The west side of the Nile at Thebes – Waset to the Egyptians, like further upstream at Memphis, was reserved for the next life. At both sites, the bank of the setting sun became the home for the Afterlife. Cemeteries predominately lay on the west side of the river as Egyptians believed human life paralleled the path of the sun, rising in the east and setting in the west. In the land of the setting sun lie the underworld. Line up with the others to witness the Egyptian version of eternity.

The west bank has served as a cemetery since at least 2520 BC. The first Egyptian king buried here was Mentuhotep II – who reunified Egypt at the end of the First Intermediate Period by defeating the rival dynasty – Tenth – in Herakleopolis to the north. His rule began the era of the Middle Kingdom – about 2040 to 1782 or 1700 BC. He built a large mortuary temple complex, the ruins of which are located immediately south of the large mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. But with Mentuhotep II’s death, the necropolis of Waset would have to wait until the New Kingdom – 1570-1077 BC – before the Valley of the Kings really took form. This is one of the most important ancient sites to visit in Egypt.

NECROPOLIS AND THEBES

Kings and pharaohs of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties all enjoyed Theban roots. Their predecessors learned that pyramid building came at expensive costs. By the time of the New Kingdom, the pharaohs were now looking to expand their empire beyond the Nile Valley while continuing to look south into Nubia. The religious heart of the New Kingdom remained Waset throughout even when political centers moved downriver – Amarna, Pi-Ramses.

One thing about pyramids was they advertised treasures found inside. The pharaohs of the New Kingdom still needed their treasures placed within their tombs for the afterlife, but they placed their tombs more carefully into wadis (dry streambeds) on the west bank across from Luxor-Thebes-Waset. The tombs were carved deep into canyons with no visible structures or markers. Concealed entrances were covered while underground chambers filled with treasures needed for a king to live forever.

Over 60 tombs have been found within the wadi known as the Valley of the Kings. Of the over 60, the most famous are those of Tutankhamun, Ramses II and III and Seti I. At any particular time, a visitor can visit about a dozen of the tombs whose openings rotate due to conservation purposes. That means that possibly one or more of the tombs you might want to visit is closed at the time of your visit.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS

Tombs of the Old and Middle Kingdom were represented by pyramids, otherwise known as open doors to thieves. Most of those pyramids were robbed in ancient times. In response – and also since many of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom hailed from Thebes/Waset – newer tombs less conspicuous were built here in the wadi of Kings Valley. Rising high above the southwestern end of the valley is the natural pyramid formed by the mountain peak of El Qurn, a 450-meter peak name in ancient Egyptian as Ta Dehent. You used to be able to make the 1-1.5 hour climb from either the Valley of the Kings or Deir el-Medina (home village of the workers responsible for building the many tombs), but that may no longer be the case. This would make for a nice though intense climb early in the morning.

The Valley of the Kings served as burial ground from about 1539 to 1075 BC. The tombs and treasures within were carved deep into the earth. Afterwards, the tombs were sealed in the hope that robbers would not reach them. The whole site is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.

TOMB ROBBERS

Of course, hope does not mean reality. Eventually, most all of the tombs here were robbed over the centuries. Knowledge of most of the tombs resided in the those who worked on them. Most of these people lived in the nearby village of Deir el-Medina which is a worthwhile visit unto itself just south over the mountains from here. The big problem came in the time of Ramses III. Workers had an unwritten agreement with the state for hard work and tight security. That agreement broke down when the state ran short of funds because of the military adventures taking place. What funds there were went into celebrations for the pharaoh’s jubilee instead of paying the workers. Eventually, the workers went on strike – the first recorded strike in history.

To make ends meet, since the workers had intimate knowledge of where the tombs lie, in the next years, the tombs were thoroughly robbed of their treasures, much like the earlier pyramids to the north.

BELZONI AND CARTER

Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778-1823) came from Padua in Italy. Napoleonic wars unsettled the young son of a barber. After a time in England, he traveled to Egypt recruited by Ottoman ruler Muhammed Ali to use his knowledge of theatrical hydraulics to create traditional waterwheels to help with irrigation. Once in Egypt, the English Consul-General Henry Salt hired Belzoni to find and acquire antiquities. His successes led to others taking up the same line of work. By the time of the late 19th century, most moveable objects within the tombs had been taken away.

Enter Henry Carter. He came to Egypt first as an archaeological illustrator but soon evolved into a talented excavator. Carter spent a long time searching in the west Theban necropole before he made his name in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the only tomb found in recent centuries with its pharaonic treasures still complete. Those treasures are today viewable at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

VISIT MECHANICS

A general tourist ticket gets you into any three tombs with the exception of four for which you need an additional ticket: Ramses V and Vi (KV 9); Tutankhamun (KV 62); Seti I (KV 17) and Ay (WV 23). Ay’s tomb is in the Western Valley, also known as the Valley of Monkeys. It represents a long hike from the Valley of the Kings ticket office.

Ticket cost for the general Valley of the Kings is 750 Egyptian pounds. Tutankhamun costs another 700, while Seti I cost another 2,000! If you are spending a few days in Luxor, alternatively you can buy a Premium Pass – $250 – including everything (both banks of the Nile) including Seti I and Nefertari (if those tombs are open – Nefertari was not open at the time of our visit). A Standard Pass – $130 – gets you into all Luxor sites except Seti I and Nefertari tombs. These tickets are good for five days.

CHOOSING THREE TOMBS

One website’s advice goes such: most impressive artwork – Ramses III (KV 11); astronomical imagery – Ramses IX (KV 6); classical introduction Ramses IV (KV 2); fewer crowds – Thutmose IV (KV 43). Advice on this website notes Ramses V and VI (KV 9) as can’t miss. The extra cost is listed at $5, which is about 275 pounds.

The site notes you should not miss Seti I (KV 17) even though they did due to time constraints and cost. The cost is a steep 2,000 pounds or ~$37 USD. The tomb of Tutankhamun – KV 62 is the only one with a mummy still inside, though the rest of the treasures you will have to trek to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza to observe – extra cost for this tomb is 700 pounds or ~$13 USD. The last tomb recommended is WV 23, the tomb of Ay who was the successor to Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten. While not particularly unique, the Western Valley (Valley of the Monkeys) sees very few visitors, so it is much more relaxed than the chaos of the Valley of the Kings.

times and seasons

Tour buses arrive between 0900 – 1100. Queues in front of the more popular tombs can offput. Gates open at about 0600-0630 and you will have the site much more to yourself. A suggestion is to pick the three standard tombs first before the tour groups begin to arrive. Then switch to the premium tombs where extra costs tend to lower the number of visitors somewhat. Otherwise, try arriving after 1400/2 pm.

Best season for visiting is between October and April before the temperatures reach into the 40’s C (over 104 F). They advise budgeting 2-3 hours to visit so you are not rushing too much.

MY CHOICES

We purchased extra tickets for Tutankhamen and Seti I. The lines for Ramses V and VI were too long in addition to Tutankhamen. The extra cost for Seti I seemed significant enough to mean fewer visitors. Take advantage since this tomb is spectacular. With somewhat limited time, we chose three tombs without the major lines you find close to the entrance. Our three temples included Seti II (KV 15), Tausert and Sethnayt (KV 14) and Siptah (KV 47). That gave us five tombs over a couple of hours for our visit. We would have liked to visit the tomb of Thutmose III, but that was among the many closed tombs.

 If you are visiting on your own, try and see which tombs are open ahead of time and choose with a little knowledge of the various kings which to visit. Note that in the Western Valley, generally only the tomb of Ay is open. Amenhotep III – important builder of both the Karnak and Luxor temples – is buried here too, though it may be under excavation by archaeological teams.

If you want to venture away from the general Kings Valley Road – for example, in directions to the Western Valley to the north or the Temple of Hatshepsut to the southeast – check to see if the trails are open and take water with you.

EXTRA FEE TOMBS, FIRST

Paying the extra fees for Tut and Seti I, our other three ended up being related to each other representing the difficulties Egypt faced at the end of the Nineteenth Century and the triumph of a handpicked general to restore maat to the Two Kingdoms – Sethnakht. In doing so, he set the stage for a hopeful repeat of Egyptian glory in the name of his son and successor, Ramses III. The glory would be short-lived. A series of Ramseses would follow, but Egypt’s day in the sun would fade after Ramses III.

So, five tombs visited. Let’s go.

TUTANKHAMAN

The Boy King

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 was huge for Egypt and the archaeological world. A complete tomb with halls filled with treasures was unheard of. Tutankhamen is known as the boy-king who only reigned for a short time, much of the time under the reign of a ruling council. As the son of Ahkenaten, he had plenty on his young table to contend with in the aftermath of his father.

Akhenaten had tried to shift Egyptian religious thought into a more monotheistic course with only the sun disc Aten and the pharaoh and his main queen to worship. He also moved the political capital from Thebes. And since he and his wife Nefertiti were primary gods-goddesses, political center meant religious center, too. Akhenaten died fairly young – maybe 38 – and the time needed to solidify his new regime proved too short.

sins of the father

There remains a lot of question as to whether Akhenaten was truly monotheistic – one god, Aten and one translator, the Pharaoh – or henotheistic – one main god but tolerant of other gods. That tolerance grew less so as he grew more intolerant with time. The intolerance became one of the reasons – besides the loss of riches from offerings to the temples in Thebes – which helped put a quick end to Atenism after Akhenaten’s death.

With the death of his parents, Tutankhamun restored the ancient gods. He also moved the administrative capital, though not back to Thebes. He chose Memphis because of its more central location between Upper and Lower Egypt.

Tutankhamun never made it out of his teens before dying. Buried in his tomb, his name became more famous in the recent world than most of his other ancestors and successors because of the treasures found within the tomb. However, to see the treasures, you have to head north to Cairo and cross the river to the Grand Egyptian Museum to view them. You will not be alone.

King Tut’s Tomb

The tomb is relatively small compared to others, especially considering his status as pharaoh. That resulted probably from his young age of death. This did not allow enough time to create a grander tomb. The treasures are gone but the mummy of Tutankhamun is still there in his burial chamber, lying inside it and oxygen-less glass chamber, his blackened head and feet poking out. The tomb costs extra beyond the general Valley of Kings fee. Is it worth it? Maybe, if the line is not too long.

Compared to the other four tombs we visited, Tutankhamun’s is much shorter. Only so many people are allowed into the tomb at once. And King Tut is the one pharaoh most people have some slight knowledge of. Humidity, carbon dioxide and dust are all introduced into the tombs by visitors. This can be significant in any tomb, especially in a small tomb like this one.

glories found and moved

A short series of somewhat steep steps leads down to a couple of chambers. The mummy of the boy king is on the left. Paintings left behind are still rich in color even after 3,300 years. A painting of Tutankhamun and his spirit ka welcomed into the underworld by Osiris is one of the better-known paintings. This lies in the formal burial chamber on the wall behind the sarcophagus. Besides the sarcophagus and the mummy, everything else has gone to the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The tomb was robbed at least twice though it is thought the robberies occurred a few months after the initial burial. Subsequent debris from the development of other tombs and worker homes covered the tomb entrance leading to the location being forgotten with time.

SETI I

A pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Seti I ruled Egypt for a little over a decade. A significant player in his own right militarily and culturally, he is overshadowed by his son Ramses II whose long reign and monumental construction simply surpassed his father’s own track record.

Seti I launched military campaigns into Canaan and Lebanon, fighting locals and the Hittite Empire. He fought Libyans and Nubians while at the same time he initiated some of the grandest building projects in Egyptian history – the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak; the magnificent temple at Abydos; and his tomb here in the Valley of the Kings, the longest and one of the most elaborately decorated. He also restored many of reliefs vandalized during the reign of Akhenaten.

The Tomb

Giovanni Belzoni discovered Seti’s tomb in October of 1817. Belzoni considered the tomb the finest of all pharaoh tombs known to that date. Its long length acted to confuse tomb robbers. It would be 70 years before the sarcophagus and mummy of Seti I would be discovered. The mummy finally discovered in Deir el-Bahri among a mummy cache in 1881. His sarcophagus and his mummy were damaged during ancient times.

The mummy, removed, was subsequently repaired and rewrapped. Cause of death remains unknown, though some believe his death involved his heart. He died at around 40 years of age. His mummy, in reasonably good shape for its age. It lies today in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.

His tomb one of the longest and deepest of all known tombs in Thebes. There are four hallways leading down with religious imagery and Seti I before Ra with some 17 side rooms and chambers. The word gets around. Some of those visiting on this day do make it up the stairs leading from the main plaza in front of the tombs of the big boys – Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Horenheb, Merenptah – where the lines for entry look daunting. Of course, the extra fee for Seti I’s tomb is a bit off setting for many who have already paid for entry into the Valley.  But the tomb of Seti I appears almost as fresh as the day he was first laid to rest in 1279 BC.

UNDERWORLD COMES ALIVE

Floor to ceiling murals and reliefs come together. The long entry corridor leading down deep into the tomb gets better as you descend. Hieroglyphics on the walls and pillars tell stories. The paintings overhead show stars, cartouches and gods above. The first large room sports pillars with depictions of the King with deities, snakes, stories all underneath a dark blue sky imprinted with five-pointed stars. Seti is with Hathor, Horus and Neith along with murals from the Book of Gates – a journey taken by the newly deceased from this world to the next along with the sun god Ra as he travels through the Underworld during the hours of the night awaiting his morning resurrection. The first half of the book decorates the halls of the tomb.

Tales of beyond

Side chambers have their own motifs. One room is from the Amduat – “That which Is In The Afterworld” – an important funerary text from the New Kingdom era restricted for Pharaohs or very select nobles. The story of Ra’s journey through the twelve hours of the night are again represented with the gods, goddesses and other helpful deities posted on the walls. Nehebkau, the twin-headed snake god leading Seti through the Fourth Hour of the Underworld. The Litany of Ra, another funerary text reserved for the highest, is inscribed. The Book of the Dead with its scales weighing the deceased heart versus a feather to see the worth of one’s soul. The Opening of the Mouth ceremony showing the ceremony which opened the mouth and throat of the mummy allowing them to breathe in the afterworld.

The heavens come alive deep in the crypt

There is the Book of the Heavenly Cow. Here, Nut, the sky goddess, comes for in the form of a cow. She is supported by the eight Heh gods – Heh is the god of infinity represented by the Ogdoad, eight pairs of gods from primordial times.

Isis spreads her wings with the royal cartouche of Seti I on either side of her wingtips. Astronomical constellations are spelled out as the gods observe.

This tomb is worth the extra costs.

TOMBS REVEAL THE END OF THE NINETEENTH DYNASTY

Three tombs left after Tut and Seti I. I thought having seen Seti I, what about Seti II? When we were done inspecting that tomb, in light of the continuing long lines down near the main plaza, there were a couple other no line tombs to see nearby. It was only after I got home with a little research, that the choices seem inspired.

DECADE OF CHAOS

Seti II, Tausert/Seknakht and Siptah were all involved in a decade-long attempt to rise to the top. Seti II was the son of Merenptah who was old by the time he ascended to the throne because of the hardy constitution of his father Ramses II – he lived into his 90s. Now, enter Amenmeses. He seems to held the position of viceroy of Nubia. His mother was a woman known as Takhat who seems to also have married Seti II. Takhat held the title of King’s Daughter meaning she was either a daughter of Ramses II or Merenptah. She would have been a younger daughter of Ramses, if that was the case, close to age of Seti II who was her nephew.

Being of royal blood gave Amenmeses a claim at the throne. He was both a royal prince and had served as a viceroy in an important province of Upper Egypt. Amenmeses was not a fan of Merenptah. When he could, Amenmeses had many of Merenptah’s cartouches erased. He could have possibly been removed as viceroy of Nubia at about the 7-8 year mark of Mereptah’s reign, though Amenmeses did maintain good terms with his successor.

REBELLION

Seti II seemingly had an elder son, Sethy-Merenptah whose image appears standing behind his father in the barque chapel Seti II had built at Karnak. That son could have died in the rebellion which Amenmeses launched in the second year of Seti II’s reign. Seti II lived in Pi-Ramses, far to the north in the eastern delta. Amenmeses launched his rebellion early on in Seti II’s reign, capturing Thebes by year two. Amenmeses power extended as far north as the Fayyum splitting Egypt into two – very similar to what would occur later at the end of the New Kingdom in 1069 BC.

Seti II eventually overcame his son’s rebellion in his fifth year of reign. It was after this when Seti II had his barque shrine added to the Karnak complex. Instrumental, it seems in Seti’s restoration seems to involve the vizier Bay. Bay was originally from the northern provinces of the Egyptian empire in Syria. He had slowly ingratiated himself into the royal household as a Royal Butler. His role was celebrated by his image in Seti II’s Karnak shrine showing him equal size to his royal benefactor. Bay was also given the signal reward of being granted a king-sized tomb in the Valley of the Kings. He was not the first commoner to be buried in the Valley of the Kings, but the size of his tomb was wholly exceptional.

AFTERMATH

Takhat survived the restoration – it seems Amenmeses did not – but her position became tenuous at best. Especially so because of another wife of Seti II, Tausert (or Tawosret). She gained the title of “King’s Great Wife (adding on “God’s Wife” after Seti’s death).

Not long after his restoration, Seti II, probably already in poor health, died in the sixth year of his reign. His tomb – KV 14 – was not complete at the time of his death and continued for some eight more years. It seems likely he would have been buried next door in KV 15, the tomb he allowed created for his wife, the first queen to gain a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Because of tomb robbers, his mummy was removed and eventually ended up in a mummy cache in KV 3, originally the tomb of Amenhotep II – the mummies of both Merneptah and Siptah would eventually end up there, as well. Tausert and Setnakhte may have been there, too. Most of the mummies now are displayed in the Royal Mummies Gallery at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.

SIPTAH AND THE REGENCY

Siptah emerged onto the throne with the death of Seti II. His origins remain murky. Some think of him as the legitimate sone of Seti II while others speculate he was illegitimate. His mother could have been thought of as unacceptable or even a foreigner such as a Syrian. He would reign for six years dying in his mid to late teens. His rule was always under the supervision of a regency led by both Bay – who also claimed to be the “kingmaker” responsible for installing Siptah in the first place – and Tausert.

Some evidence points Siptah’s father to be Amenmeses. Bay boasted of “placing the king on the seat of his father”. Facilitated by Bay, Siptah may have been the only living descendent of Seti II as a possible grandson. Tausert became a regent similar to what happened with Hatshepsut (she served as regent for seven years before sharing power with Thutmose III). Takhat became excluded on political grounds or she may have been dead.

standing in for the child

Bay and Tausert seemed to be getting along in the early years of Siptah’s reign. Siptah suffered from either polio or more reasonably cerebral palsy – his mummy shows a wasted and shortened left leg. As time went along, Bay acted as if he was in charge, something which must have grated upon Tausert.

CO-REGENCY BECOMES ONE

She eventually gathered supporters at the court and ousted Bay. An ostracon from Deir el-Median dated to Siptah’s fifth year, “Pharaoh, life, prosperity and health, has killed the great enemy, Bay.” Possibly some of her ire came from the fact that a partial rehabilitation of Siptah’s father Amenmeses was underway, probably at the behest of Bay.

Siptah only lasted another year after ruling for just under 6 years. His cartouches were erased by Tausert – latter to be reinstated. Given a burial, Tausert did not recognize Siptah as a king. She wanted to focus her royal affiliations on her husband rather than the youngster she had ruled in his name for over five years. She also added several pharaonic titles to her being and she began to add on to her own burial tomb, enlarging it to regular pharaonic dimensions.

QUEEN AND KING AND A NEW DYNASTY

She would get close to a total of 9-10 years in power, including her time as co-regent. Her reign ended the Nineteenth Dynasty with peace ruptured by a civil war. Her successor, Setnakhte, either directly overthrew her in a chaotic palace coup or she die peacefully. Setnakhte took over the joint tomb of Seti II and Tausert, KV 14, erasing images of the woman-Pharaoh with his own. He reburied Seti II in KV 15 taking KV 14 as his own. Not re-interring Tausert demonstrated his feeling towards her. Setnakhte’s son and succoressor Ramses III would later exclude both Tausret and Siptah as kings of the Nineteenth Dynasty.

Setnakhte probably had Ramses II in his ancestral line. A general, his overthrow came with violence. A victory stela from Elephantine Island near Aswan tells “Fear of him has seized the hearts of opponents before him: they flee like flocks of sparrows with a falcon after them. They left silver and gold … which they had given to these Asiatics in order for them to bring reinforcements… Their plans failed and the plans were futile …”

For all of his efforts in gaining the throne, his reign proved brief, three years. He did found the Twentieth Dynasty 1190-1069 BC, the last dynasty of the New Kingdom. A tomb for him was under construction – KV 10 – at the early time of his death. In order to have a completed tomb, the tomb of Tausert was appropriated with images of Tausert covered by plaster and replaced with Sethnakhte. Tausert was never buried in her tomb and her fate remains.

TOMB VISITS

SETI II

Walking further up the valley, with lines lengthening in the main area around the tea area and King Tut’s tomb and with time running low on our visit to the Valley of the Kings, we found a triplet of tombs which to descend into. The first was the tomb of Seti II, the 9th Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty ruling from 1203 until 1197 BC.

Seti II’s tomb remained unfinished at the early time of his death. By this time, administrative political power had moved on from Memphis to Pi-Ramsesses in Lower Egypt, moved there since Ramses II. He moved the capital further north to stay closer to the fields of action in Syria and Canaan. Seti II spent much of his short reign fighting off a challenge from a half brother Amenmesse (reigned 1201-1198 BC). The region of Upper Egypt, including Thebes, fell under Amenmesse’s control. The construction on Seti II’s tomb suffered desecration at the hands of agents of the usurper king.

back to work on the tomb

Finally able to defeat Amenmesse, Seti II played tit for tat as his men now set upon Amenmesse’s tomb erasing most of the scenes and texts – the tomb in the Valley of the Kings for Amenmesse is KV10 – attempting to remove all mention of the usurper.

By the time Seti II removed Amenmesse, he realized he even though he was probably only in his 40s or early 50s, his health was bad. The need to complete his tomb became imperative. Seti II beyond his tomb here in the Valley of the Kings completed a triple barque shrine – for the Theban Triad – near the Quay at Karnak. He also raised a couple of obelisks as well as a nearby stelae. Following his death, he was succeeded by Siptah, a mere boy, and Seti’s widow Tausret who served first as regent and then gained power as pharaoh herself.

Seti II’s tomb

KV 15 – the tomb of Seti II – lies directly in a vertical cliff face at the head of a wadi coming off to the southwest of the main valley. There is a short entryway with three long corridors leading to a chamber without a well shaft, a pillared chamber with a central descent and a burial chamber created from an unfinished corridor.

The walls are smoothed with white plaster. The first corridor holds walls with sunken and raised relief though the decoration in the rest of the tomb – thought to be completed after the early death of the king – was finished in paint alone. In the second and third corridors, only preliminary sketches were painted, oriented on the left wall towards the rear and on the right, towards the entrance. After some images of Seti II making offerings to the gods, the Litany of Ra is inscribed on the corridor walls. In the pillared chamber, sunken relief appears although stylistically different from the decorations in the first corridor.

a hurried finish

In the chamber without a well shaft, there are figures of divine statues. Among the preliminary sketches of the second and third corridors are the king’s names inscribed, erased and reinscribed – as well as on the gate leading to the second corridor.

The walls of the pillared chamber include the fourth and fifth division from the “Book of Gates” – a narration of the passage of a soul into the next world through the hours of the night in the underworld accompanying the sun god Ra. A series of gates need crossing through corresponding to the hours of the night. Each gate guarded by a serpent associated with a different goddess. The soul needs to know the names of each guardian. In the last three hours, judgement of the dead occurs – heaven or hell. At the end of Ra’s journey, he re-emerges anew to return across the sky. The Book of Gates is closely related to the Book of Amduat, both following Ra’s journey through the underworld.

Seti II at rest

Above the sarcophagus in the burial chamber, flies a figure of Nut with down swept wings. Note that the unique fine artistry found in the first corridor was not repeated in the later rooms and corridors. Quality of the painting is seen as low-quality by historians.

TAUSERT AND SETHNAKHT

Tausert became the favored wife of Seti II after his restoration after the coup of Amenmoses. Their might have been one child with Seti II but that child was gone by the time of Seti II’s death. Along with chancellor Bay, Tausert ruled as a co-regent for the young male successor, Siptah – probably the son of Amenmoses and probably the grandson of Seti II.

The tomb started out on a smaller scale intended for a Great Wife of the King.At the time Tausert gained the throne with the execution of Bay and the death of Siptah, the plans for the tomb took on a much large scale. She was the only queen of the Nineteenth Dynasty to gain a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Its design mirrors that of Merenptah’s – ten corridors and chambers running along a straight axis ending with an eight-pillared burial chamber with a depression in the center and a vaulted ceiling.

Paintings of Siptah were replace with Seti II. The new corridor of the enlarged tomb features the Amduat while the Book of Gates is in place in the burial chamber. Her sarcophagus was carved out of granite.

Sethnakht, descended from one of the many lines left by a very busy Ramses II, did not live long after his successful overthrow of Tausert. His son, Ramses III, usurped Tausert’s tomb since KV 10, designated for Sethnakht, was far from complete – KV 10 eventually became Ramses III’s own. Tausert’s memory was plastered and painted over. Her granite sarcophagi was recently found in KV 13, re-used for the burial of prince Amenherkhepeshef. In most instances, the image and name of the queen were replaced with those of Setnakht..

THE TOMB

At more than 112 meters in length and two burial chambers, KV 14 ranks among the largest found in the Valley of the Kings.

SIPTAH

Siptah was only a child of 10 or 11 when he became pharaoh with the death of Seti II. His father remains unknown though many believe Siptah was actually the son of Amenmesse and not Seti II. Questionable parentage and his youth led to his placement in a regency led by chancellor Bay and Taurset, the widow of Seti II. The highest date attested for his reign is Year 6, and his mummy is that of a young man of only about sixteen. He may have suffered from polio.

His cartouches in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV 47) were defaced at some point, and then later restored. His funerary temple has not been identified, and likely was never completed due to his short reign. After his death his regent, Queen Taurset, became the sole ruler of Egypt.

bay and siptah make way for tausert

Chancellor (Egyptian title was “Great Overseer of the Seal of the Entire Land”) Bay had risen to prominence under Seti II becoming a powerbroker. His importance in the world of the late Nineteenth Dynasty was underscored by permission given to build his own tomb inside the Valley of the Kings. Bay claimed to be the force behind the accession of Siptah to become king. Siptah ruled for seven years, in name. Bay ran afoul of probably overreaching himself and was executed in the fifth year of Siptah’s reign. The prime beneficiary was Taurset who claimed the throne outright one year later when Siptah died. Bay’s tomb never reached completion. It was later reused by a couple of princes from the Twentieth Dynasty.

The tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings, KV 17, is one of the best-preserved and most beautiful of the royal sepulchers. The wall decoration retains its vivid colors, including a deep blue to imitate the night sky that was used on some of the ceilings. At the back of the burial chamber is an ancient tunnel that runs for 173.5 m into the bedrock. This is undecorated. When the king died, the tunnel was abandoned, and it hides no secrets.

FURTHER EXPLORATIONS

Toby Wilkinson’s The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a great place to begin.

Egyptian Mythology – A traveler’s Guide from Aswan to Alexandria by Garry J. Shaw is a good place to make heads or tails of the complex world of gods and goddesses.

Some good websites for the Valley of the Kings include Valley of the Kings, Luxor: The Ultimate First-Timer’s Guide (2026); Valley of the Kings: The Complete Guide for 2026; Theban Mapping Project; while to bring more clarity to the end days of the Nineteenth Dynasty, read Poisoned Legacy.