KV20
Encyclopedia
KV20 is a tomb in the Valley of the Kings
(Egypt
). It was probably the first royal tomb to be constructed in the valley. KV20 was the original burial place of Thutmose I
(who was later re-interred in KV38
) and later was adapted by his daughter Hatshepsut
to accommodate both her and her father. The tomb was known to the Napoleonic Expedition
in 1799, but a full clearance of the tomb only was undertaken by Howard Carter
in 1903, although it had been visited by several explorers between 1799 and 1903. KV20 is distinguished from other tombs in the valley, both in its general layout and because of the atypical clockwise curvature of its corridors.
, who worked in the area in 1817. A first attempt to excavate the tomb was undertaken by James Burton
in 1824, who cleared it as far as the tomb's first chamber. Although Lepsius
explored it in 1844 and 1845, no further attempts to excavate the tomb were undertaken until Carter started his clearance of the rock-hard fill in the corridor in the spring of 1903. This excavation was conducted by Carter as Inspector of the Antiquities Service, but the work was sponsored by Theodore M. Davis
, who published a report of the work in 1906.
After Carter's work in the tomb, no further activities have been carried out. Since 1994 the burial chamber is inaccessible due to debris deposited by flooding.
, KV43
, and KV60
. Its plan is of unusual shape, consisting of a series of five curving, descending corridors, two of which end in chambers. These corridors bend east-south-west in a clockwise fashion, which is a unique feature amongst the tombs in the valley. At the bottom of this descending passage is a suite of chambers, connected to each other by a further corridor. The burial chamber is a three-pillared room and it has three small side-rooms at its northern end. The tomb has a total length of 210 meters.
The upper part of the corridors is cut into good quality limestone, but the lower parts of the passage and the chambers at the bottom are cut in a layer of softer shale. Because of this difference, the lower parts of the tomb, including the roof of the burial chamber, have collapsed partially. The soft rock in the burial chamber also was unsuitable for decoration and therefore, limestone slabs inscribed with chapters from the Amduat
in red and black inks were intended to line the walls. Carter found fifteen of these slabs in the burial chamber while other similar blocks, probably from the same series, were found in KV38.
Apart from a foundation deposit of Hatshepsut, the only objects found in KV20 come from the burial chamber and the corridor leading into it. Items found were stone vases bearing the names of Ahmose-Nefertari
, Thutmosis I, and Hatshepsut, two quartzite sarcophagi inscribed for Thutmose I and Hatshepsut (as pharaoh), a canopic chest for Hatshepsut (again as pharaoh), the limestone blocks bearing funerary text (see above), and several fragments of the usual funerary furnishings. The sarcophagus of Thutmose originally was inscribed for Hatshepsut, but later altered for the former king.
royal cache. Other items associated with Hatshepsut, including the legs and footboard of a couch or bed and a fragmentary cartouche-shaped lid are of uncertain origin, but might come from either the Deir el Bahari cache or KV6
(tomb of Ramesses IX
).
Fragments of at least one anthropoid coffin belonging to a mid-eighteenth dynasty female ruler (presumably Hatshepsut), fragmentary wooden panels with decoration that links them to objects found in KV20, and a faience vessel, possibly belonging to Thutmose I, were recovered from the shaft in the burial chamber of KV4
, together with remains of royal funerary equipment belonging to several other New Kingdom
rulers.
. It also has been noted that the proportions of the KV20 burial chamber are different from those in the rest of the tomb and that they display a design relationship to the architecture of Hatshepsut's pharonic mortuary temple
.
It therefore has been suggested that KV20 extended originally, only to its present pen-ultimate chamber in which Thutmose I first was intered, and that the tomb was re-cut and refurbished during the reign of Hatshepsut to accommodate the burial of both her and her father. Later the burial of Thutmose I was moved again, into KV38, by his grandson Thutmose III while the burial of Hatshepsut probably remained in KV20, eventually suffering from robbery (and official dismantling).
An unidentified mummy, recovered from DB320 and found within coffins prepared by Thutmose III for Thutmose I is usually identified as the later king. The body of Hatshepsut has not yet been identified with certainty and the mummified liver or spleen found in DB320 might be all that remains of her, although it also has been suggested that one of two female mummies found in KV60
is she.
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...
(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...
). It was probably the first royal tomb to be constructed in the valley. KV20 was the original burial place of Thutmose I
Thutmose I
Thutmose I was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. He was given the throne after the death of the previous king Amenhotep I. During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt further than ever before...
(who was later re-interred in KV38
KV38
KV38 is a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that was used for the reburial of Pharaoh Thutmose I of the Eighteenth dynasty, and was where his body was removed to by Thutmose III.-External links:...
) and later was adapted by his daughter Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut also Hatchepsut; meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies;1508–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt...
to accommodate both her and her father. The tomb was known to the Napoleonic Expedition
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 1799, but a full clearance of the tomb only was undertaken by Howard Carter
Howard Carter
Howard Carter may refer to:* Howard Carter , English archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb* Howard Carter , American basketball player...
in 1903, although it had been visited by several explorers between 1799 and 1903. KV20 is distinguished from other tombs in the valley, both in its general layout and because of the atypical clockwise curvature of its corridors.
Exploration and excavation
The location of KV20 was known to the French expedition of 1799 and to BelzoniGiovanni Battista Belzoni
Giovanni Battista Belzoni , sometimes known as The Great Belzoni, was a prolific Venetian explorer of Egyptian antiquities.-Early life:...
, who worked in the area in 1817. A first attempt to excavate the tomb was undertaken by James Burton
James Burton (Egyptologist)
James Burton , formerly James Haliburton, was an early British Egyptologist, who worked at a number of sites throughout Egypt, but notably in the Valley of the Kings.-Life:...
in 1824, who cleared it as far as the tomb's first chamber. Although Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius was a pioneering Prussian Egyptologist and linguist and pioneer of modern archaeology.-Background:...
explored it in 1844 and 1845, no further attempts to excavate the tomb were undertaken until Carter started his clearance of the rock-hard fill in the corridor in the spring of 1903. This excavation was conducted by Carter as Inspector of the Antiquities Service, but the work was sponsored by Theodore M. Davis
Theodore M. Davis
Theodore M. Davis was an American lawyer and is best known for his excavations in Egypt's Valley of the Kings between 1902 and 1914.-Biography:...
, who published a report of the work in 1906.
After Carter's work in the tomb, no further activities have been carried out. Since 1994 the burial chamber is inaccessible due to debris deposited by flooding.
Location, layout, and contents
KV20 is located in the easternmost branch of the valley near the later tombs KV19KV19
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 Pharaoh Ramesses VIII, but was later used for the burial of Prince Mentuherkhepshef instead, the son of Ramesses IX, who predeceased his...
, KV43
KV43
Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. It has a dog-leg shape, typical of the layout of early 18th Dynasty tombs. KV43 was rediscovered in 1903 by Howard Carter Tomb KV43 is the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt....
, and KV60
KV60
Tomb KV60 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings is one of the more perplexing tombs of the Theban Necropolis, due to the uncertainty over the identity of one female mummy found there , thought by some, such as the noted Egyptologist Elizabeth Thomas, to be that of 18th dynasty Pharaoh Hatshepsut. This...
. Its plan is of unusual shape, consisting of a series of five curving, descending corridors, two of which end in chambers. These corridors bend east-south-west in a clockwise fashion, which is a unique feature amongst the tombs in the valley. At the bottom of this descending passage is a suite of chambers, connected to each other by a further corridor. The burial chamber is a three-pillared room and it has three small side-rooms at its northern end. The tomb has a total length of 210 meters.
The upper part of the corridors is cut into good quality limestone, but the lower parts of the passage and the chambers at the bottom are cut in a layer of softer shale. Because of this difference, the lower parts of the tomb, including the roof of the burial chamber, have collapsed partially. The soft rock in the burial chamber also was unsuitable for decoration and therefore, limestone slabs inscribed with chapters from the Amduat
Amduat
The Amduat is an important Ancient Egyptian funerary text of the New Kingdom. Like many funerary texts, it was found written on the inside of the pharaoh's tomb for reference...
in red and black inks were intended to line the walls. Carter found fifteen of these slabs in the burial chamber while other similar blocks, probably from the same series, were found in KV38.
Apart from a foundation deposit of Hatshepsut, the only objects found in KV20 come from the burial chamber and the corridor leading into it. Items found were stone vases bearing the names of Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari of Ancient Egypt was a Queen of Egypt. She was a daughter of Seqenenre Tao II and Ahhotep I, and royal sister and the great royal wife of pharaoh, Ahmose I. She was the mother of king Amenhotep I and may have served as his regent when he was young...
, Thutmosis I, and Hatshepsut, two quartzite sarcophagi inscribed for Thutmose I and Hatshepsut (as pharaoh), a canopic chest for Hatshepsut (again as pharaoh), the limestone blocks bearing funerary text (see above), and several fragments of the usual funerary furnishings. The sarcophagus of Thutmose originally was inscribed for Hatshepsut, but later altered for the former king.
Other items associated with KV20
A box inscribed for Hatshepsut as pharaoh, containing the remains of a mummified liver or spleen was recovered from the DB320DB320
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...
royal cache. Other items associated with Hatshepsut, including the legs and footboard of a couch or bed and a fragmentary cartouche-shaped lid are of uncertain origin, but might come from either the Deir el Bahari cache or KV6
KV6
Tomb KV6 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings was the final resting place of the 20th-dynasty Pharaoh Ramesses IX. However, the archaeological evidence and the quality of decoration it contains indicates that the tomb was not finished in time for Ramesses's death but was hastily rushed through to...
(tomb of Ramesses IX
Ramesses IX
Ramesses IX was the eighth king of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt. He was the third longest serving king of this Dynasty after Ramesses III and Ramesses XI...
).
Fragments of at least one anthropoid coffin belonging to a mid-eighteenth dynasty female ruler (presumably Hatshepsut), fragmentary wooden panels with decoration that links them to objects found in KV20, and a faience vessel, possibly belonging to Thutmose I, were recovered from the shaft in the burial chamber of KV4
KV4
KV4 is a tomb in the Valley of the Kings . The tomb was initiated for the burial of Ramesses XI but it is likely that its construction was abandoned and that it was never used for Ramesses's interment. It also seems likely that Pinedjem I intended to usurp this tomb for his own burial, but that he...
, together with remains of royal funerary equipment belonging to several other New Kingdom
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt....
rulers.
History
Despite the foundation deposit of Hatshepsut and the existence of another tomb for Thutmose I, (KV38), it is now generally presumed that KV 20 originally was quarried for the latter king. Re-evaluation of the architecture of KV38 and some of its content has shown that it is unlikely that this tomb pre-dates the reign of Thutmose IIIThutmose III
Thutmose III was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. During the first twenty-two years of Thutmose's reign he was co-regent with his stepmother, Hatshepsut, who was named the pharaoh...
. It also has been noted that the proportions of the KV20 burial chamber are different from those in the rest of the tomb and that they display a design relationship to the architecture of Hatshepsut's pharonic mortuary temple
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Djeser-Djeseru , is located beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. The mortuary temple is dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra and is located next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II,...
.
It therefore has been suggested that KV20 extended originally, only to its present pen-ultimate chamber in which Thutmose I first was intered, and that the tomb was re-cut and refurbished during the reign of Hatshepsut to accommodate the burial of both her and her father. Later the burial of Thutmose I was moved again, into KV38, by his grandson Thutmose III while the burial of Hatshepsut probably remained in KV20, eventually suffering from robbery (and official dismantling).
An unidentified mummy, recovered from DB320 and found within coffins prepared by Thutmose III for Thutmose I is usually identified as the later king. The body of Hatshepsut has not yet been identified with certainty and the mummified liver or spleen found in DB320 might be all that remains of her, although it also has been suggested that one of two female mummies found in KV60
KV60
Tomb KV60 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings is one of the more perplexing tombs of the Theban Necropolis, due to the uncertainty over the identity of one female mummy found there , thought by some, such as the noted Egyptologist Elizabeth Thomas, to be that of 18th dynasty Pharaoh Hatshepsut. This...
is she.
External links
- Theban Mapping Project: KV20 - Includes description, images, and plan of the tomb