List of burials in the Valley of the Kings

The following is a list of burials in the Valley of the Kings, in Thebes (modern Luxor in Egypt) and nearby areas.

Egyptologists use the acronym KV (standing for Kings' Valley) to designate tombs located in the Valley of the Kings. The system was established by John Gardner Wilkinson in 1821. Wilkinson numbered the 21 tombs known to him (some of which had been open since antiquity) according to their location, starting at the entrance to the valley and then moving south and east. Tombs that have been discovered since then have been allocated a sequential KV number (those in the Western Valley are known by the WV equivalent) in the order of their discovery.[1]

East Valley

Most of the open tombs in the Valley of the Kings are located in the East Valley, and this is where most tourists can be found.

NumberNameTime PeriodComments
KV1Ramesses VII20th dynasty
KV2Ramesses IV20th dynasty
KV3Unnamed son of Ramesses III20th dynasty
KV4Ramesses XI20th dynasty
KV5Sons of Ramesses II19th dynastyWith 120 known rooms and excavation work still underway, it is probably the largest tomb in the valley.
KV6Ramesses IX20th dynasty
KV7Ramesses II19th dynasty
KV8Merenptah19th dynasty
KV9Ramesses V and Ramesses VI20th dynastyAlso known as the Tomb of Memnon or La Tombe de la Métempsychose.
KV10Amenmesse20th dynasty
KV11Ramesses III20th dynastyAlso referred to as Bruce's Tomb, The Harper's Tomb.
KV12Unknown18th and 19th dynastyIt was possibly used as a family tomb.
KV13Bay. Later Amenherkhepshef and Mentuherkhepshef19th and 20th dynasty
KV14Twosret, later reused by Setnakhte19th and 20th dynasty
KV15Seti II19th dynasty
KV16Ramesses I19th dynasty
KV17Seti I19th dynastyAlso known as Belzoni's tomb, the tomb of Apis, or the tomb of Psammis, son of Necho.
KV18Ramesses X20th dynasty
KV19Mentuherkhepshef20th dynasty
KV20Thutmose I and Hatshepsut18th dynasty
KV21, KV26, KV27, KV28, KV29, KV31, KV33, KV37, KV44, KV59UnknownNew KingdomThe original owners of these tombs are unknown.
KV30Unknown20th dynastyKnown as Lord Belmore's tomb.
KV32Tia'a18th dynasty
KV34Thutmose III18th dynasty
KV35Amenhotep II18th dynastyOver a dozen mummies, many of them royal, were relocated here.
KV36Maiherpri18th dynastyA noble from the time of Hatshepsut.
KV38Thutmose I18th dynastyProbably prepared for this king by Thutmose III.
KV39Possibly the tomb of Amenhotep I18th dynasty
KV40Tomb of King's Daughters and Sons18th dynastyBurials date to the time of Amenhotep III. Later intrusive burials from the 22nd Dynasty are also present.[2]
KV41Unknown18th dynastyThe tomb may have belonged to Queen Tetisheri?
KV42Queen Hatshepsut-Meryetre18th dynasty
KV43Thutmose IV18th dynasty
KV45Userhet18th dynastyTomb of a noble
KV46Yuya and Tjuyu18th dynastyThe parents of Queen Tiy. Until the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, this was the best preserved tomb to be found in the Valley.
KV47Siptah19th dynasty
KV48Amenemopet called Pairy18th dynastyTomb of a noble.
KV49Unknown18th dynastyTomb was possibly a store room.
KV50,KV51, KV52Unknown18th dynastyTombs contain animal burials, which were possibly the pets of Amenhotep II, whose tomb is nearby.
KV53UnknownNew Kingdom
KV54Unknown18th dynastyThis was probably an embalming cache for the tomb of Tutankhamun.
KV55Smenkhkare/Akhenaten18th dynastyThis tomb might be another mummy cache, and once possibly contained the burials of several Amarna Period royals –Tiy and Smenkhkare/Akhenaten.
KV56Unknown19th dynastyKnown as the Gold Tomb, the original owner of this tomb is unknown. Items with names of Ramesses II, Seti II and Tawosret were found.
KV57Horemheb18th dynasty
KV58Unknown18th dynastyKnown as Chariot Tomb, the original owner of this tomb remains unknown. Gold foil contains names of Tutankhamun and Ay
KV60Sitre In18th dynastyRoyal nurse of Hatshepsut
KV61UnknownNew KingdomThis tomb appears to have been unused.
KV62Tutankhamun18th dynastyPerhaps the most famous discovery of modern Western archaeology was made here by Howard Carter on November 4, 1922, with clearance and conservation work continuing until 1932. It was the first royal tomb to be discovered still largely intact (although tomb robbers had entered it), and was for many years the last major discovery in the valley. The opulence of his grave goods notwithstanding, Tutankhamun was a rather minor king and other burials probably had more numerous treasures.
KV63Unknown18th dynastyThe purpose of this tomb is currently unknown.
KV64Singer [the Lady] Nehmes Bastet18th and 22nd dynastyAn unexcavated tomb entrance, discovered in July 2008[3] The tomb was later excavated and was shown to have been used in the 18th as well as in the 22nd dynasty. The Lady Nehmesbastet lived during the 22nd dynasty.[4]
KV65UnknownNew KingdomAn unexcavated tomb entrance, discovered in July 2008[3]
KVB – KVTUnknownNew KingdomThese are non-burial pits, some of which may have been intended as tombs, others were probably funerary deposits.

West Valley

The numbering the West Valley follows in sequence to that of the East Valley, and there are only four known burials/pits in the valley.

NumberNameTime PeriodComments
WV22Amenhotep IIINew KingdomIt has recently been investigated, but is not open to the public.
WV23Ay18th dynastyThe only tomb that is open to the public in the West Valley.
WV24Unknown
WV25UnknownThis tomb may have been started as the Theban burial of Akhenaten, but it was never finished.
WVAThis was a storage chamber for Amenhotep III's tomb which was located nearby.

See also

References
  1. "Theban Mapping Project, tomb numbering systems in the valley". Archived from the original on 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2005-12-05.
  2. Susanne Bickel, Princesses, Robbers and Priests - The unknown side of the Kings' Valley, Presentation at a conference at the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, October 14, 2017, Online; KV 64 discussed at 40:00 onwards
  3. Zahi Hawass. "Spotlight Interview: 2008". The Plateau: Official Website for Dr. Zahi Hawass. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  4. Susanne Bickel, Princesses, Robbers and Priests - The unknown side of the Kings' Valley, Presentation at a conference at the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, October 14, 2017
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