Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
KV31
KV31 is an ancient Egyptian tomb located in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt. Only the top of the shaft was known prior to excavation by the University of Basel Kings' Valley Project in 2010, and no earlier excavations are known, although it is suggested that the stone sarcophagus excavated by Giovanni Battista Belzoni in 1817 may have originated from this tomb. The tomb was found to be filled with mixed debris of pottery shards and linen fragments, as well as the remains of five mummified elite individuals dating to the Eighteenth Dynasty.
The tomb consists of a vertical shaft which leads to a chamber that has an additional two rooms leading from it. The majority of the tomb is cut from good quality limestone bedrock; the first chamber is partly cut from bedrock and partly from conglomerate.
The tomb was likely one of two (the other being KV30) tombs excavated in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Belzoni on behalf of Second Earl Belmore. If this is correct, it may be the origin place of a stone sarcophagus donated by Belmore to the British Museum. It was numbered by Victor Loret in 1898 but no excavation is known.
In January 2010 the University of Basel Kings' Valley Project began their excavation of the tomb, of which only the upper portion of the shaft was known. The shaft proved to be well-cut and descends 5 metres (16 ft) through both accumulated conglomerate and bedrock; the fill within the shaft contained modern rubbish above limestone chips, sand, and rocky debris. Three pots containing Nile mud used for sealing the door of the tomb were found at the bottom of the shaft. The shaft opens onto a main chamber with two adjoining rooms, which were found filled throughout with debris to a depth of at least 1 metre (3.3 ft).
It was immediately apparent that the tomb was thoroughly robbed in the past, as pieces of broken funerary items were scattered around. The remains of several mummies and their wrappings were found within the side chambers. A metal door was installed over the shaft at the conclusion of the excavation to protect the tomb and prevent water and debris from re-entering. The tomb was mapped in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
The fill in all the rooms was found to contain the same mix of broken pottery, from white-washed and decorated jars, wooden fragments from coffins, large quantities of linen bandages and natron bags and other textiles, and the unwrapped remains of mummies. Also found were fragments from two canopic jars, one of calcite and one of limestone; the latter was inscribed but the space for the owner's name was blank. A piece of a dummy jar inscribed for Sennefer was also encountered. Organic materials, including wood and fabric were found to be in excellent condition. The tomb likely dates to the reigns of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II during the mid-Eighteenth Dynasty. Later finds in the tomb include ostraca, a piece of linen embroidered with the cartouche of Ramesses III, and an ushabti from the Twentieth Dynasty.
Within the two side chambers were found five mummies: two women and three men, all between the ages of 18 and 30. As there are no names with the mummies, each was given a designation based upon the room in which they were found (room C or room D). The unwrapping and scattering of the bodies was likely the work of tomb robbers, both ancient and modern. The mummies were likely unwrapped during the Third Intermediate Period, while the removal of heads and hands is attributed to more modern robbers looking for pieces to sell to early tourists. The report suggests that given the large quantity of pottery recovered from the tomb, these mummies were all originally interred together. The style of mummification seen in the individuals conforms to that seen in the elites of the mid-Eighteenth Dynasty.
This body is female, and 18–25 years old at death based on the degree of epiphysial fusion and the unworn nature of her teeth. Her body is 159–160 centimetres (5.22–5.25 ft) long and her height in life is estimated to have been 155–165 centimetres (5.09–5.41 ft). Short silky black hair remains on her head. The ears have been plugged with linen. Her organs were removed through an incision and the torso filled with dense packing; her brain does not appear to have been removed. The body was damaged by ancient robbers, with her face smashed and her head, right hand, and left foot disarticulated; the limbs are fractured and several fingers and toes are missing. Robbers evidentially cut through the bandages with a sharp blade, as cut marks are seen on the head and on the back of the shoulders. The front wall of the torso was also removed and cut marks are seen on the torso stuffing.
Hub AI
KV31 AI simulator
(@KV31_simulator)
KV31
KV31 is an ancient Egyptian tomb located in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt. Only the top of the shaft was known prior to excavation by the University of Basel Kings' Valley Project in 2010, and no earlier excavations are known, although it is suggested that the stone sarcophagus excavated by Giovanni Battista Belzoni in 1817 may have originated from this tomb. The tomb was found to be filled with mixed debris of pottery shards and linen fragments, as well as the remains of five mummified elite individuals dating to the Eighteenth Dynasty.
The tomb consists of a vertical shaft which leads to a chamber that has an additional two rooms leading from it. The majority of the tomb is cut from good quality limestone bedrock; the first chamber is partly cut from bedrock and partly from conglomerate.
The tomb was likely one of two (the other being KV30) tombs excavated in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Belzoni on behalf of Second Earl Belmore. If this is correct, it may be the origin place of a stone sarcophagus donated by Belmore to the British Museum. It was numbered by Victor Loret in 1898 but no excavation is known.
In January 2010 the University of Basel Kings' Valley Project began their excavation of the tomb, of which only the upper portion of the shaft was known. The shaft proved to be well-cut and descends 5 metres (16 ft) through both accumulated conglomerate and bedrock; the fill within the shaft contained modern rubbish above limestone chips, sand, and rocky debris. Three pots containing Nile mud used for sealing the door of the tomb were found at the bottom of the shaft. The shaft opens onto a main chamber with two adjoining rooms, which were found filled throughout with debris to a depth of at least 1 metre (3.3 ft).
It was immediately apparent that the tomb was thoroughly robbed in the past, as pieces of broken funerary items were scattered around. The remains of several mummies and their wrappings were found within the side chambers. A metal door was installed over the shaft at the conclusion of the excavation to protect the tomb and prevent water and debris from re-entering. The tomb was mapped in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
The fill in all the rooms was found to contain the same mix of broken pottery, from white-washed and decorated jars, wooden fragments from coffins, large quantities of linen bandages and natron bags and other textiles, and the unwrapped remains of mummies. Also found were fragments from two canopic jars, one of calcite and one of limestone; the latter was inscribed but the space for the owner's name was blank. A piece of a dummy jar inscribed for Sennefer was also encountered. Organic materials, including wood and fabric were found to be in excellent condition. The tomb likely dates to the reigns of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II during the mid-Eighteenth Dynasty. Later finds in the tomb include ostraca, a piece of linen embroidered with the cartouche of Ramesses III, and an ushabti from the Twentieth Dynasty.
Within the two side chambers were found five mummies: two women and three men, all between the ages of 18 and 30. As there are no names with the mummies, each was given a designation based upon the room in which they were found (room C or room D). The unwrapping and scattering of the bodies was likely the work of tomb robbers, both ancient and modern. The mummies were likely unwrapped during the Third Intermediate Period, while the removal of heads and hands is attributed to more modern robbers looking for pieces to sell to early tourists. The report suggests that given the large quantity of pottery recovered from the tomb, these mummies were all originally interred together. The style of mummification seen in the individuals conforms to that seen in the elites of the mid-Eighteenth Dynasty.
This body is female, and 18–25 years old at death based on the degree of epiphysial fusion and the unworn nature of her teeth. Her body is 159–160 centimetres (5.22–5.25 ft) long and her height in life is estimated to have been 155–165 centimetres (5.09–5.41 ft). Short silky black hair remains on her head. The ears have been plugged with linen. Her organs were removed through an incision and the torso filled with dense packing; her brain does not appear to have been removed. The body was damaged by ancient robbers, with her face smashed and her head, right hand, and left foot disarticulated; the limbs are fractured and several fingers and toes are missing. Robbers evidentially cut through the bandages with a sharp blade, as cut marks are seen on the head and on the back of the shoulders. The front wall of the torso was also removed and cut marks are seen on the torso stuffing.