The Valley of the Kings (Arabic: وادي الملوك Wadi Biban el-Muluk; "Gates of the King")^[1] is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For the New York prison see The Tombs. A Tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods For a general discussion see Egyptian chronology. For a similar list see List of Pharaohs. "Amarna period" redirects here For information on Amarna see Amarna The Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1292 BC is perhaps the best known of The Eighteenth Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now ^[2][3] The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( Luxor (in Arabic: الأقصر al-Uqṣur) is a city in Upper (southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor The Theban Necropolis is an area of the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes in Egypt. ^[4] The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs situated) and West Valley. Wadi (وادي) (also Vadi) is traditionally a valley In some cases it can refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain

The area has been a focus of concentrated archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the eighteenth century, and its tombs and burials continue to stimulate research and interest. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek grc -λογία -logia. علم المصريات مصر شناسی is a major field of Archaeology The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs^[5]), and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Tomb KV62 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings is the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which became famous for the wealth of Treasure it contained Pharaoh's Curse is a Computer game for the Commodore 64, published in 1983. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site, along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex ^[6]

Contents 1 Geology 2 History 2.1 Royal Necropolis 3 Exploration of the valley 3.1 Antiquity 3.2 Eighteenth century 3.3 Nineteenth century 3.4 Twentieth century 3.5 Twenty-first century 4 Tomb development 4.1 Eighteenth Dynasty 4.1.1 Amarna Period 4.2 Nineteenth Dynasty 4.3 Twentieth Dynasty 4.4 Twenty-first Dynasty and the decline of the necropolis 4.5 Tomb robbers 5 Tourism 6 See also 7 Notes and references 7.1 References 7.2 Bibliography 7.3 External links

Geology

The types of soil where the Valley of Kings is located are an alternating sandwich of dense limestone and other sedimentary rock (which form the cliffs in the valley and the nearby Deir el-Bahri) and soft layers of marl. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Deir el-Bahri (Arabic دير البحري dayr al-baḥrī, literally meaning "The Northern Monastery " is a complex of Mortuary temples and tombs Marl or Marlstone is a Calcium carbonate or lime -rich mud or Mudstone which contains variable amounts of Clays and Aragonite The sedimentary rock was originally deposited between 35 - 56 million years ago during a time when the precursor to the Mediterranean Sea covered an area that extended much further inland than today. During the Pleistocene the valley was carved out the plateau by steady rains. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period ^[7] There is currently little year-round rain in this part of Egypt, but there are occasional flash floods which hit the valley, dumping tons of debris into the open tombs. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic lowlying areas - washes rivers and streams ^[8]

The quality of the rock in the Valley is inconsistent, ranging from finely-grained to coarse stone, the latter with the potential to be structurally unsound. The occasional layer of shale also caused construction and conservation difficulties, as this rock expands in the presence of water, forcing apart the stone surrounding it. Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by It is thought that some tombs were altered in shape and size depending on the types of the layers of rock the builders encountered. ^[7]

Builders took advantage of available geological features when constructing the tombs. Some tombs were quarried out of existing limestone clefts, others behind slopes of scree, or were at the edge of rock spurs created by ancient flood channels. Scree, also called talus and detritic cone, is a term given to broken rock that appears at the bottom of Crags mountain Cliffs or ^[7]

The problems of tomb construction can be seen with tombs of Ramesses III and his father Setnakhte. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great Userkhaure-setepenre Setnakhte (or Setnakht) was the first Pharaoh ( 1190 BC &ndash 1186 BC) of the Twentieth Dynasty of the Setnakhte started to excavate KV11, but broke into the tomb of Amenmesse, so construction was abandoned and he instead usurped the tomb of Twosret, KV14. Tomb KV11 is the tomb of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses III. Amenmesse (also Amenmesses or Amenmose) was the 5th ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt, possibly the son of Queen Twosret was the last known female king of Egypt of a local indigenous dynasty and the final Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Tomb KV14 is a joint tomb used originally by Twosret and then reused and extended by Setnakhte. When looking for a tomb, Ramesses III extended the part-excavated tomb started by his father. ^[9] The tomb of Ramesses II returned to an early style, probably due to the quality of the rock being excavated.

Between 1998-2002 the Amarna Royal Tombs Project investigated the valley floor using ground-penetrating radar and found that below the modern surface the Valley's cliffs descend beneath the scree in a series of abrupt, natural "shelves", arranged one below the other, descending several metres down to the bedrock in the valley floor. The Amarna Royal Tombs Project was a project based in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. Ground-penetrating radar ( GPR) is a geophysical method that uses Radar pulses to image the subsurface ^[10]

History

The Theban Hills are dominated by the peak of al-Qurn, known to the Ancient Egyptians as ta dehent, or 'The Peak'. Located on the West bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes, modern Luxor, the peak of Al-Qurn, el-Qorn (القرن is the modern name for the ^[11] It has a pyramid shaped appearance, and it is probable that this echoed the pyramids of the Old Kingdom, more than a thousand years prior to the first royal burials carved here. The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement ^[12][13] Its isolated position also resulted in reduced access, and special tomb police (the Medjay) were able to guard the necropolis. The Medjay (also Medjai, Mazoi, Egyptian mDAy)&ndashfrom mDA, represents the name Ancient Egyptians gave to a region in northern Sudan&ndashwhere

While the iconic pyramid complexes of the Giza plateau have come to symbolize ancient Egypt, the majority of tombs were in fact cut into rock. The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. Most pyramids and mastabas contain sections which are cut into ground level, and there are full rock-cut tombs in Egypt that date back to the Old Kingdom. A mastaba was a flat-roofed rectangular building with outward sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypt's ancient period.

After the defeat of the Hyksos and the reunification of Egypt under Ahmose I, the Theban rulers began to construct elaborate tombs that would reflect their new found power. The Hyksos ( Egyptian heqa khasewet, "foreign rulers" Greek,, Arabic,) were an Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile See Amasis II for the 26th Dynasty pharaoh whose name sometimes appears as Ahmose II "Amarna period" redirects here For information on Amarna see Amarna The Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1292 BC is perhaps the best known of ^[14] The tombs of Ahmose and his son Amenhotep I (their exact location remains unknown) were probably in the Seventeenth Dynasty necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga'. Amenhotep I (sometimes read as Amenophis I and meaning " Amun is satisfied" was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt The Fifteenth Sixteenth and Seventeenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Second Intermediate Period. The Necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to ^[15] The first royal tomb in the valley were those of Amenhotep I (although this identification is also disputed),^[16] and Thutmose I, whose advisor Ineni notes in his tomb that he advised his king to place his tomb in the desolate valley (the identity of this actual tomb is unclear, but it is probably KV20 or KV38). Amenhotep I (sometimes read as Amenophis I and meaning " Amun is satisfied" was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt Thutmose I (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis I) was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. Ineni (sometimes transliterated as Anena) was an Ancient Egyptian architect and government official of the 18th Dynasty, responsible for major construction Tomb KV20 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was possibly the first tomb to be constructed in the valley Tomb KV38, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Thutmose I of the Eighteenth dynasty ^[11]

“

I saw to the excavation of the rock-tomb of his majesty, alone, no one seeing, no one hearing. [17]

”

The Valley was used for primary burials from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC, and contains at least 63 tombs, beginning with Thutmose I (or possibly earlier, during the reign of Amenhotep I), and ending with Ramesses X or XI. Thutmose I (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis I) was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep I (sometimes read as Amenophis I and meaning " Amun is satisfied" was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt Khepermare Ramesses X (also written Ramses and Rameses) (ruled c Ramesses XI (also written Ramses and Rameses) reigned from 1107 BC to 1078 BC or 1077 BC and was the tenth and final king of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt

Despite the name, the Valley of the Kings also contains the tombs of favorite nobles as well as the wives and children of both nobles and pharaohs. Around the time of Ramesses I (ca. Menpehtyre Ramesses I (traditional English Ramesses or Ramses) was the founding Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 19th dynasty. 1301 BC) construction commenced in the separate Valley of the Queens, although some wives continued to be buried with their husbands in the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Queens, also known as Biban el-Harim (بيبان الحريم Biban el-Sultanat (بيبان السلطانات and Wadi el-Melikat

Royal Necropolis

The official name for the site in ancient times was The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in The West of Thebes, or more usually, Ta-sekhet-ma'at (the Great Field). ^[18]

^[18]

At the start of the Eighteenth Dynasty, only the kings were buried within the valley in large tombs, when a non-royal was buried, it was in a small rock cut chamber, close to the tomb of their master. "Amarna period" redirects here For information on Amarna see Amarna The Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1292 BC is perhaps the best known of ^[17] Amenhotep III's tomb was constructed in the Western Valley, and while his son Akhenaten moved his tomb's construction to Amarna, it is thought that the unfinished WV25 may have originally been intended for him. Amenhotep III (sometimes read as Amenophis III meaning Amun is Satisfied was the ninth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. Akhenaten (often alt: Akhnaten, or rarely Ikhnaton) (In English ˌɑkəˡnɑtən or approximately "AHK-en-AHT-en" his royal name Amenhotep The site of Amarna (commonly known as el-Amarna or incorrectly as Tel el-Amarna; see below ( Arabic: العمارنة al-‘amārnah) is located ^[19] With the return to religious orthodoxy at the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Tutankhamun, Ay and then Horemheb returned to the royal necropolis. Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 18th dynasty. Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 18th Dynasty from 1319 BC to late 1292 BC

The Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties saw an increase in the number of burials (both here and in the Valley of the Queens), with Ramesses II and later Ramesses III constructing a massive tomb that was used for the burial of his sons (KV55 and KV3 respectively). The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. The Eighteenth Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great Tomb KV55 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was discovered by Edward R Tomb KV3, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was intended for the burial of an unidentified son of Pharaoh Ramesses III in the There are some kings that are not buried within the valley or whose tomb has not been located, Thutmose II may have been buried in Dra' Abu el-Naga' (although his mummy was in the Deir el-Bahri tomb cache), Smenkhkare's burial has never been located, and Ramesses VIII seems to have been buried elsewhere. Thutmose II (sometimes read as Thutmosis, or Tuthmosis II and meaning Thoth is Born) was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth The Necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Usermare Akhenamun Ramesses VIII (also written Ramses and Rameses) or Ramesses Sethherkhepshef Meryamun ('Set is his Strength beloved of Amun' ( 1130 -

Deir el-Medina

The tombs were constructed and decorated by the workers of the village of Deir el-Medina, located in a small wadi between this valley and the Valley of the Queens, facing Thebes. Deir el-Madinah (دير المدينة is an Ancient Egyptian village which was home to the artisans who built the Temples and Tombs ordered by the The Valley of the Queens, also known as Biban el-Harim (بيبان الحريم Biban el-Sultanat (بيبان السلطانات and Wadi el-Melikat Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( The workers journeyed to the tombs via routes over the Theban hills. The daily lives of these workers are quite well known, recorded in tombs and official documents. ^[20]

Mortuary Temples

Further information: Theban Necropolis

In the Pyramid Age the tomb of the king was associated with a mortuary temple located close to the pyramid. The Theban Necropolis is an area of the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes in Egypt. The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement As the tomb of the king was hidden, this mortuary temple was located away from the burial, closer to the cultivation facing towards Thebes

Exploration of the valley

The Valley of the Kings has been a major area of modern Egyptological exploration for the last two centuries. Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( Tomb KV62 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings is the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which became famous for the wealth of Treasure it contained Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek grc -λογία -logia. علم المصريات مصر شناسی is a major field of Archaeology Before this the area was a site for tourism in antiquity (especially during Roman times). Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC This areas illustrates the changes in the study of ancient Egypt, starting as antiquity hunting, and ending as scientific excavation of the whole Theban Necropolis. The Theban Necropolis is an area of the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes in Egypt. Despite the exploration and investigation noted below, only eleven of the tombs have actually been completely recorded.

Antiquity

The Greek writers Strabo (1st century BC) and Diodorus Siculus (1st century AD) were able to report that the total number of Theban royal tombs was 47, of which at the time only 17 were believed to be undestroyed. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. ^[21] Pausanias and other ancient writers remarked on the pipe-like corridors of the Valley, clearly meaning the tombs. Pausanias ( Greek:) was a Greek traveller and Geographer of the 2nd century CE, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus

Clearly others also visited the valley in these times, as many of the tombs have graffiti written by these ancient tourists. Jules Baillet located over 2100 Greek and Latin graffiti, along with a smaller number in Phoenician, Cypriot, Lycian, Coptic, and other languages. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Phoenician was a language originally spoken in the coastal region then called Pūt in Ancient Egyptian Canaan in Phoenician, Hebrew, and Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Lycian (Lycian Trm̃mili) is a modern adjective meaning in this case the inscriptional language of ancient Lycia as well as its presumed spoken counterpart Coptic or Coptic Egyptian ( MetRemenkīmi) is the final stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt ^[22] The majority of the ancient graffiti are found in KV9, containing just under a thousand of them. The earliest positively dated graffiti dates to 278 B. C. ^[21]

Eighteenth century

Before the nineteenth century, travel from Europe to Thebes (and indeed anywhere in Egypt) was difficult, time-consuming and expensive, and only the hardiest of European travelers visited – before the travels of Father Claude Sicard in 1726, it was unclear just where Thebes really was. Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Father Claude Sicard (1677 &ndash 1726 was a French Jesuit priest and an early modern visitor to Egypt, between 1708 and 1712 producing the earliest ^[23] It was known to be on the Nile, but it was often confused with Memphis and several other sites. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River Memphis was the ancient capitol of the first nome of Lower Egypt, and of the Old Kingdom of Egypt from its foundation until around 2200 BC and One of the first travelers to record what he saw at Thebes was Frederic Louis Norden, a Danish adventurer and artist. Frederic Louis Norden ( October 22, 1708 &ndash September 22, 1742) was a Danish naval captain and explorer The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe ^[24] He was followed by Richard Pococke, who published the first modern map of the valley itself, in 1743. Richard Pococke ( 19 November 1704 - 25 September 1765) was an English Prelate and anthropologist. ^[25]

French Expedition

In 1799, Napoleon's expedition (especially Dominique Vivant) drew maps and plans of the known tombs, and for the first time noted the Western Valley (where Prosper Jollois and Édouard de Villiers du Terrage located the tomb of Amenhotep III, WV22). Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Dominique Vivant Baron de Denon ( 4 January, 1747 &ndash 27 April, 1825) was a French Artist, Writer, Diplomat Jean-Baptiste Prosper Jollois (1776 &ndash 1842 was a French Engineer who together with Édouard de Villiers du Terrage journeyed with Napoleon Édouard de Villiers du Terrage (1780&ndash1855 was a French Engineer who together with Jean-Baptiste Prosper Jollois journeyed with Napoleon Amenhotep III (sometimes read as Amenophis III meaning Amun is Satisfied was the ninth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. Tomb WV22, in the Western arm of the Valley of the Kings, was used as the resting place of one of the greatest rulers of Egypt 's New Kingdom, ^[26] The Description de l'Égypte contains two volumes (out a total of 24) on the area around Thebes. ^[27]

Nineteenth century

European exploration continued in the area around Thebes during the nineteenth century, boosted by Champollion's translation of hieroglyphs early in the century. Jean-François Champollion ( 23 December 1790 – 4 March 1832) was a French classical scholar, philologist Early in the century, the area was visited by Belzoni, working for Henry Salt, who discovered several tombs, including those of Ay in the West Valley (WV23) in 1816 and Seti I (KV17) the next year. Giovanni Battista Belzoni; sometimes known as The Great Belzoni ( November 15 1778 &ndash December 3, 1823) was a prolific Henry Salt ( June 14, 1780 &ndash October 30, 1827) was an English artist traveler diplomat and Egyptologist. Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 18th dynasty. Tomb WV23, located at the end of the Western Valley of the Kings near modern-day Luxor, was the final resting place of Pharaoh Ay of the Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses Tomb KV17, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings and also known by the names "Belzoni's tomb" "the Tomb of Apis" and "the Tomb of At the end of his visits, Belzoni declared that all of the tombs had been found and nothing of note remained to be found. Working at the same time (and a great rival of Belzoni and Salt) was Bernardino Drovetti, the French Consul-General. Bernardino Michele Maria Drovetti ( January 4, 1776 -1852 was an Italian diplomat lawyer explorer and antiquarian appointed by Napoleon as This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. ^[28]

In 1827 John Gardiner Wilkinson was assigned to paint the entry of every tomb, giving them each a designation that is still in use today – they were numbered from KV1 to KV21 (although the maps show 28 entrances, some of which were unexplored). Sir John Gardner Wilkinson ( October 5, 1797 &ndash October 29, 1875) was a well-known English traveller writer and pioneer Egyptologist These paintings and maps were later published in The Topography of Thebes and General Survey of Egypt, in 1830. At the same time James Burton explored the valley. James Burton (1788 &ndash 1862 was an early British Egyptologist, who worked at a number of sites throughout Egypt, but notably in the Valley His works included making KV17 safer from flooding, but he is better known for entering KV5.

Champollion himself visited the valley, along with Ippolito Rosellini and Nestor L'Hôte, in the Franco-Tuscan Expedition of 1829. Ippolito Rosellini ( August 13 1800 &ndash June 4 1843) was an Italian Egyptologist born at Pisa. Nestor Hippolyte Antoine l’Hôte (1804 &ndash 1842 was a French Egyptologist, artist and explorer The expedition spent two months studying the open tombs, visiting about 16 of them. They copied the inscriptions and identified the original tomb owners. In tomb KV17, they removed wall decorations, which are now on display in the Louvre in Paris. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

In 1845-1846 the valley was explored by Karl Richard Lepsius's expedition, they explored and documented 25 in the main valley and four in the west. Karl (or Carl) Richard Lepsius ( December 23, 1810 &ndash July 10, 1884) was a pioneering Prussian

The later half of the century saw a more concerted effort to preserve rather than simply gathering antiquities. Auguste Mariette's Egyptian Antiquities Service started to explore the valley, first with Eugène Lefébure in 1883,^[29] then Jules Baillet and Georges Bénédite in early 1888 and finally Victor Loret in 1898 to 1899. The French scholar and archaeologist François Auguste Ferdinand Mariette ( February 11, 1821 &ndash January 19, 1881) was the foremost Eugène Lefébure (1838 &ndash 1908 was a French Egyptologist born at Prunoy. Georges Aaron Bénédite (1857 &ndash 1926 was a French Egyptologist. Victor Clement Georges Philippe Loret ( 1 September 1859 &ndash 3 February 1946) was a French Egyptologist. During this time Georges Daressy explored KV9 and KV6. Georges Émile Jules Daressy ( 19 March, 1864 &ndash 28 February, 1938) was a French Egyptologist.

Loret added a further 16 tombs to the list, and explored several tombs that had already been discovered.

When Gaston Maspero was reappointed to head the Egyptian Antiquities Service, the nature of the exploration of the valley changed again, Maspero appointed Howard Carter as the Chief Inspector of Upper Egypt and the young man discovered several new tombs and explored several others, clearing KV42 and KV20. Gaston Camille Charles Maspero ( June 23, 1846 &ndash June 30, 1916) was a French Egyptologist. Howard Carter ( May 9 1874 March 2 1939) was an English Archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer

Twentieth century

Around the turn of the twentieth century, the American Theodore M. Davis had the excavation permit in the valley, and his team (led mostly by Edward R. Ayrton) discovered several royal and non-royal tombs (KV43, KV46 & KV57 being the most important). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Theodore M Davis ( New York City, 1837 – Florida, 1915 a wealthy American Lawyer, was most famous for his work excavating Egypt Edward Russell Ayrton ( 17 December 1882 — 18 May 1914) was an English Egyptologist and Archaeologist. Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Tomb KV46 in the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Yuya and his wife Tjuyu, the parents of Queen Tiye, the wife of Amenhotep III Tomb KV57, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Horemheb, the last Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty In 1907 they discovered the possible Amarna Period cache in KV55. After finding what they thought was the burial of Tutankhamun (KV61), it was announced that the valley was completely explored and no further burials were to be found.

Howard Carter then acquired the right to explore the valley and after a systematic search discovered the actual tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) in November 1922. Howard Carter ( May 9 1874 March 2 1939) was an English Archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer

At the end of the century, the Theban Mapping Project re-discovered and explored tomb KV5, which has since been discovered to be probably the largest in the valley (having at least 120 rooms), and was either a cenotaph or real burial for the sons of Ramesses II. Theban Mapping Project was established in 1978 by the Theban Foundation established by British archaeologist and Egyptologist John Romer, with the goal to create A cenotaph is a tomb or a Monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere Elsewhere in the eastern and western branches of the valley several other expeditions cleared and studied other tombs. Until 2002 the Amarna Royal Tombs Project has been exploring the area around KV55 and KV62, the Amarna Period tombs in the main valley. The Amarna Royal Tombs Project was a project based in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt.

Twenty-first century

Various expeditions have continued to explore the valley, adding greatly to the knowledge of the area. In 2001 the Theban Mapping Project designed new signs for the tombs, providing information and plans of the open tombs. Theban Mapping Project was established in 1978 by the Theban Foundation established by British archaeologist and Egyptologist John Romer, with the goal to create

On February 8, 2006, the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced that an American team led by the University of Memphis had uncovered a pharaonic-era tomb (KV63), the first uncovered there since King Tutankhamun's in 1922. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Supreme Council of Antiquities (commonly abbreviated SCA is part of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the conservation protection and regulation The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The University of Memphis is an American public Research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee KV63 is the most recently opened chamber in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings pharaonic Necropolis. The 18th Dynasty tomb included five intact sarcophagi with coloured funerary masks along 28 large storage jars, sealed with pharaonic seals. It is located close to the tomb of Tutankhamun. KV63, as it is known, appears to be a single chamber with seven sarcophagi and about 20 large funerary jars. The chamber is from the 18th dynasty and it appears to have been a deposit of funerary preparation materials, rather than a tomb. As yet, no mummies have been discovered in the sarcophagi.

On 31 July 2006, Nicholas Reeves announced that analysis of ground penetrating radar for the autumn of 2000 showed a sub-surface anomaly in the area of KV62 and KV63. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Carl Nicholas Reeves (born 28 September 1956) is an English Egyptologist. Ground-penetrating radar ( GPR) is a geophysical method that uses Radar pulses to image the subsurface KV64 is an unexcavated possible tomb located in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt. ^[30] He has tentatively labeled this anomaly "KV64". ^[31] This has caused some controversy, as only Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities can officially designate the name of a new tomb, the anomaly may not in fact be a tomb, and because Reeves had reported the finding to the press first, instead of a scientific paper. The Supreme Council of Antiquities (commonly abbreviated SCA is part of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the conservation protection and regulation ^[32]

In May 2008, Zahi Hawass announced that an Egyptian team have been looking for the tomb of Ramesses VIII, concentrating around the tombs of Merenptah and Ramesses II. Zahi Hawass ( Arabic: زاهي حواس (born 28 May 1947 in Damietta, Egypt) is an Egyptian archaeologist and Usermare Akhenamun Ramesses VIII (also written Ramses and Rameses) or Ramesses Sethherkhepshef Meryamun ('Set is his Strength beloved of Amun' ( 1130 - ^[33] At the same time, clearance of the descending tunnel in KV17 has started. ^[33]

Tomb development

Further information: List of burials in the Valley of the Kings for full list of burials

Location

The earliest tombs were located in cliffs at the top of scree slopes, under storm-fed waterfalls (for example KV34 and KV43). The following is a list of burials in the Valley of the Kings, in Thebes (modern Luxor in Egypt) and nearby areas Tomb KV1, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses VII of the Twentieth Dynasty Tomb KV2, found in the Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of Ramesses IV, and is located low down in the main valley between KV7 and KV1 Tomb KV3, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was intended for the burial of an unidentified son of Pharaoh Ramesses III in the Tomb KV4, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was intended for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in the Twentieth Dynasty Tomb KV5 is the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, and the recent discovery of the large size of its extent has been referred to as the most amazing discovery in the Valley Tomb KV6 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of the 20th-dynasty Pharaoh Ramesses IX. Tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" Tomb KV8, located in the Valley of the Kings, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Merenptah of Ancient Egypt 's Nineteenth Dynasty Tomb KV9 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was originally constructed by Pharaoh Ramesses V. Tomb KV10, located in the Valley of the Kings near the modern-day Egyptian city of Luxor, was cut and decorated for the burial of Pharaoh Tomb KV11 is the tomb of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses III. Located in the Valley of the Kings, Tomb KV12 is an unusual tomb used originally in the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, and then again in the Tomb KV13, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was cut and decorated for the burial of the noble Bay of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Tomb KV14 is a joint tomb used originally by Twosret and then reused and extended by Setnakhte. Tomb KV15, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Seti II of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Tomb KV16, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses I of the Nineteenth Dynasty Tomb KV17, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings and also known by the names "Belzoni's tomb" "the Tomb of Apis" and "the Tomb of Tomb KV18, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was intended for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses X of the Twentieth Dynasty Tomb KV19, located in a side branch of Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was intended as the burial place of Prince Ramesses Sethherkhepshef better known as Tomb KV20 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was possibly the first tomb to be constructed in the valley Tomb KV21 is located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings. It contains the mummies of two women thought to be Eighteenth Dynasty queens Tomb WV22, in the Western arm of the Valley of the Kings, was used as the resting place of one of the greatest rulers of Egypt 's New Kingdom, Tomb WV23, located at the end of the Western Valley of the Kings near modern-day Luxor, was the final resting place of Pharaoh Ay of the Tomb WV25 in the West Valley of the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, is clearly the beginnings of a Royal Tomb but was never finished or decorated Tomb KV26, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was visited by James Burton, and then probably by Victor Loret. Tomb KV28 is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It was first excavated by persons unknown and the recent excavations by Donald P Tomb KV29 is located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It has not been excavated and remains full of débris Tomb KV30 is located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It was discovered by Giovanni Belzoni in 1817 working on a commission from the Second Earl Tomb KV31 is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It is now mostly sanded up and its contents are unrecorded and unknown Tomb KV32, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, is the burial site of Tia'a, the wife of Amenhotep II and mother of Thutmose IV Tomb KV34 in the Valley of the Kings (near the modern-day Egyptian city of Luxor) was the final resting place of 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings ( Luxor, Egypt) is the tomb of Amenhotep II. Tomb KV36, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of the noble Maiherpri from the Eighteenth Dynasty. Tomb KV37, is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. Bone fragments indicate that the tomb was used for burial but it has been badly damaged and its Tomb KV38, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Thutmose I of the Eighteenth dynasty Tomb KV40, is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. The original occupant of this tomb is unknown Tomb KV42 is located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings. It was constructed for Hatshepsut-Meryetre, the wife of Thutmose III, but she was not Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Tomb KV44 is located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Pottery fragments indicate that the tomb was constructed during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Tomb KV45, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of the noble Userhet of the Eighteenth dynasty. Tomb KV46 in the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Yuya and his wife Tjuyu, the parents of Queen Tiye, the wife of Amenhotep III Tomb KV47, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Siptah of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Tomb KV48, is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It contained the burial of the noble Amenemopet called Pairy. Tomb KV54 is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It was originally excavated by Edward R Tomb KV55 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was discovered by Edward R Tomb KV56, located in the Valley of the Kings, is known as the Gold Tomb, and was discovered by Edward R Tomb KV57, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Horemheb, the last Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty Tomb KV58 is located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It is known as the Chariot Tomb, and consists of deposits from the tomb of Ay Tomb KV59 is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It seems to be a tomb-commencement but contained no remains Tomb KV61 is an unused tomb discovered in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings. Tomb KV62 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings is the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which became famous for the wealth of Treasure it contained KV63 is the most recently opened chamber in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings pharaonic Necropolis. Scree, also called talus and detritic cone, is a term given to broken rock that appears at the bottom of Crags mountain Cliffs or Tomb KV34 in the Valley of the Kings (near the modern-day Egyptian city of Luxor) was the final resting place of 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. ^[11] As these locations were soon used, burials then descended to the valley floor, gradually moving back up the slopes as the valley bottom filled up with debris. This explains the location of the tombs KV62 and KV63 buried in the valley floor. Tomb KV62 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings is the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which became famous for the wealth of Treasure it contained KV63 is the most recently opened chamber in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings pharaonic Necropolis.

Architecture

The usual tomb plan of a long inclined rock-cut corridor, descending through one or more halls (possibly mirroring the descending path of the sun-god into the underworld^[34]), to the burial chamber. In the earlier tombs the corridors turn through 90 degrees at least once (such as KV43, the tomb of Thutmose IV), and the earliest had cartouche-shaped burial chambers (KV43, the tomb of Thutmose IV). Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Thutmose IV (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis IV and meaning Thoth is Born) was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Thutmose IV (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis IV and meaning Thoth is Born) was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty This layout is known as 'Bent Axis',^[35] and after the burial the upper corridors were meant to be filled with rubble, and the entrance to the tomb hidden. ^[36] After the Amarna period, the layout gradually straightened, with an intermediate 'Jogged Axis' (the tomb of Horemheb, KV57 is typical of this, and is one of the tombs that is sometimes open to the public), to the generally 'Straight Axis' of the late Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasty tombs (Ramesses III's and Ramesses IX's tombs, KV11 and KV6 respectively). "Amarna period" redirects here For information on Amarna see Amarna The Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1292 BC is perhaps the best known of Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 18th Dynasty from 1319 BC to late 1292 BC Tomb KV57, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Horemheb, the last Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great Ramesses IX (also written Ramses) (originally named 'Amon-her-khepshef Khaemwaset' ( 1129 &ndash 1111 BC) was the eighth king of the Twentieth Tomb KV11 is the tomb of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses III. Tomb KV6 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of the 20th-dynasty Pharaoh Ramesses IX. ^[37] As the tomb's axes straightend, the slope also lessened, and almost disappeared in the late Twentieth Dynasty. ^[38] Another feature that is common to most tombs is the 'well', which may have originated as an actual barrier intended to stop flood waters entering the lower parts of the tombs. It later seems to have developed a 'magical' purpose as a symbolical shaft. In the later Twentieth Dynasty, the well itself was sometimes not excavated, but the well room was still present.

Decoration

Main article: Ancient Egyptian funerary texts

The majority of the royal tombs were decorated with religious texts and images. The literature that make up the Ancient Egyptian Funerary Texts are a collection of religious documents that were used in Ancient Egypt, usually to help the spirit of the concerned Tomb KV2, found in the Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of Ramesses IV, and is located low down in the main valley between KV7 and KV1 The early tombs were decorated with scenes from Amduat ('That Which is in the Underworld'), which describes the journey of the sun-god through the twelve hours of the night. The Amduat (literally "That Which Is In the Afterworld" is an important Ancient Egyptian Funerary text of the New Kingdom. From the time of Horemheb, tombs were decorated with the Book of Gates, which shows the sun-god passing through the twelve gates that divide the night time, and ensure the tomb owner's own safe passage through the night. The Book of Gates is an Ancient Egyptian Sacred text dating from the New Kingdom.

Late in the Nineteenth Dynasty the Book of Caverns, which divided the underworld into massive caverns containing deities and the deceased waiting for the sun to pass through and restore them to life. The Book of Caverns is an important Ancient Egyptian Funerary text of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom. The burial of Ramesses III saw the Book of the Earth, where the underworld is divided into 4 sections, climaxing in the sun disc being pulled from the earth by Naunet. The Book of the Earth (also known as Book of Aker and the Creation of the Solar Disc) is an important Ancient Egyptian Funerary text of the

The ceilings of the burial chambers were decorated (from the burial of Seti I onwards) with what become formalised as the Book of the Heavens, which again describe the sun's journey through the twelve hours of night. Again from Seti I's time, the Litany of Re, a lengthy hymn to the sun god. The Litany of Re (or more fully " Book of Praying to Re in the West Praying to the United One in the West " is an important Ancient Egyptian Funerary

Tomb equipment

Each burial was provided with equipment that would enable them a continued existence in the afterlife in comfort. Also present in the tombs were ritual magical items, such as Shabti's and divine figurines. The ushabti (also called shabti Some equipment was that which the king may have used in their lifetime (Tutankhamun's sandals for example), and some was specially constructed for the burial.

Tomb numbering

The modern abbreviation "KV" stands for "Kings' Valley", and the tombs are numbered in the order of 'discovery' from Ramesses VII (KV1) to KV63 (which was discovered in 2005), although many of the tombs have been open since antiquity, and KV5 was only rediscovered in the 1990s (after being dismissed as unimportant by previous investigators). Usermaatre Meryamun Setepenre Ramesses VII (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the sixth Pharaoh of the 20th dynasty of Ancient Egypt Tomb KV1, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses VII of the Twentieth Dynasty KV63 is the most recently opened chamber in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings pharaonic Necropolis. Tomb KV5 is the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, and the recent discovery of the large size of its extent has been referred to as the most amazing discovery in the Valley ^[39] The West Valley tombs often have the "WV" prefix, but follow the same numbering system. A number of the tombs are unoccupied, the owners of others remain unknown, and others are merely pits used for storage. ^[40] Most of the open tombs in the Valley of the Kings are located in the East Valley, and this is where most tourists and facilities can be found.

Eighteenth Dynasty

The Eighteenth dynasty tombs within the valley vary a good deal in decoration, style and location. At first there seems to have been no fixed plan, indeed the tomb of Hatshepsut is of a unique shape, twisting and turning down over 200 metres from the entrance so that the burial chamber is 97 metres below the surface. Tomb KV20 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was possibly the first tomb to be constructed in the valley Hatshepsut (or Hatchepsut, hætˈʃɛpsʊt meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies, was the fifth Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of The tombs gradually became more regular and formalised, and the tombs of Thutmose III and Thutmose IV, KV34 and KV43 are good examples of Eighteenth Dynasty tombs, both with their bent axis, and simple decoration. Thutmose III (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis III and meaning Thoth is Born) was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Thutmose IV (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis IV and meaning Thoth is Born) was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Tomb KV34 in the Valley of the Kings (near the modern-day Egyptian city of Luxor) was the final resting place of 18th dynasty Pharaoh Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt.

Perhaps the most imposing tomb of this period is that of Amenhotep III, WV22 located in the West Valley. Amenhotep III (sometimes read as Amenophis III meaning Amun is Satisfied was the ninth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. Tomb WV22, in the Western arm of the Valley of the Kings, was used as the resting place of one of the greatest rulers of Egypt 's New Kingdom, ^[41] It has been re-investigated in 1990s (by a team from Waseda University, Japan), but is not open to the public. often abbreviated to, is one of the top universities in Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[42] At the same time, powerful and influential nobles started to be buried with the royal family, the most famous of these tombs is the joint tomb of Yuya and Tjuyu, KV46. Yuya (sometimes Iouiya) also known as Yaa Ya Yiya Yayi Yu Yuyu Yaya Yiay Yia Yuy was a powerful Egyptian courtier of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt Tjuyu (sometimes transliterated as Thuya or Thuyu) was an Egyptian noblewoman and descendant of Ahmose-Nefertari. Tomb KV46 in the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Yuya and his wife Tjuyu, the parents of Queen Tiye, the wife of Amenhotep III They were possibly the parents of Queen Tiy, and until the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, this was the best preserved tomb to be found in the Valley. Tiye (c 1398 BC &ndash 1338 BC also spelled Taia, Tiy and Tiyi) was the daughter of Yuya and Tjuyu (also spelled Thuyu

Amarna Period

The return of royal burials to Thebes after the end of Amarna period marks a change to the layout of royal burials, with the intermediate 'jogged axis' gradually giving way to the 'straight axis' of later dynasties. In the Western valley, there is a tomb commencement that is thought to have been started for Akhenaten, but is no more than a gateway and a series of steps. Akhenaten (often alt: Akhnaten, or rarely Ikhnaton) (In English ˌɑkəˡnɑtən or approximately "AHK-en-AHT-en" his royal name Amenhotep Close by to this tomb is the tomb of Ay, Tutankhamun's successor. Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 18th dynasty. It is likely that this tomb was started for Tutankhamun (its decoration is of a similar style), but later usurped for Ay's burial (this would mean that KV62 may have been Ay's original tomb, which would explain the smaller size and unusual layout for a royal tomb). Tomb KV62 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings is the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which became famous for the wealth of Treasure it contained

The other Amarna period tombs are located in a smaller, central area in the centre of the East Valley, with a possible mummy cache (KV55) that possibly contains the possible burials of several Amarna Period royals – Tiy and Smenkhkare or Akhenaten. Tomb KV55 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was discovered by Edward R Tiye (c 1398 BC &ndash 1338 BC also spelled Taia, Tiy and Tiyi) was the daughter of Yuya and Tjuyu (also spelled Thuyu Ankhkheperure Smenkhkare (sometimes spelled Smenkhare and Smenkare; meaning "Vigorous is the Soul of Ra " was a Pharaoh of the Akhenaten (often alt: Akhnaten, or rarely Ikhnaton) (In English ˌɑkəˡnɑtən or approximately "AHK-en-AHT-en" his royal name Amenhotep ^[43]

Close to this is the burial of Tutankhamun, perhaps the most famous discovery of modern Western archaeology and was made here by Howard Carter on November 4, 1922, with clearance and conservation work continuing until 1932. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Howard Carter ( May 9 1874 March 2 1939) was an English Archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This was the first royal tomb to be discovered that was still largely intact (although tomb robbers had entered it), and was, until the excavation of KV63 on 10 March 2005,^[44] considered the last major discovery in the valley. KV63 is the most recently opened chamber in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings pharaonic Necropolis. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The opulence of his grave goods notwithstanding, Tutankhamun was a rather minor king and other burials probably had more numerous treasures.

In the same central area as KV62 and KV63, is 'KV64' a radar anomaly believed to be a tomb or chamber announced on 28 July 2006. KV64 is an unexcavated possible tomb located in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It is not an official designation, and indeed the actual existence of a tomb at all is dismissed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The Supreme Council of Antiquities (commonly abbreviated SCA is part of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the conservation protection and regulation ^[32]

The nearby tomb of Horemheb, (KV57) is rarely open for visitors, but it is superbly decorated and has excellent tomb paintings. Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 18th Dynasty from 1319 BC to late 1292 BC Tomb KV57, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Horemheb, the last Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty

Nineteenth Dynasty

The nineteenth dynasty saw a further standardisation of tomb layout and decoration. The tomb of the first king of the dynasty Ramesses I was hurriedly finished (due to the death of the king), and is little more than a descending corridor and a burial chamber, however KV16 has vibrant decoration, and still contains the sarcophagus of the king. Menpehtyre Ramesses I (traditional English Ramesses or Ramses) was the founding Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 19th dynasty. Tomb KV16, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses I of the Nineteenth Dynasty A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone Its central location means that it is one of the frequently visited tombs. It shows the development of the tomb entrance and passage and of decoration.

His son and successor, Seti I's tomb, KV17 (also known as Belzoni's tomb, the tomb of Apis, or the tomb of Psammis, son of Necho) is usually thought to be the finest tomb in the valley, with well executed relief work and paintings. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses Tomb KV17, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings and also known by the names "Belzoni's tomb" "the Tomb of Apis" and "the Tomb of

The son of Seti, Ramesses the Great constructed a massive tomb, KV7, but it is in a ruinous state, and it is currently undergoing excavation and conservation by a Franco-Egyptian team led by Christian Leblanc. Tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great" ^[45][46] It is a vast size, being about the same length, and a larger area, of the tomb of his father. Its layout returns to the earlier 'bent axis', maybe due to the poor quality of the rock found during excavation.

At the same time (and just opposite his own tomb), Ramesses enlarged the earlier small tomb of an unknown Eighteenth Dynasty noble (KV5) for his numerous sons. Tomb KV5 is the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, and the recent discovery of the large size of its extent has been referred to as the most amazing discovery in the Valley With 120 known rooms and excavation work still underway, it is probably the largest tomb in the valley. Originally opened (and robbed) in antiquity it is a low-lying structure that has been particularly prone to the flash floods that sometimes hit the area, which washed in tones of debris and material over the centuries, ultimately concealing its vast size. It is not currently open to the public.

Ramesses II's son and eventual successor, Merenptah's tomb has been open since antiquity, it extends 160 metres, ending in a burial chamber that once contained a set of four nested sarcophagi. Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the fourth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Tomb KV8, located in the Valley of the Kings, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Merenptah of Ancient Egypt 's Nineteenth Dynasty A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone ^[47] Well decorated, it is typically open to the public most years.

The last kings of the dynasty also constructed tombs in the valley, all of which follow the same general pattern of layout and decoration, notable amongst these is the tomb of Siptah, which is well decorated, especially the ceiling decoration. Tomb KV47, located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, was used for the burial of Pharaoh Siptah of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Akhenre Setepenre Siptah or Merneptah Siptah was the penultimate ruler of the 19th Dynasty and the son of an obscure Queen named Sutailja of Asiatic origin ^[48]

Twentieth Dynasty

The first ruler of the dynasty, Setnakhte actually had 2 tombs constructed for himself, he started to excavate the eventual tomb of his son, Ramesses III but broke into another tomb, and abandoned it in order to usurp and complete the tomb of the Nineteenth dynasty female pharaoh Twosret. Userkhaure-setepenre Setnakhte (or Setnakht) was the first Pharaoh ( 1190 BC &ndash 1186 BC) of the Twentieth Dynasty of the Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great Tomb KV14 is a joint tomb used originally by Twosret and then reused and extended by Setnakhte. Queen Twosret was the last known female king of Egypt of a local indigenous dynasty and the final Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. This tomb therefore has two burial chambers, the later extensions making the tomb one of the largest of the Royal tombs, at over 112 metres.

The tomb of Ramesses III (known Bruce's Tomb, The Harper's Tomb) is one of the largest tombs in the valley, and is open to the public, it is located close to the central 'rest–area', and is location and superb decoration usually makes this one of the tombs visited by tourists. Tomb KV11 is the tomb of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses III. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great ^[49]

The successors and offspring of Ramesses III constructed tombs that had straight axes, and were decorated in much the same manner as each other, notable amongst these are KV2, the tomb of Ramesses IV, which has been open since antiquity, containing a large amount of hieratic graffiti. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great Tomb KV2, found in the Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of Ramesses IV, and is located low down in the main valley between KV7 and KV1 Heqamaatre Ramesses IV (also written Ramses or Rameses) was the third Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Hieratic is a Cursive writing system used in pharaonic Egypt that developed alongside the hieroglyphic system to which it is intimately The tomb is mostly intact and is decorated with scenes from several religious texts. ^[50] The joint tomb of Ramesses V and Ramesses VI, KV9 (also known as the Tomb of Memnon or La Tombe de la Métempsychose) is decorated with many sunk-relief carvings, depicting many illustrated scenes from religious texts. Usermare Sekhepenre Ramesses V (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the fourth Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt and was the son Ramesses VI (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt who reigned from 1145 BC to 1137 BC Tomb KV9 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was originally constructed by Pharaoh Ramesses V. Open since antiquity, it contains over a thousand graffiti in ancient Greek, Latin and Coptic. ^[51] The spoil from the excavation and later clearance of this tomb covered the earlier burial of KV62 and seems to have been what protected that tomb from earlier discovery and looting.

The tomb of Ramesses IX, KV6 has been open since antiquity, as can be seen by the graffiti left on its walls by Roman and Coptic visitors. Ramesses IX (also written Ramses) (originally named 'Amon-her-khepshef Khaemwaset' ( 1129 &ndash 1111 BC) was the eighth king of the Twentieth Tomb KV6 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of the 20th-dynasty Pharaoh Ramesses IX. ^[52] Located in the central part of the Valley, it stands between and slightly above KV5 and KV55. The tomb extends a total distance of 105 metres into the hillside, including extensive side chambers which were neither decorated nor finished. The hasty and incomplete nature of the rock-cutting and decorations within the tomb indicate that the tomb was not completed by the time of Ramesses' death.

Another notable tomb from this dynasty is KV19 the tomb of Mentuherkhepshef (son of Ramesses IX). Tomb KV19, located in a side branch of Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was intended as the burial place of Prince Ramesses Sethherkhepshef better known as The Egyptian Prince Rameses Mentuherkhepeshef was the son of Rameses IX. Ramesses IX (also written Ramses) (originally named 'Amon-her-khepshef Khaemwaset' ( 1129 &ndash 1111 BC) was the eighth king of the Twentieth The tomb is small and is really just a converted, unfinished corridor, but the decoration is superb and the tomb has been newly restored and open for visitors.

Twenty-first Dynasty and the decline of the necropolis

By the end of the New Kingdom, Egypt had entered a long period of political and economic decline. The priests at Thebes grew in power and effectively administered Upper Egypt, while kings ruling from Tanis controlled Lower Egypt. Tanis (Τάνις the Greek name of ancient Djanet (modern صان الحجر Ṣān al-Ḥaǧar) is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta Some attempt at using the open tombs was made at the start of the Twenty first Dynasty, with the High Priest of Amun Pinedjem I adding his cartouche to KV4. Pinedjem I was the High Priest of Amun at Thebes in Ancient Egypt from 1070 BC to 1032 BC and the de facto ruler of the south Tomb KV4, located in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings, was intended for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in the Twentieth Dynasty ^[53] The Valley began to be heavily plundered, so during the 21st Dynasty the priests of Amun opened most of the tombs and moved the mummies into three tombs in order to better protect them, even removing most of their treasure in order to further protect the bodies from robbers. The Twenty-First, Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Third Intermediate Amun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imen, Greek Ἄμμων Later most of these were moved to a single cache near Deir el-Bari (known as TT320), located in the cliffs overlooking Hatshepsut's famous temple, this mass reburial contained an astounding number of royal mummies. Tomb DB320 (now usually referred to as TT320) is located next to Deir el-Bahri, in the Theban Necropolis, opposite modern Luxor contained an Hatshepsut (or Hatchepsut, hætˈʃɛpsʊt meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies, was the fifth Pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of ^[54][55] They were found in a great state of disorder, many placed in other's coffins, and several are still unidentified. Other mummies were moved to the tomb of Amenhotep II, where over a dozen mummies, many of them royal, were later relocated here. Tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings ( Luxor, Egypt) is the tomb of Amenhotep II. Amenhotep II (sometimes read as Amenophis II and meaning Amun is Satisfied) was the seventh Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of ^[56]

During the later Third Intermediate Period and later periods, intrusive burials were introduced into many of the open tombs. The Third Intermediate Period refers to the time in Ancient Egypt from the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1070 BC to the foundation of the In Coptic times, some of the tombs were used as churches, stables and even houses. A Copt ( Coptic: ouRemenkīmi enEkhristianos, literally Egyptian Christian) is a native Egyptian Christian.

Tomb robbers

Almost all of the tombs have been ransacked. ^[57] Several papyri have been found that describe the trials of tomb robbers, these date mostly from the late Twentieth Dynasty. Papyrus (/pəˈpaɪrəs/ (Rhymes -aɪrəs)is a thick paper-like material produced from the Pith of the papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus One of these (Papyrus Mayer B) describes the robbery of the tomb of Ramesses VI and was probably written in Year 9 of Ramesses IX.

“

The foreigner Nesamun took us up and showed us the tomb of King Ramesses VI . . . And I spent four days breaking into it, we being present all five. We opened the tomb and entered it.  . . . We found a cauldron of bronze, three wash bowls of bronze . . . [58]

”

The valley also seems to have suffered an official plundering during the virtual civil war which started in the reign of Ramesses XI. The period of Ancient Egyptian history known as wehem mesut ( Manuel de Codage Transliteration: wHm msw Ramesses XI (also written Ramses and Rameses) reigned from 1107 BC to 1078 BC or 1077 BC and was the tenth and final king of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt The tombs were opened, all the valuables removed, and the mummies collected into two large caches. One in the tomb of Amenhotep II, contained sixteen, and others were hidden within Amenhotep I's tomb. Amenhotep II (sometimes read as Amenophis II and meaning Amun is Satisfied) was the seventh Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Amenhotep I (sometimes read as Amenophis I and meaning " Amun is satisfied" was the second Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt A few years later most of them were moved to the Deir el-Bahri cache, contained no less than forty royal mummies and their coffins. Deir el-Bahri (Arabic دير البحري dayr al-baḥrī, literally meaning "The Northern Monastery " is a complex of Mortuary temples and tombs ^[59] Only those tombs whose locations were lost (KV62, KV63 and KV46) were undisturbed in this period. Tomb KV62 in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings is the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which became famous for the wealth of Treasure it contained KV63 is the most recently opened chamber in Egypt 's Valley of the Kings pharaonic Necropolis. Tomb KV46 in the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Yuya and his wife Tjuyu, the parents of Queen Tiye, the wife of Amenhotep III

Tourism

Most of the tombs are not open to the public (16 of the tombs can be opened, but they are rarely open at the same time), and officials occasionally close those that are open for restoration work. The number of visitors to KV62 has led to a separate charge for entry into the tomb. The West Valley has only one open tomb – that of Ay – and a separate ticket is needed to visit this tomb. The tour guides are no longer allowed to lecture inside the tombs and visitors are expected to proceed quietly and in single file through the tombs. This is to minimize time in the tombs, and prevent the crowds from damaging the surfaces of the decoration. Photography is no longer allowed in the tombs.

In 1997, 58 tourists and 4 Egyptians were massacred at nearby Deir el-Bahri by Islamist militants from Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Luxor Massacre took place on 17 November 1997, at Deir el-Bahri, an Archaeological site located across the River Nile from Luxor Deir el-Bahri (Arabic دير البحري dayr al-baḥrī, literally meaning "The Northern Monastery " is a complex of Mortuary temples and tombs For the Southeast Asian organization of the same name see Jemaah Islamiyah. This led to an overall drop in tourism in the area. ^[60]

As of 2005, on most days of the week an average of four to five thousand tourists visit the main valley. On the days on which the Nile Cruises arrive the number can rise to nearly ten thousand. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River ^[61] These levels are expected to rise to 25,000 by 2015. The West Valley is much less visited, as there is only one tomb that is open to the public.

See also

• Valley of the Queens – Nearby burials of queens and offspring of kings. The Valley of the Queens, also known as Biban el-Harim (بيبان الحريم Biban el-Sultanat (بيبان السلطانات and Wadi el-Melikat
• Royal Wadi and tombs – Burial place of Akhenaten and his royal family. The Royal Wadi (known locally as Wadi Abu Hassah el-Bahari) at Amarna is a where the Royal Family of Amarna were to be buried Akhenaten (often alt: Akhnaten, or rarely Ikhnaton) (In English ˌɑkəˡnɑtən or approximately "AHK-en-AHT-en" his royal name Amenhotep

Notes and references

References

Bibliography

Baines, John; Jaromir Malik. Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt. ISBN 0-8160-4036-2, 2000.   Baillet, Jules (1920-1926). Inscriptions grecques et latines des tombeaux des rois ou Syringes à Thèbes. Cairo: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du Caire, Mémoires publiés par les membres.   Davis, Theodore M. (2001). The Tomb of Siphtah with The Tomb of Queen Tiyi. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd. ISBN 0-7156-3073-3.   Dodson, Aidan (1991). Egyptian Rock-cut Tombs. Buckinghamshire: Shire Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-7478-0128-2.   Maspero, Gaston (1913). Manual of Egyptian Archaeology, Sixth English Edition. H. Grevel and Co. ISBN 1-4219-4169-4.   Reeves, Nicholas (1990). Valley of the Kings: The Decline of a Royal Necropolis. Keegan Paul. ISBN 0-7103-0368-8.   Reeves, Nicholas; Richard H. Wilkinson (1996). The Complete Valley of the Kings. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05080-5.   – Details of all the major tombs, their discovery, art and architecture Romer, John (1981). Valley of the Kings. Henry Holt. ISBN 0-8050-0993-0.   – Covers the history of the exploration of the Valley in chronological order Rossi, Corinna (2001). "Dimensions and Slope in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasty Royal Tombs". The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 87: 73–80. The Egyptian Exploration Society. doi:10.2307/3822372. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. ISSN 0307-5133. An International Standard Serial Number ( ISSN) is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic Periodical publication.   Sampsell, Bonnie M. (2003). A Traveler's Guide to the Geology of Egypt. Cairo: American University Press. ISBN 977-424-785-X.   Siliotti, Alberto (1997). Guide to the Valley of the Kings. Barnes and Noble. ISBN 88-8095-496-2.   – A good introduction to the valley and surroundings Strudwick, Nigel; Helen Strudwick (1999). Thebes in Egypt. Cornell University. ISBN 0-8014-8616-5.   Weeks, Kent R. ; Araldo De Luca (photographs) (2001). Valley of the Kings. Friedman/Fairfax. ISBN 88-8095-712-0.   – Spectacular photography of the best tombs Weeks, Kent R. (2000). KV 5: A Preliminary Report on the Excavation of the Tomb of the Sons of Ramesses II in the Valley of the Kings. Cairo: American University Press. ISBN 977-424-574-1.   Weigall, Arthur (1910). A Guide to the Antiquities of Upper Egypt. London: Mentheun & Co. ISBN 1-4253-3806-2.   Wilkinson, Richard H. (1994). Valley of the Sun Kings: New Explorations in the Tombs of the Pharaohs. Tucson: University of Arizona Egyptian Expedition. ISBN 0-9649958-0-8.   – chapters by archaeologists working in the valley from an international conference on the Valley of the Kings Wilkinson, Richard H. (1993). "The paths of Re: Symbolism in the royal tombs of Wadi Biban El Moluk". KMT 4 (3).

External links

• Theban Mapping Project. Retrieved on 2006-12-04. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song.
• The Quest for Immortality, Treasures of Ancient Egypt, Virtual Tour: KV 34. Retrieved on 2006-12-04. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song.
• Valley of the Kings photographs on GlobalAmity.net. Retrieved on 2006-12-04. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song.
• VOKF Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-12-04. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song.
• Tomb Raiders of KV 46!. Retrieved on 2007-11-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran

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