KV1
Encyclopedia
Tomb KV1, located in the Valley of the Kings
in Egypt
, was used for the burial of Pharaoh
Ramesses VII
of the Twentieth Dynasty
. Although it has been open since antiquity, it was only properly investigated and cleared by Edwin Brock in 1984 and 1985. The single corridor tomb itself is located in Luxor
's West Bank, and is small in comparison to other tombs of the twentieth dynasty.
constructed tombs that had followed this pattern and were all decorated in much the same manner as each other. It consists of four major parts: the entrance, a passageway, the burial chamber containing the sarcophagus, and a final smaller room at the end.
Ramesses VII was in the seventh year of his reign when he died. There is evidence that the room that ended up being the burial chamber was expanded from its original design as a corridor, and work on a subsequent room at the end of the tomb was halted.
The decoration within the passageway of the tomb contains illustrations from the Book of Gates
, the Book of Caverns
as well as the Book of the Earth
. The walls of the burial chamber are decorated with extracts from the Book of the Earth
. In terms of style and themes it closely follows that of its immediate predecessor, Ramesses VI
's KV9
, though the ceiling within the burial chamber contain a double image of the sky goddess Nut
, reflecting a style used in tomb paintings used by pharaohs of the previous dynasty.
Within the burial chamber a depression has been cut into the rock, with an inverted box of stone shaped roughly like a cartouche
placed over it. This is the last known example of a sarcophagus placed in a royal tomb, all subsequent burial consisting of deeper pits which were covered by a lid. The tomb was robbed in antiquity, and the mummy presumably lost, though four cups inscribed with the pharaoh's name were found in the "royal cache" in DB320
along with the remains of other pharaohs.
monks.
Early European visitors to the area included Richard Pococke
, who visited KV1 and designated it "Tomb A" in his Observations of Egypt, published in 1743.
The savants accompanying Napoleon's campaign in Egypt surveyed the Valley of the Kings and designated KV1 as "1er Tombeau" ("1st Tomb") in their list.
, Edwin Brock did a thorough excavation of the burial chamber floor, followed a decade later by an excavation of the tomb's entrance. By 1995, the tomb's walls had been completely cleaned, covering graffiti
left there in ancient times, a constant problem faced by excavators of tombs within the Valley.
Some of Brock's findings included fragments of wood, calcite and faience
shabtis, ostraca decorated with sketches presumably by the tomb's artists, a floral garland and numerous contemporaneous pottery sherds.
Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings , less often called the Valley of the Gates of the Kings , 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 Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom .The valley stands on the west bank of...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, was used for the burial of Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Ramesses VII
Ramesses VII
Usermaatre Meryamun Setepenre Ramesses VII was the sixth pharaoh of the 20th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. He reigned from about 1136 to 1129 BC and was the son of Ramesses VI. Other dates for his reign are 1138-1131 BC...
of the Twentieth Dynasty
Twentieth dynasty of Egypt
The Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, New Kingdom. This dynasty is considered to be the last one of the New Kingdom of Egypt, and was followed by the Third Intermediate Period....
. Although it has been open since antiquity, it was only properly investigated and cleared by Edwin Brock in 1984 and 1985. The single corridor tomb itself is located in Luxor
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
's West Bank, and is small in comparison to other tombs of the twentieth dynasty.
Tomb layout
Typical of tombs from this period, KV1 is laid out in along a straight axis. The successors of Ramesses IIIRamesses III
Usimare Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great New Kingdom king to wield any substantial authority over Egypt. He was the son of Setnakhte and Queen Tiy-Merenese. Ramesses III is believed to have reigned from March 1186 to April 1155 BCE...
constructed tombs that had followed this pattern and were all decorated in much the same manner as each other. It consists of four major parts: the entrance, a passageway, the burial chamber containing the sarcophagus, and a final smaller room at the end.
Ramesses VII was in the seventh year of his reign when he died. There is evidence that the room that ended up being the burial chamber was expanded from its original design as a corridor, and work on a subsequent room at the end of the tomb was halted.
Book of Gates
The Book of Gates is an Ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom. It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world, corresponding to the journey of the sun though the underworld during the hours of the night. The soul is required to pass though a series of...
, the Book of Caverns
Book of Caverns
The Book of Caverns is an important Ancient Egyptian funerary text of the New Kingdom. Like many funerary texts, it was written on the inside of the tomb for reference by the deceased...
as well as the Book of the Earth
Book of the Earth
The Book of the Earth is an important Ancient Egyptian funerary text of the New Kingdom and later.-External links:*...
. The walls of the burial chamber are decorated with extracts from the Book of the Earth
Book of the Earth
The Book of the Earth is an important Ancient Egyptian funerary text of the New Kingdom and later.-External links:*...
. In terms of style and themes it closely follows that of its immediate predecessor, Ramesses VI
Ramesses VI
Ramesses VI was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt who reigned from 1145 BC to 1137 BC and a son of Ramesses III by Iset Ta-Hemdjert...
's KV9
KV9
Tomb KV9 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings was originally constructed by Pharaoh Ramesses V. He was interred here, but his uncle Ramesses VI later reused the tomb as his own....
, though the ceiling within the burial chamber contain a double image of the sky goddess Nut
Nut (goddess)
In the Ennead of Egyptian mythology, Nut was the goddess of the sky.-Goddess of the sky:...
, reflecting a style used in tomb paintings used by pharaohs of the previous dynasty.
Within the burial chamber a depression has been cut into the rock, with an inverted box of stone shaped roughly like a cartouche
Cartouche
In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an ellipse with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh...
placed over it. This is the last known example of a sarcophagus placed in a royal tomb, all subsequent burial consisting of deeper pits which were covered by a lid. The tomb was robbed in antiquity, and the mummy presumably lost, though four cups inscribed with the pharaoh's name were found in the "royal cache" in DB320
DB320
Tomb DB320 is located next to Deir el-Bahri, in the Theban Necropolis, opposite modern Luxor contained an extraordinary cache of mummified remains and funeral equipment of more than 50 kings, queens, royals and various nobility.-Usage of tomb:The tomb is thought to have initially been the last...
along with the remains of other pharaohs.
Visits in antiquity
The tomb was one of at least eleven tombs that were open to early travelers. As evidence of this, 132 individual griffitos left by Ancient Greek and Roman visitors have been counted throughout KV1. Later, the tomb was used as a dwelling by CopticCopt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
monks.
Early European visitors to the area included Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke was an English prelate and anthropologist. He was Protestant Bishop of Ossory and Meath , both dioceses of the Church of Ireland...
, who visited KV1 and designated it "Tomb A" in his Observations of Egypt, published in 1743.
The savants accompanying Napoleon's campaign in Egypt surveyed the Valley of the Kings and designated KV1 as "1er Tombeau" ("1st Tomb") in their list.
Recent archeological work
Though not documented, the tomb was cleared in the 1950s. Starting in 1983, funded by the Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
, Edwin Brock did a thorough excavation of the burial chamber floor, followed a decade later by an excavation of the tomb's entrance. By 1995, the tomb's walls had been completely cleaned, covering graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
left there in ancient times, a constant problem faced by excavators of tombs within the Valley.
Some of Brock's findings included fragments of wood, calcite and faience
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
shabtis, ostraca decorated with sketches presumably by the tomb's artists, a floral garland and numerous contemporaneous pottery sherds.
Literature
- Hornung, E., et al. Zwei Ramessidische Königsgräber: Ramses IV. und Ramses VII, 1990, Mainz am Rhein, P. von Zabern.
- Reeves, N & Wilkinson, R.H. The Complete Valley of the Kings, 1996, Thames and Hudson, London
- Siliotti, A. Guide to the Valley of the Kings and to the Theban Necropolises and Temples, 1996, A.A. Gaddis, Cairo
External links
- Theban Mapping Project: KV1 - Includes description, images and plans of the tomb.