New Tomb Discovery-KV63

© Gail Bellenger

Jun 13, 2006

Giza Pyramids, ESamy 1999 ehabweb.net

There's a new tomb discovery in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. KV63 is located near KV62, Tutanhkamun's tomb. It's full of sarcophagi and funerary jars.

The latest buzz from Egypt is the recent discovery of a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings. This is the first such find since Tutankhamun way back in 1922. KV63, whose designation means a discovery in the Kings Valley, 63rd tomb discovered, has already proven to be an exciting find. It contains at six sarcophagi, which includes a gold infant-sized coffin, and twenty funerary jars. The first five sarcophagi did not contain mummies, but the final coffin, situated at the back and resting on pillows at the head and foot, is still sealed.

All of the coffins are covered in a black resin, so any inscriptions that may have been on them are no longer visible. Archaeologists have begun to study the find and have discovered pottery fragments and seals inside the jars. Speculation abounds about who might be buried in the unopened coffin, if indeed anyone is. Some think it could be Tutankhamun's wife, since a fragment of pottery containing the words, Pa-Aten, part of her name before it was changed after her marriage. But, since speculation can be a dangerous thing, it's best to remain objective and wait for the final results, which could take months or even years.

The tombs in the Valley of the Kings are labeled for the location. This naming began in the 1820's. The Valley is actually divided into the east and west valley, with some tombs labeled with a WV to denote their west valley location. Most of the popular tourist sites are in the east valley. Tutankhamun's tomb is known as KV62 and this new tomb is, therefore, KV63. Most of the occupants, or intended occupants, of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings are unknown and most were plundered and destroyed by looters. So, when an intact, or nearly intact, site is found, it arouses great interest.

KV63, dated from the 18th Dynasty, is an important discovery and will hopefully yield some new information about life in Egypt, especially in the 18th Dynasty, the Amarna period. This was the time of Akhnaten, the Pharaoh who declared there was only one god, the Aten, his wife Nefertiti, and the boy king, Tutanhkamun. This was a turbulent time and with luck, KV63 might just produce a little more insight into this wonderful period.


The copyright of the article New Tomb Discovery-KV63 in Archaeology is owned by Gail Bellenger. Permission to republish New Tomb Discovery-KV63 must be granted by the author in writing.




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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages
2.   Jun 17, 2006 6:48 PM
In response to New tomb discovery - kv63 posted by mamarobin73:

This discovery was actually made late last year, b ...

-- posted by gailbellenger13
1.   Jun 16, 2006 6:19 PM
How exciting! Do you know when the discovery was initially made? Was the discovery made by Egyptian archaeologists? I know that Egyptian archaeologists are fiercely private and territorial about the ...

-- posted by mamarobin73

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