Skip to main content
A project of the American Research Center in Egypt
About the image
Entrance to QV44 with visitors shelter and entrance to QV45 on the right
More Details

Gate B

See entire tomb

This gate provides access to the tomb. It was recut after the tomb was constructed and decorated as it was too narrow for the granite Sarcophagus. After the recutting, the gate was replastered and carved but was never painted. The gate now has a modern metal door with grill to prevent access once the site is closed and visiting hours have ended.

The decoration on the lower parts of the reveals and thicknesses are lost, presumably due to past flooding events. The only extant decoration remains on the right thickness and contains a fragmentary image of a winged kneeling Ma'at. There are post holes in the ceiling on either side of the doorway within the corridor for the original double wooden door. 

Porter and Moss designation:

1

Architectural Features

Door pivot holes

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated
Flood Damage

Decoration

  • Deity

    Winged Kneeling Ma'at right thickness

Corridor B

See entire tomb

This corridor lies on axis with the tomb's entrance and has two side chambers, one to the southeast and one to the northwest. There is loss of plaster and relief on the lower parts of the walls, indicative of past flooding events. The ceiling is decorated with stars and a Kheker frieze runs along the upper parts of the walls. The walls are protected with glass barriers and lit by fluorescent lighting, while the floor is covered with a wooden walkway.

The scenes in this corridor center of the King, Rameses III, and the prince offering to various deities. As with the tombs of the other sons of Rameses III, the king is the dominant figure and interacts with the deities on behalf of his son. 

Porter and Moss designation:

First corridor

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated
Flood Damage

Decoration

  • Stars

    Ceiling
  • Kheker Frieze

    (Up) All walls
  • King

    Two images of Rameses III censing on either side of the gate (Northeast) wall
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Ptah (continuation of scene on northeast wall) (Southeast) wall (left part)
  • King and prince before Thoth

    Rameses III and prince offering wine to Thoth (Southeast) wall (center-left part)
  • King and prince before Deity

    Rameses III and prince in adoration before Anubis (Southeast) wall (center-right part)
  • King before Deity

    Rameses III in adoration before Re-Horakhty (Southeast) wall (right part)
  • Deity

    Ptah-Sokar (continuation of scene on northeast wall) (Northwest) wall (right part)
  • King and prince before Deity

    Rameses III and prince censing before Geb (scene split by gate to side chamber) (Northwest) wall (center-right part)
  • King and prince before Deity

    Rameses III and prince in adoration before Shu (Northwest) wall (center-left part)
  • King and prince before Atum

    Rameses III and prince censing before Atum (Northwest) wall (left part)

Gate Ba

See entire tomb

This gate is cut into the southeast wall of the corridor and provides access to a side chamber. The floor is cut slightly higher than that of the preceding corridor. There is a slot cut above the doorway, presumably for the placement of a wooden lintel. The gate is protected by glass barriers and lit with fluorescent lighting.

The lintel contains an image of a winged sun disk, the jambs have a dedication text of the tomb from the king to his son, and the thicknesses are decorated with images of Horus-Iwnmutef.

Porter and Moss designation:

6

Architectural Features

Lintel beam slot

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Excavated

Decoration

  • Winged sun disk

    Lintel
  • Text

    Dedication text of tomb Reveals
  • Deity

    Horus-Iwnmutef Thicknesses

Side chamber Ba

See entire tomb

This side chamber lies to the southeast of the corridor. The walls are protected with glass barriers and lit by fluorescent lighting, while a wooden walkway was erected over the original floor. The plaster on the walls of this side chamber show signs of cracking, but there are no major losses.

Unusually, the prince is shown here interacting with deities directly without his father. He is, however, still shown with the side lock of youth. The major scene in this chamber is located on the southeast wall and consists of a double scene of Osiris seated with Isis adoring him on the right and Nephthys adoring him on the left. The side walls depict the prince offering to various deities.

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Deities

    Neit and Serqet (Northwest) wall (left part)
  • Deities

    Isis and Nephthys (Northwest) wall (right part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Anubis (Northeast) wall (left part)
  • Prince before Deities

    Prince in adoration before Horus and Serqet (Northeast) wall (right part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Anubis (Southwest) wall (right part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Horus and Neit (Southwest) wall (left part)
  • Deities

    Double scene of Osiris seated and being adored by Nephthys on left and Isis on the right. (Southeast) wall

Gate Bb

See entire tomb

This gate is cut into the northwest wall of the corridor and provides access to a side chamber. The floor is higher than that of the corridor. The walls are protected with glass barriers and lit by fluorescent lighting.

The lintel is decorated with a winged sun disk, the reveals with the titles of Rameses III, and the thicknesses with images of Horus-Iwnmutef.

Porter and Moss designation:

8

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Winged sun disk

    Lintel
  • Text

    Titles of Rameses III Reveals
  • Deity

    Horus-Iwnmutef Thicknesses

Side chamber Bb

See entire tomb

This side chamber lies to the northwest of the first corridor. There is evidence of cracking in the plaster of the walls and the ceiling has several small losses in painted plaster. The walls are protected by glass barriers and lit by fluorescent lighting, while the original floor is covered with a wooden walkway.

As with the previous side chamber, the prince is shown here interacting with the deities without the assistance of his father. He wears the side lock of youth. The main scene is situated on the northwest wall and consists of a double scene with Isis before Osiris seated and Nephthys before Ptah-Sokar seated. The side walls show the prince offering to the various deities.

Porter and Moss designation:

West side-room

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Deities

    Isis and Nephthys (Southeast) wall (left part)
  • Deities

    Neit and Serqet (Southeast) wall (right part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Hapy (Southwest) wall (left part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Qebehsenuef (Southwest) wall (center part)
  • Prince before Deities

    Prince in adoration before dog-headed deity (Ennead of the Duat) and 'Horus in his Youth' (Southwest) wall (right part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Imsety (Northeast) wall (right part)
  • Prince before Deity

    Prince in adoration before Duamutef (Northeast) wall (center part)
  • Prince before Deities

    Prince in adoration before Bak and 'Horus in his Youth' (Northeast) wall (left part)
  • Deities

    Double scene of Isis in adoration before Osiris and Nephthys in adoration before Ptah-Sokar (Northwest) wall

Gate C

See entire tomb

This gate provides access to the burial chamber and lies on axis with the tomb's entrance. It was widened after the construction and decoration of the tomb in order to allow the granite Sarcophagus to pass. The jambs were then replastered and carved with relief but not painted. The jambs are protected with glass barriers and lit with fluorescent lighting. There are post holes in the ceiling on either side of the doorway in corridor C indicating that the doorway was closed with double wooden doors.

The lintel is decorated with a winged sun disk and the reveals with a unpainted relief of Nephthys on the left and Isis on the right.

Porter and Moss designation:

10

Architectural Features

Door pivot holes

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Winged sun disk

    Lintel
  • Deities

    Nephthys on the left and isis on the right Thicknesses

Burial chamber C

See entire tomb

This corridor served as the burial chamber and lies on axis with the tomb's entrance. The ceiling is vaulted and there are two unfinished side chambers in the southeast and northwest walls. A pit was excavated into the floor as a Sarcophagus emplacement. The walls are protected with glass barriers and lit with fluorescent lighting, while the floor is protected by a wooden walkway.

The scenes in this chamber center on the Book of the Dead Spells 145-146 and depict the King, Rameses III, and the prince passing through the various gates of the underworld. As with the preceding corridor, the king is the dominant figure and interacts with the deities on the prince's behalf. The prince is shown with a side lock of youth. The sarcophagus lid of Khaemwaset was discovered in this chamber and is constructed out of red granite. It is now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Turin.

  • Chamber plan:

    Rectangular
  • Relationship to main tomb axis:

    Parallel
  • Chamber layout:

    Flat floor, no pillars
  • Floor:

    One level
  • Ceiling:

    Vaulted

Porter and Moss designation:

Second Corridor

Architectural Features

Sarcophagus emplacement
Vaulted ceiling

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Decoration

  • Prince

    Prince as Iwnmutef priest on either side of gate (Northeast) wall
  • Book of the Dead

    Spells 145-146, Gates 10, 12, 14, and 16 (Southeast) wall
  • Book of the Dead

    Spells 145-46, Gates 9, 11, 13, 15 (Northwest) wall

Sarcophagus

  • Extant remains:

    Lid
  • Sarcophagus form:

    Mummiform
  • Material:

    Red granite
  • Comments:

    Turin Museum S. 5215
  • Decoration:

  • Deceased:

Gate D

See entire tomb

This gate provides access to a rear chamber and is on axis with the tomb's entrance. The jambs are protected by glass barriers and lit with fluorescent lighting.

The lintel contains a winged sun disk, the reveals are decorated with the titles of Rameses III, and the thicknesses have brightly colored Djed-pillars.

Porter and Moss designation:

15

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Excavated

Decoration

  • Winged sun disk

    Lintel
  • Text

    Titles of Rameses III Reveals
  • Amuletic symbols

    Djed-pillar Thicknesses

Chamber D

See entire tomb

This chamber lies on axis with the tomb's entrance and has been termed the 'Room of Rebirth' due to the nature of the iconography. The walls are protected by glass barriers and lit with fluorescent lighting, while the floors are protected by wooden walkways.

The scenes center on the king offering to various deities associated with solarization and rebirth. He does so on behalf of the prince who is not depicted in this chamber. The main scene is depicted on the southwest wall and consists of a double scene of the king in adoration before Osiris, accompanied by Isis and Neit on the left and Nephthys and Serqet on the right. 

Porter and Moss designation:

Inner room

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Excavated

Decoration

  • Deities

    Jackal and lion reclining on chapels (Northeast) wall (right part)
  • Deities

    Neb-nerou and Hery-Ma'at (Northeast) wall (left part)
  • King before Deity

    King offering vases to Thoth (Southeast) wall (left part)
  • King before Deity

    King offering vases to Horsiese (Southeast) wall (right part)
  • King before Deities

    Double scene of the king in adoration before seated Osiris, accompanied by Isis and Neit on the left and Nephthys and Serqet on the right (Southwest) wall
  • King before Deity

    King censing and libating before Horus (Northwest) wall (right part)
  • King before Deity

    King censing and libating before Shepsi (Northwest) wall (left part)

About

About

QV 44 is located at the end of the south branch of the main Wadi, where a number of the sons of Rameses Ill of the 20th Dynasty were buried. Unlike the majority of tombs along this branch, QV 44 is cut on a roughly east-west axis, largely perpendicular to the axes of preceding tombs, except for QV 43, whose axis it shares. Worth noting is the fact that side chamber (Ba) underlies Ramp (A) of QV 43, with approximately two meters of rock in between. QV 44 is a multi-chambered, corridor-type tomb that progresses along a straight axis from the entry ramp (A) to two subsequent corridor chambers (B, C) and a final square chamber (D). Two lateral chambers (Ba, Bb) flank the first corridor chamber (B) (one on each side) and two niches flank the sides of the second corridor chamber (C). The ceiling of corridor (C) has a slight barrel vault, indicating its intended use as the burial chamber. A second phase of construction appears to have been undertaken when the main chambers were finished. The doorways at the entrance, between corridors B and C, were widened to allow the large granite Sarcophagus to be brought into the tomb. These doorways were replastered and the decoration was carved, but they were never painted. It has been assumed that the two entryways carved on either side of chamber C had been planned as full side chambers, but were never finished.

QV 44 belongs to Prince Khaemwaset, a son of Rameses Ill. His mother may have been Rameses' great royal wife Tyti (QV 52). Khaemwaset (QV 44) should not be confused either with his famous predecessor, Khaemwaset, son of Rameses II, or with his half-brothers Rameses IX and XI, who both took the name Khaemwaset as well. Like the son of Rameses II, Khaemwaset was a priest of Ptah and probably spent his life at the temple in Memphis occupied by his religious duties. The remains of his Coffin are in Turin, while one of his Canopic jars is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Otherwise, he is only mentioned as the eighth son on the prince list at Madinat Habu, where he is listed as deceased. A fragment of his coffin with an inscription of Rameses IV indicates that he did not die before his father, but during the reign of the latter. At some point in his life, he was the "king's first son of his body”, but he never took the throne.

The tomb was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in February 1903. At the time of discovery, the tomb was piled with mummies and wooden sarcophagi dated to the late 22nd-26th Dynasties, a period of substantial reuse of tombs. A dry masonry wall apparently sealed the entrance after these burials and, lacking evidence of Roman re-use, the entrance is assumed to have been lost and forgotten by that time. The tomb was re-opened and probably pillaged during the Coptic and Arab periods. Desert scavengers (perhaps hyenas) were noted by the Italian mission to have ravaged some of the mummified remains. The pit excavated in the floor of burial chamber C to receive the sarcophagus had been filled with sand since its discovery. Christian Leblanc has noted that a small amount of floodwater entered the tomb in November 1994.

Currently the tomb is open to visitation. Glass barriers, fluorescent lighting, and wooden flooring have been installed. Previously, low wooden barriers were used. A sturdy metal door seals and locks the tomb when the site is closed. After the 1994 flood, the modern ramp retaining walls were replaced. 

Noteworthy features:

Unlike the majority of tombs along this branch, QV 44 is cut on a roughly east-west axis, largely perpendicular to the axes of preceding tombs, except for QV 43, whose axis it shares. Worth noting is the fact that side chamber Ba underlies Ramp A of QV 43, with approximately two meters of rock in between. A second phase of construction also appears to have been undertaken in QV 44 when the main chambers were finished. Gate B, and Gate C were widened to allow the large granite Sarcophagus to be brought into the tomb. These doorways were replastered and the decoration was carved, but they were never painted.

Site History

Tomb construction was begun between years 16 and 28 of Rameses Ill's reign in the 20th Dynasty, but was not finished until Rameses IV's reign when Khaemwaset's burial took place. There was intensive reuse in the Third Intermediate Period (late 22nd and 26th Dynasties) for a family burial of low-ranking elites who were temples workers. During the Coptic and Arab periods, possibly, the tomb was open and reused, but Lecuyot argues that there was no reuse after Third Intermediate Period.

Dating

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

New Kingdom
Dynasty 20
Rameses III
New Kingdom
Dynasty 20
Rameses IV
Third Intermediate Period
Byzantine (Coptic) Period

Exploration

1903-1905: Discovery
Italian Archaeological Expedition
1906-1908: Photography
Campbell, Colin
1920: Documentation and Planning
Porter and Moss
1959-1960: Documentation
Thomas, Elizabeth
1975: Photography
Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE)
1980: Photography
Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE)
1980: Conservation
Egyptian Antiquities Organization (EAO)
1981: Mapping/planning
Theban Mapping Project
1988: Survey and Documentation
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
1988: Conservation
Egyptian Antiquities Organization (EAO)
1992-1994: Conservation
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)
1993: Photography
Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE)
1994: Conservation
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)
1995: Site management
Supreme Council of Antiquities
1995-1996: Conservation
Supreme Council of Antiquities
2004: Study
McCarthy, Heather Lee
2006: Conservation
Supreme Council of Antiquities
2007: Mapping/planning
Getty Conservation Institute
2006-2008: Survey and Documentation
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)
2009: Photography
Centre d'Etude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Egypte (CEDAE)
2009: Conservation
Getty Conservation Institute
2010: Conservation
Supreme Council of Antiquities

Conservation

Conservation History

According to the GCI-SCA, modern repair plasters were used to fill areas of loss throughout the tomb, slightly recessed below the level of the original decorated plaster. The paintings were treated again by the SCA between 1992-1994, though the scope of what was done during this period is unknown. The presence of different types of repair suggest several treatment phases. This can be seen on the ceiling of side chamber (Bb) where up to three different types of plaster repairs have been undertaken. This repeat treatment for localized areas of cracking and collapse of repair plaster on this ceiling in 1995 and again in 1996 indicates a possible ongoing problem or implies an ineffective treatment approach and inappropriate materials used to solve the problem. Paintings were last treated by the SCA in 2006, though again the scope of this treatment is unknown, but is assumed to be limited in nature. The paintings have also been cleaned. This appears to have resulted in some smearing of color and abrasion of fragile areas of paint, in particular blues and greens. However, generally the cleaning was not aggressively done and evidence of original varnish applications are still visible. There are also numerous injection holes, evidence of grouting, as well as drip marks, possibly indicating a surface consolidation treatment.

Site Condition

According to the GCI-SCA, the tomb rock is considered stable and there are no signs of severe fracturing or impending loss. However, assessment of the condition was difficult, given the extent of repair plaster that hid areas of previous rock loss. There are areas of cracking in the painted plaster that are possibly associated with underlying rock fissuring and/or instability of substantial areas of infill material. Some of these cracks are quite large and run across walls and ceiling; side chambers (Ba) and (Bb) in particular have significant cracking. However, none of these cracks appear to be endangering surrounding areas and there are relatively few areas of loss. The painted plaster also has smaller cracking throughout, most likely original drying cracks formed as the wet plaster dried. These cracks appear to be stable. The low ceiling of side chamber (Bb) also has a number of small losses in the painted plaster which suggest impact damage.

The survival of the decoration is excellent, but losses have occurred, though these are noticeably less than compared with QV 55 and QV 52. These include loss at the base of walls in the entrance and first corridor and other localized areas, though these are few in number. The blue paint is flaking in areas and there are losses of the paint layer related to the thickness and/or technique of the application of this particular pigment. There is evidence of past bat occupation of this tomb. Bat urine traces are present in side chamber (Ba). Scratch marks are also visible, possibly associated with bat activity. Substantial reuse of the tomb for burials may have resulted in some of the deterioration. Losses at the base of the walls toward the entrance of the tomb may indicate past flooding episodes. There are many areas where the painting still survives to floor level in the second corridor and in the rear chambers, indicating that flood waters may have only reached the first corridor. 

Hieroglyphs

Prince Khaemwaset

Sem-priest of 'Ptah South of his Wall', King's son, Khaemwaset
sm n ptH-rsw(i)-inb.f sA-nswt xa-m-wAst

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

Abitz, Friedrich.  Ramses III. in den Gräbern seiner Söhne (= Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, 72).  Freiburg, Schweiz: Universitätverlag and Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1986.  

Ballerini, F. Notizia sommaria degli scavi della missione archeologica italiana in Egitto, anno 1903: Valle delle regine. Torino: Museo di antichità, 1903.

Bruyère, Bernard. Rapport sur les fouilles de Deir el Medineh (1924-1925). Fouilles de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire 3, 3 (1926). Cairo: Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire.

Campbell, ColinTwo Theban Princes: Kha-em-Uast and Amen-Khepeshef, Sons of Rameses III, Menna, a Land-Steward, and Their Tombs. London: Oliver and Boyd, 1910.

Carter, Howard.   Report of Work Done in Upper Egypt (1902-1903).  Annales du Service des Antiquités de l’Égypte 4 (1903): 171-180.

Curto, Silvio. Un Egittologo comasco: Francesco Ballerini. Rivista archeologica dell'antica provincia e diocesi di Como 135 (1954): 35-51.

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

Farina, GiulioIl Regio museo di antichità di Torino, sezione egizia. Itinerari dei musei e monumenti d'Italia, no. 7. Rome: Libreria dello stato, 1931.

Grist, Jehon. The Identity of the Ramesside Queen Tyti. Ph.D. diss., University of California, Berkeley, 1986.