KV 08

Merenptah

The stepped open entrance is now covered with a modern stairway that descends to a level landing before gate B. A short cliff overhang covers the gate. Traces of the edges of steps can be seen at the east end of the left (south) side of the entry cuting, indicating that the top of the original stairway was lowered. A pair of beam holes are located near the gate.

The jambs of this gate were cut back, but remains of the original surfaces are visible at the top of the thicknesses. The outer lintel is decorated with a sun disk containing a scarab and a ram-headed god, shown entering the western horizon, and adored by kneeling figures of Isis on the left (south) and Nephthys on the right (north). The reveals are inscribed with the king's names and prayers to Ra and Osiris, partly cut away.

Modern steps mark the beginning and end of this sloping corridor. A ceiling recess lies at the front of the corridor, and beam holes face each other in opposite walls half way down the corridor. The left (south) wall displays the Litany of Ra, preceded by the king before Ra-Horakhty. The right (north) wall is covered with texts of the Litany of Ra. The scene of the king with Ra-Horakhty, the decoration of the ceiling recess, and the opening vignette of the Litany are in raised relief; the texts of the Litany are in sunk relief. The colors on the walls are well preserved, but some ceiling decoration has been lost.

The original jambs are cut away. Notches in the thicknesses show how ancient replacements were originally installed. On the lintel is the winged sun disk. The returns are decorated with the Book of Gates, the thicknesses with the Litany of Ra.

Trapezoidal recesses at the top of the right (north) and left (south) walls extend nearly halfway down the sloping corridor. Gates and texts from the second division (P)/third hour (H) and third division (P)/fourth hour (H) of the Book of Gates decorate the beginnings of the left and right walls respectively. The manifestations of Ra from the Litany of Ra decorate recesses in the upper parts of the left and right walls, and texts of the second and third hours of the Imydwat occupy the space below. Representations of Anubis jackals above Isis and Nephthys kneeling occupy the remainder of the rear (west) parts of these walls. The ceiling is decorated with yellow stars on a blue background. There is a yellow central band with the ba of Ra flanked by Isis and Nephthys as birds at the front (east) end and inscribed with texts from the Litany of Ra.

The original jambs were cut away to allow passage of the sarcophagi. A pair of rectangular notches, cut into the area of the thicknesses, indicate how the replacement blocks for the jambs were held in place. Cramps were inserted in slots in the bottoms of the notches and the tops of the blocks. Beam holes were cut just in front of the gate. Cartouches decorate the outer lintel.

A pair of rectangular recesses face each other on either wall before gate E. The left (south) and right (north) walls are covered with the fourth and fifth hours of the Imydwat, respectively. The ceiling is painted blue with yellow stars.

The outer jambs and thicknesses of this gate are missing. Notches in the thicknesses show how they would originally have been emplaced. The lintel is decorated with the king's names, the thicknesses with the tenth and eleventh hours of the Imydwat.

The floor of this roughly square chamber is occupied by a well shaft. The west wall of the shaft follows a sloping vein of calcite. The left (south) half of the chamber has depictions of Osiris-Wennefer, two Sons of Horus and four deities who face the tomb entrance. Anubis and two Sons of Horus face the tomb interior. The right (north) side of the chamber repeats this scene, but the king as Iwnmutef replaces Anubis.

The lintel is decorated with a kneeling winged Ma'at. The outer thicknesses of the original compound jambs are missing. In their place, pairs of recesses with slots in the bottoms to receive dovetail cramps held replacement jamb blocks. These blocks and the lintel beam are missing.

Two pillars flank the central descent, and short flights of steps lead up from either side of the descent to the level floor of this pillared chamber. Traces on the ceiling indicate the original presence of another pair of pillars that flanked the descent. The remains of painted plaster on the ceiling still covering the traces of one of these missing pillars indicates that they were removed before the decoration was completed. The chamber in the right (north) wall leading to side chamber Fa appears to have been cut after that wall was decorated; there are remains of partly preserved figures at the edges of the jambs.
The third, fourth and fifth divisions (P)/fourth, fifth and sixth hours (H) of the Book of Gates form the decorative program of the chamber, together with a double scene of the king offering to Osiris in a shrine, carved on the center of the rear (west) wall above the descent. The two pillars are decorated with scenes of the king making offerings to Osiris, Ptah and Ma'at, standing before Ra-Horakhty and receiving life from Anubis.

The descent consists of a divided stairway with central ramp. It passes beneath an overhang formed by the rear (west) wall of pillared chamber F. The decoration is poorly preserved, and only traces of a few hieroglyphs survive where they had been carved through the missing plaster into the rock surface.

The compound jambs of this undecorated gate are still in place, but the lintel beam has fallen, leaving two holes above the gate where it was situated. There is a door bolt hole in the left (west) jamb.

This square side chamber's axis lies perpendicular to the main tomb axis and is reached through a gate in the right (north) wall of pillared chamber F. The chamber has two pillars in the center and a gate in the left (west )wall leads to a small chamber.

This small chamber is actually a small shrine to Osiris. It may be an abandoned start for another chamber, or a purpose-cut shrine. The interior surfaces have been plastered and decorated with paint. On either side of the gate, the short interior walls are decorated with cartouches of Rameses II referred to here as the "Osiris-king." Figures of the four Sons of Horus are painted on the left (south) and right (north) walls with Isis and Nephthys, while Osiris is shown on the rear (west) wall accompanied by two goddesses, Qebhyt and Nedjti.

This gate is set well above the floor in the center of the right (west) wall of side chamber Fa. There is no indication that the opening was closed by door leaves.

The jambs of this gate are missing; notches in the thicknesses show how they would originally have been emplaced. A slot at either side near the top served to hold a wooden lintel beam.The divided stairs of descent F end inside this gate.

The corridor has suffered a severe loss of decoration, but enough traces survive, cut through the fallen plaster into the rock surface beneath, to indicate the general decorative program. This consisted of the Opening of the Mouth ritual. It begins on the left (south) wall with a large scale image of the king seated at an offering table before which two priests officiate. The corridor slopes down to chamber H, but levels off before the gate to form a landing.

The jambs of this gate are missing; notches in the thicknesses show how they would originally have been emplaced. A slot at either side near the top served to hold a wooden lintel beam. The gate has compound jambs.

On the right (north) side of this level, roughly square chamber lies the rectangular lid of the outer sarcophagus of Merenptah. This was moved here after the burial was dismantled, and the third sarcophagus was taken to Tanis. The plaster walls have deteriorated, but in the right half of the chamber, representations of the king and deities are still visible. The king is shown addressing the forty-two assessors in the judgment hall of Osiris, and the "Negative Confession" (or denial of sins) from the Book of the Dead, spell 125 was painted on the walls of the left (south) half of the chamber. In front of gate I, the floor of H was cut down to a sloping ramp leading through the gate into corridor I.

The sloping floor of corridor I extends upwards through this gate into the floor of chamber H.

The corridor slopes towards gate J and the burial chamber J. There is a ceiling recess at the beginning of the corridor, and in each wall at the end are two narrow vertical recesses. Only traces of texts survive where they were cut through the now-missing plaster into the stone surface beneath.

The lower half of the left (south) jamb has broken away flush to the wall.

The sunken floor of the central portion of the burial chamber is flanked on the front (east) and rear (west) by a row of four pillars set in the upper level. Six steps lead down from the entrance to a sunken floor in the middle of the chamber, and another set of steps ascends to the rear upper level. A bench runs around the entire chamber and recesses and magical brick niches are spaced along the front and rear walls of the chamber. In the center of the chamber, a modern base of limestone blocks supports a second granite sarcophagus lid, surmounted by a mummiform effigy of Merenptah. Gates at the ends of the left (south) and right (north) walls lead to side chambers Ja-Jd, and a gate in the middle of the rear wall leads to chamber K.

There is a severe loss of decoration, but the eighth division (P)/ninth hour (H) of the Book of Gates is visible on the left wall. Other scenes represented are the Book of the Earth and the Book of Caverns. The vaulted ceiling has astronomical scenes including representations of deities in barks.

The gate leads into side chamber Ja. It is filled with debris deposited by floods and the jambs are badly cracked.

This side chamber lies off the southeast corner of the burial chamber, and is filled with dirt and stone chips deposited by floods. Evidence of a recess in the center of the rear (south) wall can be seen above the debris fill. The ceiling is flush with the soffit of the gate.

The gate cuts through the ledge on the south wall and leads into side chamber Jb. The jambs are damaged.

This side chamber is located off the southwest corner of the burial chamber, and is now filled with dirt and stone chips. The ceiling is flush with the soffit of the gate.

The gate is blocked and sealed with a cement covering.

This side chamber located to the northwest of the burial chamber is presently inaccessible, due to modern cement blocking the gate. It is thought that material such as granite fragments from Carter's clearance may be stored here. The ceiling is 8 cm (3 inches) above the soffit of the gate.

This gate is now blocked and sealed.

This side chamber to the northeast of the burial chamber is inaccesible. It has been reported that artifacts found in Carter's clearance are stored here. The ceiling is 8 cm (3 inches) above the soffit of the gate.

The gate has suffered damage from flooding.

Chamber K continues along the axis of the tomb beyond the burial chamber. Traces of painted plaster decoration can be seen on the wall near the ceiling, but not enough survives to identify any decorative themes. A side chamber opens off each side near the entrance, and a third chamber opens off the rear (west) wall.

The gate is filled with flood debris and its jambs are badly damaged.

This chamber is set at a right angle to the main axis and lies off chamber K. It is full of flood debris.

The gate leads into side chamber Kb.

This small side chamber has roughly carved walls with no trace of decoration.

The chamber is full of flood debris.

This chamber is set at a right angle to the main axis and is situated off chamber K. It is full of flood debris and exhibits a significant loss of decoration.