Tomb KV50 is located in the

Valley of the Kings The Valley of the Kings, also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings, is an area in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, rock-cut tombs were excavated for pharaohs and power ...

, in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. It was discovered in 1906 by Edward R. Ayrton excavating on behalf of Theodore M. Davis. Together with

KV51 Tomb KV51 is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It was discovered in 1906 by Edward R. Ayrton excavating on behalf of Theodore M. Davis. The tomb, together with KV50 and KV52 forms a group of three known as the "Animal Tombs". It conta ...

and

KV52 Tomb KV52 is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. It was discovered in 1906 by Edward R. Ayrton excavating on behalf of Theodore M. Davis. Together with KV50 and KV51 it forms a group known as the "Animal Tombs", it contained a mummi ...

, it forms a group known as the "Animal Tombs". It contained the burial of a dog mummy and a mummified monkey and is probably associated with the nearby tomb of

Amenhotep II Amenhotep II (sometimes called Amenophis II and meaning "Amun is Satisfied") was the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few military campaigns i ...

(

KV35 Tomb KV35 is the burial place of Amenhotep II, a pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Later, it was used as a cache for other royal mummies. It was discovered by Victor Loret in March 1898. L ...

Location, discovery, and contents

The tomb is located on the same rocky promontory as KV49, in the side valley that leads towards KV35. It is at a slightly higher level than KV49, and is located to the west of that tomb. KV50 was the first of a cluster of three tombs discovered by Edward R. Ayrton in his clearance of this part of the valley on behalf of Theodore Davis. The entrance was buried under of debris. The tomb consists of a shaft, deep and square, which opens to the south onto a chamber long and wide. This was found partly filled with debris from the shaft. Ayrton noted that the tomb had been thoroughly robbed in antiquity, though from the presence of wooden fragments it likely once held a coffin. No trace was found of the tomb owner's name. The only occupants of the chamber were two animal mummies, posed against one wall.

Propped up against the eastern wall was a large dog, quite perfect although stripped of its wrappings, and a monkey still partially wrapped.

The tomb, along with KV51 and KV52, seem to have formed a burial ground for royal pets.

Recent excavations

This area was excavated in winter 2009–2010 by a team led by

Zahi Hawass Zahi Abass Hawass (; born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptians, Egyptian archaeology, archaeologist, Egyptology, Egyptologist, and former Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt), Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a position he held twice. He has ...

and Ahmed el-Leithy in an effort to relocate KV50, KV51, KV52 and KV53. This excavation revealed Eighteenth Dynasty pottery, tools, and

ostraca An ostracon (Greek language, Greek: ''ostrakon'', plural ''ostraka'') is a piece of pottery, usually broken off from a vase or other earthenware vessel. In an archaeology, archaeological or epigraphy, epigraphical context, ''ostraca'' refer ...

including figured examples which included a sketch of a seated queen presenting an offering, depictions of sexual scenes with women and animals, and

cartouches file:Birth and Throne cartouches of pharaoh Seti I, from KV17 at the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. Neues Museum.jpg, upalt=A stone face carved with coloured hieroglyphics. Two cartouches - ovoid shapes with hieroglyphics inside - are visible at the ...

Ramesses II Ramesses II (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses) (; , , ; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was an Pharaoh, Egyptian pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty. Along with Thutmose III of th ...

References

External links

Theban Mapping Project:KV50
includes detailed maps of most of the tombs. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kv50 1906 archaeological discoveries Valley of the Kings