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A project of the American Research Center in Egypt
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Entrance to QV32 
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Entryway A

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The shaft entrance has a modern masonry surround coated in cement plaster spanned by a metal grill.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

Chamber B

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A large, roughly cut rectangular undecorated chamber that is situated perpendicular to the shaft (A). The chamber contained some pottery and suffered flood damage, though it remains in stable condition.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Flood Damage
Undecorated

About

About

QV 32 has a short shaft (A) leading to a single chamber (B). The tomb is on the upper portion of the slope on the south side of the main valley, between tombs QV 31 and QV 33. The shaft entrance has a modern masonry surround coated in cement plaster spanned by a metal grill.

The earliest modern record of QV 32 is from Heinrich Brugsch, who numbered the tomb 8. Elizabeth Thomas (9159-60) had no access to the tomb, but includes it in her work and suggests it may be of great interest given the tombs around it. The Franco-Egyptian Mission cleared out the tomb in 1985, although they did not find any significant archaeological material.

Site History

The tomb was constructed in the 18th Dynasty.

Dating

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

New Kingdom
Dynasty 18

Exploration

1854: Documentation
Brugsch, Heinrich Karl
1959-1960: Documentation
Thomas, Elizabeth
1981: Mapping/planning
Theban Mapping Project
1985: Publication, Conservation, Excavation
Franco Egyptian Mission
2006-2008: Survey and Documentation
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)
2008: Tomb clearance
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)

Conservation

Site Condition

According to the GCI-SCA, the tomb is in stable condition. Fractures occur above the entrance and vertical fractures run down the rear wall of the chamber. A large amount of debris currently lies in the tomb. Mud and wasp nests are present on the rock of the ceiling. One bat was observed by the GCI-SCA assessment team in January 2008. Dried, cracked silt and the relatively large volume of debris within the tomb and mud caked on the ceiling show unquestionable signs of previous flooding. The expansion of the shale when exposed to water has led to further collapse. 

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.

Bibliography

Brugsch, Heinrich Karl. Reiseberichte aus Aegypten. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1855.

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

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.