for future identification.
Hieroglyphs
Prince Ahmose
King's Son, Ahmose
sA-nswt iaH-ms
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
The Italian Mission in the Valley of the Queens (1903-1905): History of excavation, Discoveries, and the Turin Museum Collection
Bibliography
Ballerini, F. Notizia sommaria degli scavi della missione archeologica italiana in Egitto, anno 1903: Valle delle regine. Torino: Museo di antichità, 1903.
Demas, Martha and Neville Agnew (eds). Valley of the Queens. Assessment Report. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2012, 2016. Two vols.
Franco, Isabelle. Fragments de «Livre des Morts» sur toile: découverts dans la Vallée des Reines. Bulletin de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale 88 (1988): 71-82.
Leblanc, Christian and Magdi Mohamed Fekri. L’exploration archéologique des vallées laterales de tA st nfrw. Atti del Sesto Congresso Internazionale di Egittologia. Vol. 1. Turin: International Association of Egyptologists, 1993: 259-268.
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.
