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Tomb KV9 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 ...
's
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 ...
was originally constructed by
Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
Ramesses V. He was interred here, but his uncle,
Ramesses VI Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses, also known under his princely name of Amenherkhepshef C) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for about eight years in the mid-to-late 12th centur ...
, later reused the tomb as his own. The architectural layout is typical of the 20th Dynasty – the Ramesside period – and is much simpler than that of
Ramesses III Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt, Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC, and he is considered the last pharaoh of the New K ...
's tomb ( KV11). The workmen accidentally broke into KV12 as they dug one of the corridors. In 2020, the Egyptian Tourism Authority released a full 3D model of the tomb with detailed photography, available online.


Decoration

The tomb has some of the most diverse decoration in the Valley of the Kings. In fact Ramesses VI, in a break with tradition, used the decoration program of the Osireion at Abydos as the template for his tomb. Its layout consists of a long corridor, divided by
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s into several sections, leading to a pillared hall, from which a second long corridor descends to the burial chamber. The digging of the burial chamber was not fully completed; its back wall has two pillars which are still connected to the wall behind them instead of standing separate.


Entrance

The entrance is decorated with a disk containing a scarab and an image of the ram-headed Ra between
Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
and
Nephthys Nephthys or Nebet-Het in ancient Egyptian () was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis ...
who are kneeling. The jambs and thicknesses, mentions the name of
Ramesses VI Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses, also known under his princely name of Amenherkhepshef C) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for about eight years in the mid-to-late 12th centur ...
. The jambs are usurped from Ramesses V.


First corridor

On both sides are images of
Ramesses VI Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses, also known under his princely name of Amenherkhepshef C) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for about eight years in the mid-to-late 12th centur ...
before Ra-Horakhty and
Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
. The scenes originally depicted Ramesses V but were usurped. On the south wall of the corridor begin the scenes from a complete version of the
Book of Gates The Book of Gates is an ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom. The ''Book of Gates'' is long and detailed, consisting of one hundred scenes. It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world journeying wi ...
, while the north wall is decorated with an almost complete exemplar of the
Book of Caverns A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
.Porter, Bertha and Moss, Rosalind, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Statues, Reliefs and Paintings Volume I: The Theban Necropolis, Part 2. Royal Tombs and Smaller Cemeteries, Griffith Institute. 1964, pg 511-517 The ceilings are decorated with astronomical figures and constellations in the first few divisions of the corridor, while in the last two divisions, and continuing into the first hall esignated Hall E by Piankoff is a double presentation of both the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by an elongated image of the goddess Nut. File:KV9 Tomb of Ramses V-VI DSCF2744.jpg, View down the first corridor of the tomb Tumba de Ramsés V y de Ramsés VI, Valle de las Reyes, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 68.jpg, A part of the
Book of Gates The Book of Gates is an ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom. The ''Book of Gates'' is long and detailed, consisting of one hundred scenes. It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world journeying wi ...
(ninth division) on the left wall of the corridor File:KV9 Tomb of Ramses V-VI DSCF2765.jpg, A part of the Book of Caverns (fifth division) on the right wall of the corridor; the goddess Nut is visible on the right


Hall

The corridor ends in a pillared hall all E On the left (south) wall the
Book of Gates The Book of Gates is an ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom. The ''Book of Gates'' is long and detailed, consisting of one hundred scenes. It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world journeying wi ...
is continued. The decorations show divisions 10 and 11 including the final scene of the composition, where
Nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
raises up the bark of Ra from the primordial waters with the goddess Nut above the scene. On the right side of the hall (the north) the
Book of Caverns A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
scenes continue. Above the entrance to the next corridor the king is shown censing and libating before
Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
. Ramesses VI is shown in a variety of scenes before gods and goddesses such as
Meretseger Meretseger (also known as Mersegrit' or Mertseger) was a Theban cobra-goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, in charge with guarding and protecting the vast Theban Necropolis — on the west bank of the Nile, in front of Thebes — and especiall ...
,
Khonsu Khonsu (; also transliterated Chonsu, Khensu, Khons, Chons, Khonshu, or Konshu; ) is an ancient Egyptian god of lunar deity, the Moon. His name means 'traveller', and this may relate to the perceived nightly travel of the Moon across the sky. Al ...
,
Ptah Ptah ( ; , ; ; ; ) is an ancient Egyptian deity, a creator god, and a patron deity of craftsmen and architects. In the triad of Memphis, he is the husband of Sekhmet and the father of Nefertem. He was also regarded as the father of the ...
and Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. As previously noted, the ceiling of the hall is decorated with the remainder of the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by an elongated image of the goddess Nut. The ramp descending to the next corridor is flanked on either side by two images of winged cobras with crowns, representing the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt. File:Tumba de Ramsés V y de Ramsés VI, Valle de las Reyes, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 69.jpg, The first hall or pillared hall; a double scene of Osiris is visible in the middle, above the ramp descending to the second corridor File:KV9 Tomb of Ramses V-VI DSCF2926.jpg, Elongated image of the goddess Nut framing the Books of the Day and the Night, on the ceiling of the pillared hall File:KV9 Tomb of Ramses V-VI DSCF2810.jpg, Winged cobra next to the descending ramp


Second corridor

The decorations show scenes of 11 hours from the Book of the Amduat in sequential order, although hours 7-11 are abbreviated . The ceiling depicts the barques of Ra and the Books of the Day and Night.


Antechamber and Burial Chamber

Ramesses VI Ramesses VI Nebmaatre-Meryamun (sometimes written Ramses or Rameses, also known under his princely name of Amenherkhepshef C) was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for about eight years in the mid-to-late 12th centur ...
is shown before Hekau, and
Maat Maat or Maʽat ( Egyptian: ''mꜣꜥt'' /ˈmuʀʕat/, Coptic: ⲙⲉⲓ) comprised the ancient Egyptian concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. Maat was also the goddess who personified these concepts, and regul ...
in the antechamber all H, the Hall of Two Truthsat the end of the corridor, preceding the burial chamber. It contains important transfiguration spells (Chapters 124-127 and 129) from the
Book of the Dead The ''Book of the Dead'' is the name given to an Ancient Egyptian funerary texts, ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus and used from the beginning of the New Kingdom of Egypt, New Kingdom (around 1550 BC) to around 50 BC ...
. The walls of the cavernous burial chamber are decorated with the Books of the Earth (including the Book of Aker). These include images of a solar boat with the double-headed god Aker, images of Osiris and various gods, the destruction of enemies, and representations of the sun's rays resurrecting various figures. A detailed analysis of these complex scenes are in J. Roberson, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth. The vaulted ceiling of the chamber is decorated, once again, with the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by a double elongated image of Nut. File:KV9 Tomb of Ramses V-VI DSCF2864.jpg, The burial chamber, looking towards the north wall File:Tumba de Ramsés V y de Ramsés VI, Valle de las Reyes, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 53.jpg, South wall of the burial chamber, with part of the Book of the Earth (Book of Aker) File:Tumba de Ramsés V y de Ramsés VI, Valle de las Reyes, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 56.jpg, Vaulted ceiling of the burial chamber: double image of the goddess Nut framing the Book of the Night (below) and the Book of the Day (above) File:Tumba de Ramsés V y de Ramsés VI, Valle de las Reyes, Luxor, Egipto, 2022-04-03, DD 52.jpg, The rear wall of the chamber, with two unfinished pillars flanking a small room in the middle File:KV9 Tomb of Ramses V-VI DSCF2764.jpg, Reliefs on the fourth corridor


Later history

In the Graeco-Roman period, the tomb was identified as that of
Memnon In Greek mythology, Memnon (; Ancient Greek: Μέμνων, ) was a king of Aethiopia and son of Tithonus and Eos. During the Trojan War, he brought an army to Troy's defense and killed Antilochus, Nestor (mythology), Nestor's son, during a fi ...
, the mythological king of the Ethiopians who fought in the
Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...
. As a result, it was frequently visited; 995 graffiti left by visitors have been found on the temple walls, ranging from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. They were left by pilgrims, mostly Greeks, who in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods traveled to the site from different parts of Egypt and the Mediterranean. The inscriptions were written in black or, less frequently, red ink, mainly in Greek but also in Latin, Demotic, and Coptic. They appear in different parts of the tomb, usually on the upper parts of the walls, which corresponds to the higher floor level (the corridors were partly filled in at that time). The graffiti have been studied since 1996 by the Epigraphical Mission from the
Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw The Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw (PCMA UW; ) operates as an independent research institute of the University of Warsaw under the present name since 1990. It is dedicated to organizing, implementing and coordin ...
in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. Visitors' names form the majority of the graffiti, but there are also longer texts which provide more information about their authors, including their occupation. They tell us that philosophers, doctors, and high-ranking officials were among the pilgrims. Some of the texts are of a religious character ''(proskynema).'' One ''graffito'' attests that visitors had to explore the dark tunnels and painted images by torchlight, making a
pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...
on the visitor's name, Dadouchios () and the : Other graffiti include "I visited and I did not like anything except the sarcophagus!", "I admired!" and "I cannot read the hieroglyphs!". The latest identifiable person to have visited the tomb and left a ''graffito'' may have been
Amr ibn al-As Amr ibn al-As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi (664) was an Arab commander and companion of Muhammad who led the Muslim conquest of Egypt and served as its governor in 640–646 and 658–664. The son of a wealthy Qurayshite, Amr embraced Islam in and was ...
, the Muslim conqueror of
Roman Egypt Roman Egypt was an imperial province of the Roman Empire from 30 BC to AD 642. The province encompassed most of modern-day Egypt except for the Sinai. It was bordered by the provinces of Crete and Cyrenaica to the west and Judaea, ...
during the
Arab–Byzantine wars The Arab–Byzantine wars or Muslim–Byzantine wars were a series of wars from the 7th to 11th centuries between multiple Arab dynasties and the Byzantine Empire. The Muslim Arab Caliphates conquered large parts of the Christian Byzantine empir ...
, if he is the person named as "Ambros" () in one of them. File:KV9 graffiti 1.jpg File:KV9 graffiti 2.jpg File:KV9 graffiti 3.jpg


References


Literature

* Abitz, F. Baugeschichte und Dekoration des Grabes Ramses VI, 1989. https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/150956/ * Herzer, C. "The Template for the break with tradition in the Decoration Program of the Tomb of Ramesses VI was the Osireion at Abydos, 2023. https://www.academia.edu/109794059/ * Herzer, C. Study of the Osireion at Abydos, 2023. https://isida-project.ucoz.com * Piankoff, A. The Tomb of Ramesses VI, 1954, Pantheon Books, New York. https://archive.org/details/tomboframessesvi0001unse/page/n7/mode/2up * Reeves, N & Wilkinson, R.H. The Complete Valley of the Kings, 1996, Thames and Hudson, London. * Roberson, J. The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth, Wilbour Studies I, 2012, Lockwood Press. * Siliotti, A. Guide to the Valley of the Kings and to the Theban Necropolises and Temples, 1996, A.A. Gaddis, Cairo. * Week, K. (ed.), Valley of the Kings, 2001, Friedman. * Łukaszewicz, A., with appendix by Małkowski, W., Bogacki, M., Kaniszewski, J
Polish Epigraphical Mission in the Tomb of Ramesses VI (Kv 9) in the Valley of the Kings in 2010; Appendix: Three-dimensional spatial information system for the graffiti inside the Tomb of Ramesses VI (KV 9) in the Valley of the Kings, Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean, 22 (2013)


External links


Theban Mapping Project: KV9
- Includes description, images and plans of the tomb.
Virtual exploration of KV9

Views of KV9 & KV12
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kv09 Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century BC Valley of the Kings Ramesses V Ramesses VI