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Sarcophagus in undecorated burial chamber with modern flooring.
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Entryway A

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Divided steps slope down below a cliff overhang to the first corridor. The steps are built of cut stone, rather than cut from bedrock. The flanking rock is covered with plaster, but undecorated.

Porter and Moss designation:

A

Architectural Features

Divided stairway
Overhang

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

  • Width:

    3.13 m
  • Length:

    11.55 m
  • Area:

    36.23 m2
  • Orientation:

    172.04°

Gate B

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A wooden beam was placed over the gateway to hold door pivots, a feature otherwise found only in KV 62. The gate has a compound jamb, modern steps, and a flat landing.

Porter and Moss designation:

Corridor B

Architectural Features

Compound jambs
Lintel beam slot
Steps

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.82 m
  • Width:

    2.13 m
  • Length:

    1.55 m
  • Area:

    3.62 m2
  • Volume:

    10.76 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from entryway A

Decoration

  • Sun disk on the horizon

    Nephthys and Isis kneeling on each side Lintel
  • Names and epithets

    Reveals
  • Winged Ma'at figures

    kneeling above lotus of Upper Egypt left (East) inner thickness
  • Winged Ma'at figures

    kneeling above papyrus of Lower Egypt right (West) inner thickness
  • Names and epithets

    left (East) outer thickness
  • Names and epithets

    right (West) outer thickness

Corridor B

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There are two themes on the left (east) wall of this long, very gently sloping corridor. In the first, the king is shown receiving life from Ra-Horakhty. The second is the sun disk containing a ram-headed man and a scarab, with a serpent above and crocodile below, introducing the Litany of Ra. The composition is continued on the right (west) wall. The ceiling is decorated with vultures and texts.

Porter and Moss designation:

Corridor B

Architectural Features

Ceiling recess

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.11 m
  • Width:

    2.6 m
  • Length:

    14.34 m
  • Area:

    37.32 m2
  • Volume:

    115.21 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from entryway A

Decoration

  • Flying vultures

    Ceiling
  • Deceased with deities

    Ra-Horakhty left (East) wall
  • Litany of Ra

    left (East) wall
  • Litany of Ra

    right (West) wall
  • Text

    Ceiling

Gate C

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There are two holes roughly cut in the ceiling, one on each side above the thicknesses. They are now covered by a layer of modern plaster. The threshold and soffit are level.

Porter and Moss designation:

Corridor C

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Decorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.82 m
  • Width:

    2.09 m
  • Length:

    0.8 m
  • Area:

    1.74 m2
  • Volume:

    10.51 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor B

Decoration

  • Winged sun disk

    Lintel
  • Names and epithets

    left (East) thickness
  • Names and epithets

    Reveals
  • Names and epithets

    right (West) thickness

Corridor C

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In addition to the text of the Litany of Ra, corridor C also contains representations of the seventy-four forms of Ra on its walls, followed by two depictions of the scene from spell 151 of the Book of the Dead. On the ceiling is the representation of the soul of Ra, flanked by Isis and Nephthys as kites, the best preserved version of this scene in the Valley. A pair of beam holes are located in the right (west) and left (east) walls halfway down the corridor. The corridor is level.

Porter and Moss designation:

Corridor C

Architectural Features

Beam holes

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.11 m
  • Width:

    2.61 m
  • Length:

    8.79 m
  • Area:

    23.02 m2
  • Volume:

    115.57 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor B

Decoration

  • Litany of Ra

    left (East) wall
  • Litany of Ra

    right (West) wall
  • Book of the Dead

    spell 151 left (East) wall
  • Book of the Dead

    spell 151 right (West) wall
  • Litany of Ra

    Ceiling
  • Star pattern

    Ceiling

Gate D

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There is a compound jamb, a step down, and a sloping floor and soffit in the inner part of the gate.

Porter and Moss designation:

Corridor D

Architectural Features

Compound jambs
Steps

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Decorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.94 m
  • Width:

    2.09 m
  • Length:

    1.06 m
  • Area:

    2.44 m2
  • Volume:

    7.17 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor C

Decoration

  • Winged sun disk

    Lintel
  • Names and epithets

    Reveals
  • Winged Ma'at figures

    left (East) inner thickness
  • Names and epithets

    left (East) outer thickness
  • Winged Ma'at figures

    right (West) inner thickness
  • Names and epithets

    right (West) outer thickness

Corridor D

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At the end of the corridor are two deep, vertical recesses in the east and west walls. The walls are plastered and decorated. A few fragments of relief on the walls of this corridor indicate that it once bore the fourth and fifth hours of the Imydwat. The ceiling in the last half of the corridor is broken.

Porter and Moss designation:

Corridor D

Architectural Features

Recess

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decorated
Excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.36 m
  • Width:

    2.59 m
  • Length:

    10.52 m
  • Area:

    27.55 m2
  • Volume:

    92.57 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor C

Decoration

  • Imydwat

    fourth hour left (East) wall
  • Imydwat

    fifth hour right (West) wall
  • Theme undetermined

    decoration lost Ceiling

Gate E

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The lintel of the gate is damaged. There are unidentifiable traces of decoration.

Porter and Moss designation:

E

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decoration undetermined
Decoration damaged

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.79 m
  • Width:

    2.08 m
  • Length:

    0.96 m
  • Area:

    2.02 m2
  • Volume:

    5.35 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor D

Decoration

  • Theme undetermined

Chamber E

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No shaft was cut in the floor of this chamber, but the walls were plastered and decorated. The ceiling is badly damaged. The front walls of the chamber are not perpendicular to the side walls.

Porter and Moss designation:

E

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decoration damaged
Decoration undetermined
Excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.97 m
  • Width:

    4.14 m
  • Length:

    3.27 m
  • Area:

    13.41 m2
  • Volume:

    28.84 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor D

Decoration

  • Theme undetermined

Gate F

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There is a lintel beam slot at the front of the soffit. There are unidentifiable traces of decoration on the gate.

Porter and Moss designation:

F

Architectural Features

Lintel beam slot

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Decoration damaged
Damaged structurally
Decoration undetermined

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.73 m
  • Width:

    2.01 m
  • Length:

    1.06 m
  • Area:

    2.25 m2
  • Volume:

    5.82 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from chamber E

Decoration

  • Theme undetermined

Pillared chamber F

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Two pairs of damaged pillars stand on either side of the center descent. Traces of painted outline of an uncut door may be seen in the center of the right (west) wall. A fragment of painted plaster relief on the rear (south) wall above the descent, showing traces of the god Osiris in a shrine, suggests that the usual double scene of the king offering to Osiris occurred here.

Porter and Moss designation:

F

Architectural Features

Pillars

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Decoration damaged
Decoration undetermined
Partly excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.76 m
  • Width:

    7.94 m
  • Length:

    8.4 m
  • Area:

    66.17 m2
  • Volume:

    183.96 m3
  • Orientation:

    1.56° right from chamber E
  • Number of pillars:

    4
  • Average pillar width:

    1.11 m

Decoration

  • Deceased with deities

    traces of Osiris in a shrine rear (South) wall

Descent F

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A ramp begins at the rear of gate F. The ceiling of descent F has been lost.

Porter and Moss designation:

F

Architectural Features

Overhang

Condition

Cutting finished
Undecorated
Partly excavated
Damaged structurally

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.59 m
  • Width:

    2.55 m
  • Length:

    10.6 m
  • Area:

    27.65 m2
  • Orientation:

    0° from pillared chamber F

Gate G

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The soffit of the gate is missing.

Porter and Moss designation:

G

Condition

Partly excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated
Damaged structurally

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.19 m
  • Width:

    2.08 m
  • Length:

    1.04 m
  • Area:

    2.16 m2
  • Volume:

    4.49 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from pillared chamber F

Corridor G

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The ceiling is destroyed.

Porter and Moss designation:

G

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Partly excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.41 m
  • Width:

    2.58 m
  • Length:

    7.55 m
  • Area:

    19.47 m2
  • Volume:

    66.39 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from pillared chamber F

Gate H

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The ceiling and the lintel are destroyed.

Porter and Moss designation:

H

Condition

Partly excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated
Damaged structurally

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.05 m
  • Width:

    2.16 m
  • Length:

    1.07 m
  • Area:

    2.3 m2
  • Volume:

    7.02 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor G

Corridor H

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The ceiling of the corridor is destroyed.

Porter and Moss designation:

H

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Partly excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.26 m
  • Width:

    2.56 m
  • Length:

    8.41 m
  • Area:

    21.7 m2
  • Volume:

    70.74 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor G

Gate I

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Both the jambs and the soffit are destroyed.

Porter and Moss designation:

I

Condition

Partly excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated
Damaged structurally

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.85 m
  • Width:

    1.95 m
  • Length:

    1.07 m
  • Area:

    2.09 m2
  • Volume:

    5.96 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor H

Chamber I

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The chamber is roughly rectangular. The ceiling is destroyed. A section of flood debris has been left in situ.

Porter and Moss designation:

I

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Partly excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    3.12 m
  • Width:

    6.28 m
  • Length:

    5.29 m
  • Area:

    33.2 m2
  • Volume:

    103.58 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from corridor H

Corridor J1

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J1 was originally intended to be the burial chamber, but its cutting was abandoned when its eastward extension side chamber J1a intersected side chamber Ja of KV 32. Stone slabs were installed in ancient times to clad the rough-cut walls. When abandoned, it was left as a corridor leading to J2. Above the intersection of chamber J1 with side chamber J1a, the ceiling shows traces of a vault. The walls of the corridor are of poor quality, with traces of raised relief in plaster, and the ceiling is broken. There is a roughly cut recess in the right (west) wall.

Porter and Moss designation:

J

Architectural Features

Recess
Vaulted ceiling

Condition

Cutting unfinished
Damaged structurally
Decoration undetermined
Partly excavated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    4.01 m
  • Width:

    3.68 m
  • Length:

    8.76 m
  • Area:

    31.73 m2
  • Volume:

    127.24 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from chamber I

Decoration

  • Imydwat

    recently discovered left (East) wall
  • Imydwat

    recently discovered right (West) wall

Gate J1

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The lintel of the gate is destroyed.

Porter and Moss designation:

J

Condition

Partly excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated
Damaged structurally

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.8 m
  • Width:

    2.17 m
  • Length:

    1.74 m
  • Area:

    3.77 m2
  • Volume:

    10.56 m3
  • Orientation:

    0° from chamber I

Side chamber J1a

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This represents the abandoned cutting for the intended burial chamber. In the rear (north) wall, there is a breakthrough into side chamber Ja of KV 32.

Porter and Moss designation:

K

Condition

Cutting unfinished
Damaged structurally
Excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    1.74 m Irregular
  • Width:

    1.8 m
  • Length:

    6.09 m
  • Area:

    11.99 m2
  • Volume:

    21.95 m3
  • Orientation:

    90.43° left from corridor J1

Gate J2

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The lintel is broken. There are compound jambs.

Porter and Moss designation:

Sarcophagus chamber L

Architectural Features

Compound jambs

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated
Damaged structurally

Dimensions

  • Height:

    2.92 m
  • Width:

    2.04 m
  • Length:

    1.94 m
  • Area:

    4.34 m2
  • Volume:

    12.6 m3
  • Orientation:

    1.78° right from corridor J1

Burial chamber J2

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The chamber is unfinished. Red paint outlines on the rear (south) wall show where additional pillars were to be cut. There is a roughly rectangular, shallow pit in the floor of the chamber. There was a vaulted ceiling over that part of the chamber where the sarcophagus lay. Traces of the ceiling may be seen on the rear (south), left (east) and right (west) walls. The forepart of the burial chamber is on the same level as corridor J1. Four square pillars are arranged on an east-west axis. Because of the bad condition of the rock, the front of the chamber and its pillars have collapsed. The burial chamber is flanked by benches on the front (north), left (east) and right (west) walls. There are no side chambers.

  • Chamber plan:

    Rectangular
  • Relationship to main tomb axis:

    Perpendicular
  • Chamber layout:

    Flat floor, pillars
  • Floor:

    One level
  • Ceiling:

    Vaulted

Porter and Moss designation:

Sarcophagus chamber L

Architectural Features

Benches
Burial pit
Pillars
Sarcophagus
Sarcophagus emplacement
Vaulted ceiling

Condition

Cutting finished
Damaged structurally
Excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

  • Height:

    5.3 m Irregular
  • Width:

    13.73 m
  • Length:

    9.07 m
  • Area:

    125.26 m2
  • Volume:

    554.67 m3
  • Orientation:

    1.78° right from corridor J1
  • Number of pillars:

    4
  • Average pillar width:

    1.07 m

Sarcophagus

  • Extant remains:

    Box and lid
  • Sarcophagus form:

    Cartouche-shaped with effigy on lid
  • Material:

    Red granite
  • Length:

    3.51 m
  • Width:

    1.55 m
  • Height:

    2.21 m
  • Orientation:

    west
  • Emplacement:

    Pit
  • Comments:

    The upper edges of the sides of the box were damaged when the lid was pried off the box. Traces of yellow and red paint are visble on the hands, scepters, and face of the effigy of the king on the lid.
  • Decoration:

  • Deceased with deities:
    Siptah as Osiris surrounded by Isis, Nephthys, a pair of cobras with human heads and arms, a snake and a crocodile Lid exterior
  • Kheker frieze:
    triplet gropus alternate with jackals on shrines at top of left and right sides Box exterior
  • Deities:
    Anubis jackals, Nephthys Box exterior
  • Book of the Earth:
    Part A, scene 10 Occupant's foot end"
  • Serekh:
    Repeated as a lower border pattern Box exterior
  • Box exterior

About

About

KV 47 is located in the southwest branch of the southwest Wadi. The tomb consists of three gently sloping corridors (B, C, D), followed by a chamber (E), a pillared chamber (F), two subsequent corridors (G, H), and a chamber (I) that leads through a passage with abandoned lateral cuttings for a burial chamber (J1). These are followed by the actual unfinished burial chamber J2, containing a granite Sarcophagus. The entrance of the tomb consists of a Ramp with divided stairs.

The tomb was left unfinished. Only the first corridors and chamber were plastered and decorated with scenes from the Litany of Ra (corridors B and C), Book of the Dead (corridor C), Imydwat (corridor D), representations of the deceased with Ra-Horakhty (corridor B), the sun disk on the horizon (gate B) and winged figures of Ma'at (gate B, gate D).

Noteworthy features:

Pillared chamber F is succeeded by two corridors G and H instead of the usual corridor and stairway. A cutting for the side of a burial chamber was begun in corridor J1, but had to be abandoned when workers broke into KV 32. The burial chamber J2 has no side chambers.

Site History

The tomb was the burial place of Siptah, and judging by the objects in the tomb, of his mother, Queen Tia'a. The cartouches of the king were erased, then restored with paint. Hartwig Altenmüller and Anthony Spalinger believed the erasures took place at the end of Dynasty 19, either for religious or political reasons. KV 47 was reused during the Third Intermediate Period and robbed in antiquity.

Edward Russell Ayrton was the first to excavate KV 47 in 1905. Because of the safety risk posed by the bad condition of the rock, he dug no further than chamber I. In 1912, Harry Burton resumed the excavation and started to work in chamber F, clearing from this point to burial chamber J. The tomb is currently under study by the MISR Project. The mummy of Siptah was found in the tomb of Amenhetep II (KV 35) by Victor Loret in 1898.

Dating

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

New Kingdom
Dynasty 19
Siptah
Third Intermediate Period
Dynasty 21

Exploration

1905: Discovery
Ayrton, Edward Russell
1905-1907: Excavation
Ayrton, Edward Russell
1912-1913: Excavation
Burton, Harry
1922: Excavation
Carter, Howard
1907: Epigraphy
Jones, Ernest Harold
1994: Conservation
Supreme Council of Antiquities
1994: Excavation
Supreme Council of Antiquities
1999-: Excavation
MISR Project: Mission Siptah-Ramses X
1999-: Epigraphy
MISR Project: Mission Siptah-Ramses X
1999-: Conservation
MISR Project: Mission Siptah-Ramses X

Conservation

Conservation History

During the summer of 1994, the Supreme Council of Antiquities undertook a program to clear the remainder of the tomb, repair damage, and open it for tourists. In addition to cleaning the painted relief and filling in gaps with plaster, damaged gates D and E and their respective lintels were repaired. The pillars in pillared chamber F had been damaged by past flooding and were largely replaced by limestone blocks. Wood walkways were laid over the floors (and on unexcavated debris in corridors G and H). Glass panels were erected over the painted decoration and new lighting was installed.

Site Condition

The first part of the tomb is well preserved. Beyond corridor D, the walls have suffered structural damage.

Hieroglyphs

Siptah

King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Glorious for Ra, Chosen by Ra, Son of Ra, Son of Ptah, Beloved of Ptah
niswt-bity Ax-n-Raw stp-n-Raw sA-Raw sA-PtH mry-n-PtH

Articles

Tomb Robberies

From the day they were first sealed in antiquity, treasure-filled tombs in the Valley of the Kings were potential targets for theft.

Bibliography

Aldred, Cyril.  The Parentage of King Siptah.  Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.  London. 49 (1963): 41-48.

Altenmüller, Hartwig.  Bemerkungen zu den Königsgräbern des Neuen Reiches.  Studien zur altägyptischen Kultur 10 (1983): 25-61.

Altenmüller, Hartwig.  Das präsumtive Begräbnis des Siptah.  Studien zur altägyptischen Kultur (1996): 1-10.

Ayrton, Edward R.  Discovery of the Tomb of Si-ptah in the Bibân el Molûk, Thebes Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology.  London. 30 (1906): 96.

Burton, Harry. The Late Theodor M. Davis's Excavations at Thebes in 1912-13.  Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  New York. 11 (1916):  13-18.

Cauville, Sylvie and Mohammed Ibrahim AliLa Vallée des Rois: Itinéraire du Visiteur. Leuven: Peeters, 2014. Pp. 333-341.

Helck, Wolfgang.  Königsgräbertal.  Wolfgang Helck, Eberhart Otto and Wolfhart Westendorf (eds.).  Lexikon der Ägyptologie.  7 vols. Wiesbaden, 1972-1992.  3: 522.

Jenni, Hanna. La Vallée des Rois: Ses Tombeaux et Ses Ouvriers: Travaux Concernant les Tombes KV 17, 18, 32 et 47 Menés par l'Institut d'Égyptologie de l'Université de Bâle. Égypte, Afrique & Orient 54 (2009): 11-24.