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KV1
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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 is located in Luxor's West Bank, and is small in comparison to other tombs of the Twentieth Dynasty.

Key Information

Tomb layout

[edit]
Tomb Corridor B of KV1

Typical of tombs from this period, KV1 is laid out along a straight axis. The successors of Ramesses III 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 smaller room at the end.

Ramesses VII was in the seventh year of his reign when he died. There is evidence that 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.[1]

Double image of the sky goddess Nut on the ceiling of KV1

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.[2] 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 contains a double image of the sky goddess Nut, reflecting a style used in tomb paintings used by pharaohs of the previous dynasty.[2]

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 in the Valley of the Kings, all subsequent burials consisting of deeper pits which were covered by a lid.[3] 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.[4]

Visits in antiquity

[edit]
Isometric, plan and elevation images of KV1

The tomb was one of at least eleven tombs that were open to early travelers. As evidence of this, 132 individual graffitis left by Ancient Greek and Roman visitors have been counted throughout KV1.[5] Later, the tomb was used as a dwelling by Coptic monks.[1]

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.[6]

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.[6]

Recent archeological work

[edit]
Carved wall reliefs of Ramessess VII's KV1 tomb

Though not documented, the tomb was cleared in the 1950s. Starting in 1983, funded by the Royal Ontario Museum, Edwin Brock thoroughly excavated the burial chamber floor, followed a decade later by an excavation of the tomb's entrance.[2] In 1994, the Supreme Council of Antiquities cleaned the walls and repaired cracks with plaster. In doing so, they covered over graffiti that had been left there in ancient times.[1]

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 shards.[7]

References

[edit]

Literature

[edit]
  • 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
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

KV1

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Tomb KV1 in the Valley of the Kings, , served as the burial place of of the Twentieth Dynasty, who ruled approximately from 1136 to 1129 BCE. The tomb, discovered in the , is relatively short at about 44 meters (144 ft) long and consists of a descending corridor leading to a rectangular burial chamber with a vaulted ceiling, followed by an unfinished additional chamber. Its walls are decorated with scenes from the and astronomical ceilings depicting the night sky, though some areas show damage from ancient floods and reuse. 's mummy has not been definitively identified, but the tomb's intact sarcophagus highlights its historical importance in understanding late New Kingdom funerary practices.

Background

Pharaoh Ramesses VII

Ramesses VII, whose full throne name was Usermaatre Setepenre Meryamun, served as the sixth of Egypt's 20th Dynasty during the late New Kingdom period. His reign lasted approximately seven years, from circa 1136 to 1129 BCE, marking a time of relative obscurity in royal records compared to earlier Ramesside rulers. As part of the waning years of the New Kingdom, 's rule occurred amid broader systemic strains on the Egyptian state, though specific monumental achievements attributed to him are limited. He was probably the son of his predecessor, , and succeeded him directly on the throne, continuing the familial line of the dynasty. was succeeded by , who briefly ruled as , illustrating the close succession patterns in the late 20th Dynasty . 's era reflected the ongoing economic decline and administrative challenges plaguing the late New Kingdom, including shortages of grain provisions for temple and workers, as well as increased reports of robberies and fiscal pressures on the central administration. These issues contributed to a weakening of royal authority and resource allocation, with evidence of delayed payments to laborers in Thebes highlighting the strains on the state's bureaucratic apparatus. Attestations of Ramesses VII's rule appear in non-tomb sources, such as administrative papyri from the dated to years 3, 4, and 6 of his reign, which record astronomical observations and worker activities. Additional evidence comes from inscriptions in other royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, confirming his royal titulary, while the cartouches in KV1 definitively attribute the tomb to him.

Location and Discovery

KV1, the tomb of Pharaoh , is situated near the main entrance to the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the River in , , at approximate coordinates 25°44′28″N 32°36′14″E. This positions it prominently among the early-numbered tombs in the East Valley, adjacent to () and close to the pathway leading deeper into the necropolis. The tomb is excavated into the and cliffs of the Theban hills, a characterized by layered that facilitated ancient tomb construction but also exposes structures to instability. Environmental hazards, particularly flash floods from seasonal rains, have historically threatened the Valley's tombs, including KV1, by causing water infiltration and erosion of the soft layers. Giovanni Battista Belzoni discovered KV1 in October 1817 during his expeditions in the Valley of the Kings, clearing accumulated debris from the entrance to gain access. His initial exploration uncovered fragments of a and scattered pottery, indicating prior ancient robbery but remnants of the original burial assemblage. Belzoni documented the tomb through detailed sketches of its interior, which were published in his 1820 narrative Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs, and Excavations in and . Subsequent European explorers, including John Gardner Wilkinson, visited the site in the , with Wilkinson producing further illustrations and establishing the enduring KV numbering system that designated it as the first in the sequence.

Tomb Description

Layout and Architecture

The tomb KV1 measures approximately 44 meters in total length and follows a descending orientation from east to west along a straight axis of about 328 degrees. Its compact design reflects the abbreviated construction period, halted by the sudden death of after a reign of just seven years. The entrance consists of a steep ramp (room A) measuring 13.71 meters long and 3.69 meters wide, descending 4.7 meters to a blocked doorway with traces of ancient sealing and debris. This initial descent provides access to the main corridor. Corridor B extends 15.28 in and 3.17 in width, with a of 4.04 and a gentle downward of 1.2 overall (approximately 4.5 degrees). It incorporates structural elements such as slots for and a niche for emplacement, carved directly into the limestone to support the tomb's progression. The chamber J, vaulted for stability, spans 8.53 in , 5.18 in width, and 4.24 in , featuring a central rectangular pit (approximately 4 long) designed to house the pharaoh's cartouche-shaped . The was a roughly cartouche-shaped structure with a massive stone cover decorated in green paint with figures of , , Selkis, and the for protection. Adjacent recesses within the chamber accommodated and . Chamber K, intended as an additional storage or annex space, remains unfinished, with rough-cut walls indicating work ceased abruptly due to Ramesses VII's death. The tomb was constructed by cutting into the local , with surfaces smoothed and coated in for decoration, employing standard 20th Dynasty techniques such as ramped descents, vaulted ceilings for load-bearing, and precise axial alignment to facilitate the journey to the .

Decoration and Inscriptions

The walls of the burial chamber in KV1 feature primary decorations consisting of scenes from the Book of the Earth, which illustrate the sun god's nocturnal journey through the and themes of regeneration, symbolizing the pharaoh's rebirth and eternal renewal. These depictions include the sun god encapsulated within a serpent, surrounded by deities aiding his passage, emphasizing solar and Osirian motifs that ensure the king's assimilation with divine forces in the afterlife. The ceiling of the burial chamber displays astronomical motifs, rendered as a blue background adorned with yellow stars and constellations, representing the and divine astral bodies; it also incorporates a double image of the sky goddess Nut arched overhead, flanked by vulture motifs and astral deities to invoke celestial protection. These elements underscore the religious significance of the tomb as a microcosm of the cosmos, facilitating Ramesses VII's transition to the through alignment with the eternal cycles of the sun and stars. In the corridor, inscriptions include the royal cartouches of repeated prominently on the ceiling, alongside scenes of the king offering to Re-Horakhty and standing before Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, integrated with depictions from the and Book of Caverns, highlighting the corridor's role in warding off threats and affirming the king's divine identity. The artistic style of KV1's decorations reflects the simplified aesthetics of the late 20th Dynasty, characterized by a restrained palette of muted colors such as ochre, , and , applied in painted sunk reliefs with clear, standardized lines; this approach likely stems from the haste in completing the tomb during Ramesses VII's short reign, resulting in some incomplete sections. Overall, these decorations serve a profound religious purpose, employing solar and underworld symbolism to guarantee the pharaoh's resurrection and perpetual life among the gods, as per New Kingdom funerary traditions.

Exploration History

Ancient Visits and Reuse

The tomb of (KV1) bears clear signs of ancient robbery, likely occurring shortly after its closure in the late 20th Dynasty, as part of the widespread looting documented in the period's judicial papyri. Official inspections commissioned by , particularly in his Year 16 (c. 1114 BCE), examined royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings to assess damage from thefts, revealing partial removal of funerary goods in several cases, though KV1 was reported as largely intact at the time. Subsequent breaches led to the complete dispersal of original contents, including shabtis crafted from , , and wood, as well as canopic jars intended for the king's viscera, all of which were housed in dedicated niches within the burial chamber but are now lost or fragmented. These losses underscore the tomb's vulnerability, exacerbated by its relatively straightforward corridor layout that facilitated unauthorized entry. The absence of Ramesses VII's mummy further attests to ancient interference, with the body missing and its location unknown; it may be among the unidentified transferred to the Deir el-Bahri (DB320) for in the Third Intermediate Period, unlike those of contemporaries such as and IX which were explicitly identified there. Fragments of four cups inscribed with the king's name, discovered near DB320, suggest an association with the cache. Ancient Egyptian inscriptions and marks on the walls, including noting repairs to and invocations for divine against further , indicate efforts to mitigate damage post-inspection, reflecting ritual responses to the tomb's compromised state. Following the New Kingdom, KV1 underwent reuse during the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1070–664 BCE), serving as a non-royal site evidenced by scattered pottery sherds of wares and amphorae consistent with that era, deposited during caching activities or informal visits. This repurposing aligns with broader patterns in the Valley, where abandoned royal tombs were adapted for secondary interments amid political instability. Later ancient visits by Greek and Roman tourists are documented through over 130 graffiti in those languages across the walls, highlighting the site's enduring accessibility and cultural significance into the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.

Modern Excavations and Conservation

In 1817, Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni conducted the first modern clearance of KV1, removing accumulated debris from the tomb's corridors and burial chamber to facilitate access and documentation. This effort marked an early systematic intervention in the Valley of the Kings, though Belzoni's work focused primarily on exploration rather than preservation, leading to the relocation of select artifacts to European collections. During the mid-20th century, American Egyptologist Elizabeth Thomas undertook detailed surveys of KV1 as part of her broader documentation of Theban royal necropoleis. In the 1960s, she measured the tomb's dimensions and produced accurate plans, highlighting its structural integrity and the extent of ancient damage from looting. These surveys provided foundational data for subsequent studies, confirming the tomb's unfinished rear chamber and aiding in the assessment of wall stability. Later, in the 1980s, Edwin C. Brock led re-clearance efforts under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt, removing post-antique debris and conducting photographic documentation to record the state of the plaster and paintings. Brock's work uncovered small artifacts, including shabtis and ostraca, which offered insights into the tomb's post-burial use. Post-2000 conservation initiatives have emphasized structural stabilization and . The Japanese Topographical Mission in contributed to Valley-wide efforts, focusing on preventing flaking in the ceiling and walls through targeted injections and monitoring between 2009 and 2015. Complementary projects by the Getty Conservation , initiated in the early 2000s and ongoing through 2025, have integrated KV1 into broader visitor management plans for the Valley of the Kings, incorporating microclimate sensors to track and CO2 levels. KV1 faces ongoing conservation challenges, including elevated humidity from groundwater seepage and tourist exhalation, which accelerate plaster detachment and microbial growth on walls. Visitor impacts, such as overcrowding and flash photography, exacerbate deterioration, prompting restrictions like timed entry and capacity limits to mitigate these effects. Modern analyses have confirmed the tomb's unfinished sections, with spectroscopic examination of pigments revealing the use of and ochre-based colors, underscoring the abrupt halt in decoration during Ramesses VII's reign. As of 2025, KV1 remains open to visitors under managed access protocols, included in standard Valley tickets allowing entry to three tombs, with emphasis on non-flash photography to preserve the site's integrity. These measures align with the Getty Institute's site management framework, ensuring sustainable tourism while prioritizing long-term preservation.

References

  1. https://madainproject.com/kv1_(tomb_of_ramesses_vii)
  2. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt/nile-valley/luxor/attractions/tomb-of-ramses-vii-kv-1/a/poi-sig/1469927/355253
  3. https://exploreluxor.org/tomb-of-ramesses-vii/
  4. https://uee.ucla.edu/chronology
  5. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG55535
  6. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramses-VII
  7. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/phar/hd_phar.htm
  8. https://www.academia.edu/98691918/Decline_in_ancient_Egypt_A_reassessment_of_the_late_new_kingdom_and_third_intermediate_period
  9. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3856408
  10. https://latitude.to/articles-by-country/eg/egypt/39551/kv1
  11. https://www.ancient-egypt.org/topo/west_bank/valley_kings.html
  12. https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34485/chapter/292557991
  13. https://www.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/nenpo/no60/ronbunB/a60b0p54.pdf
  14. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-021-04954-9
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20150908145328/http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/pdfs/kv01.pdf
  16. https://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/kv1.htm
  17. http://www.narmer.pl/kv/kv01en.htm
  18. https://madainproject.com/kv1_%28tomb_of_ramesses_vii%29
  19. https://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~pcreasman/UAEEfiles/VSK.pdf
  20. https://www.ifao.egnet.net/uploads/publications/enligne/BCE030.pdf
  21. https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/visitor_management.html
  22. https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34485/chapter/292572334
  23. https://cairo.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5743/cairo/9789774166082.001.0001/upso-9789774166082-chapter-7
  24. https://www.earthtrekkers.com/how-to-visit-valley-of-the-kings-luxor-egypt/
  25. https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/qv_vol1.pdf
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