The Spatial Distribution of Late Eighteenth Dynasty Tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Valley of the Kings was the royal necropolis of the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt. The types of tombs found in the Valley include the larger royal tombs, small-chambered tombs, and pit tombs. It is suggested that the location of the small-chambered tombs in the Valley followed the tradition set forth during the Old and Middle Kingdoms when smaller tombs were located next to larger more substantial royal tombs. Evidence also suggests that the early kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty created their own family necropolis inside of the Valley of the Kings. Tutankhamun, the antepenultimate ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1550-1290 BCE), was buried in a repurposed small-chambered tomb (KV 62). KV 62 is also part of collection of small-chambered tombs that all date to the post-Amarna Period. Through the application of Geographic Information Systems, this paper will investigate the spatial distribution of the post-Amarna Period tombs to determine if they follow the earlier precedence of creating a family necropolis within the Valley of the Kings and if one larger royal tomb may have joined the others together. This paper will provide insight into the mortuary ritual landscape of the late Eighteenth Dynasty.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23397