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A project of the American Research Center in Egypt
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Entrance to QV37  
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Entryway A

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The shaft entrance has no surround and is adjacent to that of QV 36.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

Chamber B

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A large, roughly cut rectangular undecorated chamber with a break in the wall in the northeast corner which leads into QV 36. Dried mud on the floor surface and base of the walls indicate flooding.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Flood Damage
Undecorated

About

About

Single-chambered QV 37 lies halfway up the slope on the south side of the main Wadi, between later chamber tombs QV 36 and QV 38. Two breaks in the adjoining wall of QV 36 provide access to the tomb. The shaft entrance (A) has no surround and is adjacent to that of QV 36. Elizabeth Thomas mentions the proximity of the entrance to that of QV 36, and that the two tombs were discovered together by the Italian mission in 1903. She notes that only 28 cm of rock separate the two entrances and that Ballerini interpreted the larger break in the wall as the work of thieves, having found no original artifacts. The tomb was last cleared by the Franco-Egyptian team in 1985.

Site History

Dating

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

New Kingdom
Dynasty 18

Exploration

1903-1905: Excavation
Italian Archaeological Expedition
1959-1960: Documentation
Thomas, Elizabeth
1981: Mapping/planning
Theban Mapping Project
1985: 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

The tomb is in stable condition, despite being surrounded by an area with a relatively high concentration of shale and related deterioration manifested in many nearby tombs. The tomb itself is excavated into marl with regularly spaced vertical joints. The walls of the shaft (A) shows signs of weathering, with areas of friability and loss. There are localized wasps' nests on the surface of the rock in the chamber. Dried, cracked mud on the floor of the tomb and adhered dirt and staining at the base of the walls indicate past flooding. Water infiltration from the open shaft is the greatest concern in this tomb. According to the GCI-SCA, the tomb should be protected from entry of water, debris, and animals with a shaft plug. This would also serve to stabilize the fragile area of rock between the shaft and the main chamber of QV 36.

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

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.