The University of Basel Kings Valley Project Finds A New Tomb in the VOK : KV64 by Susanne Bickel & Elina Paulin-Grothe Photos © The University of Basel Kings’ Valley Project he first pharaohs who chose the Valley of the Kings as their burial place still adhered to the tradition of having members of their families and pro- fessional entourages interred in the vicinities of their own tombs. It is only after the Amarna period that the Valley became an (almost) exclusively royal necropolis. The numerous non-royal tombs there have received very T little scientific attention until recently.1 Kmt 18 View of the interior of KV64, with the incribed wooden coffin of the tomb’s occupant, Nehemes-Bastet, a small fu- nerary stela at its foot end. To be granted a tomb in this particular location was certainly considered an important privilege which, as a counterpart, implied some conditions and re- strictions. The most striking rule was the fact that non-royal tombs in the Kings’ Valley were not allowed any wall decoration, quite in contrast to the wonder- fully engraved and painted tomb chapels and burial chambers of the same social groups in other parts of the Theban west bank. Whereas the architectural layout 19 Kmt View of the side wadi of the Valley of the Kings where are located a number of unin- scribed 18th Dynasty tombs, as indicated by the inset graphic. The modern stairs leading up to KVs 34 (Tomb of Thutmose III) & 33 are at the far right of the photo. of royal tombs seems to have followed a regular scheme of drew a map of the area and mentioned certain features of evolution, each plan building upon and enlarging the one the side valley in 1886; Victor Loret discovered the Tomb of its predecessor, non-royal tombs show a wide variety of of Thutmose III (KV34) in 1898; and Howard Carter architectural designs. probably undertook some work there at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. However, no records of the results he University of Basel Kings’ Valley Project, carried of their investigations seem to be preserved. out in cooperation with the Ministry of State for An- From the outset of Basel University’s project, the tiquities, started in 2009. Its aim is to explore the main questions to be answered were: Who was buried in sideT valley leading towards the Tomb of Thutmose III these tombs? What date can be assigned to the use of this (KV34), where several non -royal tombs were up-to-then area as a non -royal necropolis? Can any typology of the unexplored or else very little documented. A number of architecture of these tombs be described and perhaps even well-known archaeologists have worked in the area: Gio- assigned to the specific social status of the tomb owner? vanni Battista Belzoni was certainly there when he discov- The starting point of this approach was the iden- ered the nearby Tomb of Seti I in 1817; Eugène Lefébure tification of KV32 as being the Tomb of Queen Tiaa, wife Kmt 20 Adapted from the Theban Mapping Project of Amenhotep II and mother of Thutmose IV. This discov- sloping hill: KVs 26, 40, 64, 29, 61 on the east side of the ery was made in 2001 by the Basel University team, who wadi, KVs 32, 31, 30 on the west side.3 Only some of worked in the lower chambers of the Tomb of Siptah (KV- these tombs were accessible and documented by the The- 47).2 Exploring the area where the tomb prepared for this ban Mapping Project, others have never been studied, al- king of the late Nineteenth Dynasty cut into the pre exist- though some were visible in the landscape as shaft open- ing tomb KV32, fragments of Tiaa’s canopic chest and ings. In the recent field season of 2012, an additional and ushabtis were found in the thin layer of dust and debris entirely unknown tomb (KV64) was discovered. that remained on the floor of the older construction. To present knowledge, twelve tombs were dug he precise mapping of all the tombs, as well as a sur- into the wadi leading towards the Tomb of Thutmose III, vey and modeling of the area are among the priori- which lies high up in the cliff face. ties of the Basel project. Only when plans and sec- Tomb KV33 is situated at the same level as the Ttions of all the structures of the Valley exist, will it be pos- royal tomb, all the others lying either at the bottom of the sible to build a typology and to reflect on the reasons for cliff (KV42, KV37, KV59) or in the lower parts of the the great variety of layouts and size of non -royal tombs in 21 Kmt Left, Workmen of the University of Basel Kings’ Valley Project in the process of rediscovering the entrance to KV59. Above, The inte- rior of KV30, with a long corridor leading to four side chambers. Below, Interior of KV31, with the remains of destroyed mummies visible near the walls of the chamber. Kmt 22 the Kings’ Valley. KVs 32, 33 and 37 open with a flight of stairs which leads into a corridor or directly into a large room. All the other non-royal sepulchers under study are shaft tombs of very different shapes and sizes. The depths of the shafts vary from four meters to nine meters. These open onto either a single chamber or a central room with two/three side chambers. As mentioned above, none of these tombs has re- ceived recorded archaeological investigation. Some were filled with thick layers of debris, which covered what re- mained of the burial equipment, pottery and human bod- ies. Other tombs were almost empty. The state of preser- vation of the remains depends on several factors. Some tombs were penetrated repeatedly by floods of rainwater pouring down through the wadis from the desert plateau. This infiltration of moisture and humidity resulted in the destruction of all organic materials. Even more devastat- Above, KV40 (right) & KV64, as they appear today with protec- ing, however, were the hands of robbers who ransacked tive coverings provided by the University of Basel Kings’ Valley the tombs. Project. Below, The entrance shaft to KV64, in the process of be- It is known that social and economic conditions ing cleared. at the very end of the New Kingdom lead to large-scale plundering of tombs all over the Theban necropolis. Not only valuables were taken, the wooden coffins were also frequently removed for recycling, and the brutality with which the mummies were unwrapped and then torn apart is striking. he Project began with the investigation of KV26 and KV30. The former yielded a complete set of pottery, some sixteen large jars, as well as hes- vases and oth- Ter vessels. KV30, on the other hand, was almost empty except for some pottery shards and small fragments of wooden coffins, which confirmed, however, that burials took place in the Eighteenth Dynasty. KV59 was not apparent on the surface and only a rough estimation of its position was known. It took two seasons’ work to relocate the entrance. The tomb is situ- ated in the horizontal bedrock under the very high verti- cal cliff face on the east side of the path leading to the Tomb of Thutmose III, between tombs KV26 and 37, and opposite KV31. The single chamber of the tomb was filled to half its height with very wet debris, which contained no traces of burial equipment at all. Perhaps this structure was never used, or it was entirely cleared in modern times, before being flooded. KV31 is accessible through a shaft that leads to a central room with two side chambers. It yielded a large number of fragmentary finds. Several seal impressions were recovered in front of the entrance door; large amounts of pottery remained in the tomb, as well as fragments of canopic jars and remains of five mummies, all torn apart and stripped of their linen bandages. All the burials date to the Eighteenth Dynasty. A number of Ramesside in- scribed and painted ostraca came into the tomb with the limestone debris that filled it after the — continues p.29 23 Kmt Kmt 24 The single, roughly hewn chamber of the interior of KV64, looking towards the entry shaft after clearance of ap- proximately one meter of limestone de- bris. The 22nd Dyn. interment of Nehemes-Bastet was on the opposite side of the chamber. 25 Kmt The in situ undisturbed mummy of Nehemes-Bastet resting in the basin of her coffin as found. Inset, Detail of the part of the inscription on the coffin basin, where the names of the chantress of Amen & her priest father are inscribed. Kmt 26 27 Kmt Kmt 28 Opposite, Face of the coffin of Nehemes-Bastet, with yellow- painted decoration. Right, De- tail of the KV64 stela, showing Nehemes-Bastet in the attitude of prayer. The full typology of the stela is still under study by the Authors. — from p. 23 antique looting. ed since it was last used for a burial. Underneath this KV40 is one of the largest tombs in the area. It blocking were remains of an earlier wall covered with consists of a deep shaft which opens into a six-meter-long plaster. This indicated that two burials had taken place at corridor and a large central room with three side cham- different times. The chamber was filled with debris to ap- bers. This tomb must have been very intensely used.