This section discusses how pharaohs were eventually entombed in the Kings' Valley. Before 2400 BC, Egyptian kings were buried in pyramids, believing this was the most secure way to protect their provisions for their journeys into the afterlife. As time progressed, however, an era of unprecedented lawlessness washed over the country. Robbers systematically looted the pyramids, taking everything of value and leaving the Egyptians searching for a more secure alternative.
Around 1400 BC, during the reign of King Tuthmosis I, Ineni, the pharaoh's chief architect, suggested concealing rulers' burial places in the desolate Valley of the Kings. He believed the best way to guarantee a burial site's safety was through secrecy. Brier explains that this area was an ideal location for this new, more discreet way of burying pharaohs. The region, an arid stretch of land devoid of all vegetation, was inhospitable. Without shade from the sunlight or a nearby source of water, no one would willingly choose to live there, meaning it could be more easily guarded. Throughout the years, mud, sand, and debris built up and concealed the entryways to existing tombs, making them difficult, if not impossible to find.
Context
- Ineni, the architect, played a crucial role in this transition by advocating for secrecy and isolation as key strategies to protect the tombs from looting.
- The most famous pyramids are those at Giza, built during the Fourth Dynasty for pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, showcasing the peak of pyramid construction.
- This site is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite modern-day Luxor. It became the principal burial place for pharaohs of the New Kingdom, reflecting a shift from pyramid burials to rock-cut tombs.
- The geology of the Valley, with its limestone cliffs and natural formations, provided a suitable environment for carving elaborate tombs deep into the rock, offering additional protection.
- The lack of resources and inhospitable environment meant fewer people would venture into the area, reducing the risk of tomb robbers and making it easier to control access.
- The shift from pyramid burials to hidden tombs also reflected changes in religious practices and beliefs about the afterlife, where the emphasis was on the journey of the soul rather than the physical monument.
- The natural process of erosion, caused by wind and occasional rain, contributes to the gradual accumulation of sand and debris, which can cover and hide tomb entrances.
This section focuses on the many explorers and adventurers who, intrigued by the hidden burial sites in the Kings' Valley, tried and failed to discover Tutankhamun's tomb. The English priest Richard Pococke was among the earliest to chart the Valley. In 1739, he discovered just nine tombs, though undoubtedly there were many more than those hidden under centuries of debris.
Napoleon Bonaparte's 1798 Egypt campaign produced the next major excursion. Two engineers who accompanied him conducted the initial formal survey. While mapping the area, the engineers stumbled upon a small opening that they later realized was Amenhotep III's burial place; he was Tutankhamun's grandfather. However, because they couldn’t read hieroglyphs, they didn’t know who the tomb’s occupant was or the significance of their find. Decades later, in the early 1900s, Theodore Davis obtained an excavation concession from the Egyptian government that allowed him to search for tombs in the Kings' Valley. As an experienced archaeologist, he created a system of meticulously clearing the valley floor of debris, and was successful in discovering many tombs, though many had already been plundered of their treasures. Importantly, he found two burial sites with direct ties to Tutankhamun: the grave of Yuya and Tuya, Tut's great-grandparents, and KV-55 (which Brier believes contained the remains of Akhenaten or the half-brother Smenkare). However, because he wrongly believed he had located all the tombs there, he relinquished his concession, opening the pathway for Carter to begin his quest.
Context
- Pococke's documentation, although limited, contributed to the mapping and understanding of the Valley, providing a foundation for future archaeologists to build upon.
- The tomb of Amenhotep III, located in the Valley of the Kings, is known as WV22. It was one of the largest and most elaborately decorated tombs, reflecting his importance and the wealth of his reign.
- Misidentifying or failing to identify tomb occupants could lead to incorrect historical interpretations and missed opportunities to connect archaeological findings with historical records.
- Davis's decision to relinquish his concession was pivotal, as it allowed Howard Carter, funded by Lord Carnarvon, to eventually discover Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. This find became one of the most famous archaeological discoveries in history.
- The tools and techniques available to Davis were limited compared to modern standards. This made it challenging to detect and preserve fragile items or to conduct thorough searches of debris-laden sites.
- Yuya and Tuya were prominent figures in ancient Egypt, with Yuya serving as a powerful court official and military leader. Their burial site was one of the most intact non-royal tombs found, providing valuable insights into the period's burial practices and material culture.
- The discovery and study of KV-55 have provided valuable insights into the Amarna Period and the succession of pharaohs during this tumultuous time in ancient Egyptian history.
- By the time Carter began his search, archaeological techniques had advanced, allowing for more precise and careful excavations. This...
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This section begins with Brier’s intriguing argument that Tutankhamun's four golden shrines substitute for the Egyptian afterlife text. The book was first developed during the Old Kingdom, when magical spells were inscribed in the pyramids to help the king ascend to heaven. These came to be called “Pyramid Texts.” Generally, the texts deal with the king’s ascent to heaven to join the gods. The magic behind them derives from the notion that speaking makes it happen.
When the Old Kingdom collapsed, the First Intermediate Period—a time marked by chaos—began, and pyramids were robbed and looted. Now the enchantments were visible to commoners, and soon the nobles took the spells for their own. During the Middle Kingdom, these spells began to appear on coffins' exteriors and interiors and thus are referred to as "Coffin Texts." These texts were carried over to the period of the New Kingdom, where they appeared on the papyrus rolls inside the noblemen’s coffins, which came to be called the "Funerary Papyrus." Unlike the pharaohs, the elite lacked miles of tomb walls to...
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The author describes how recent DNA analysis helped establish King Tut's genealogy. For a long period, there was much speculation about Tutankhamun's lineage. When scholars were examining the treasures from Yuya and Tuya's tomb, it became clear that Queen Tiye, Amenhotep III's spouse, was their daughter.
But who Tutankhamun’s mother was remained a mystery. In the initial phases of the dig, when Carter’s excavation team opened the Treasury, they found two small coffinettes. Inside were wrapped bundles that when opened revealed two unborn girls, who were almost certainly Tutankhamun's children. Since Tut married his half-sister, Ankhesenamun, one could assume that the fetal remains were hers. Additionally, by identifying Ankhesenamun’s father, we would know who Tut’s father was, as both would presumably share a father. But we're not told who Ankhesenamun’s father was.
In an attempt to solve these mysteries, researchers from a project focused on Egyptian mummies obtained DNA from both the fetal remains and a large group of mummies that...
Tutankhamun and the Tomb that Changed the World
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