KV 3 (Son of Rameses III)

General Site Information

Structure: KV 3
Location: Valley of the Kings, East Valley, Thebes West Bank, Thebes
Owner: Son of Rameses III
Other designations: 3 [Hay], 3 [Lepsius], 5 [Champollion], Ier Tombeau à l'est [Description], O, plan N (?) [Pococke], P [Burton]
Site type: Tomb

Description: KV 3, located in the first southeast branch off the main wadi, resembles in plan tombs of royal family members of Dynasty 20 in the Valley of the Queens. Its open entryway (A) leads to a corridor (B) from which side chambers were to open off each side (Ba, Bb). Only the right (south) side chamber Bb was fully cut; a cutting on the left (north) marks the beginning of the gate and side chamber Ba. A pillared chamber (F) follows on the main axis, also with side chambers (Fa, Fb). Here, the left (north) side chamber Fa was completed, while on the right (south) Fb is represented only by the abandoned gate cutting. On the same main axis, three smaller chambers (G, H, J) occupy the rear; the first two have vaulted ceilings.

The tomb's extant decoration in painted sunk relief on plaster survives only in corridor B, as well as gates B and F. The principal decorative theme consisted of depictions of Rameses III followed by a prince, before various deities. It is assumed that the decorative program was complete, however, since Carl Richard Lepsius noted painted decoration on the ceiling of the vaulted chamber and depictions of the king on the walls of the first corridor B, as well as gates B and C.

Noteworthy features: This is one of the few decorated tombs of a prince in the Valley of the Kings. It has two narrow rear chambers, with vaulting at ninety degrees to the usual form.

Axis in degrees: 68.56
Axis orientation: East

Site Location

Latitude: 25.44 N
Longitude: 32.36 E
Elevation: 167.246 msl
North: 99,695.005
East: 94,136.424
JOG map reference: NG 36-10
Modern governorate: Qena (Qina)
Ancient nome: 4th Upper Egypt
Surveyed by TMP: Yes

Measurements

Maximum height: 3.13 m
Mininum width: 1.03 m
Maximum width: 7.71 m
Total length: 53.47 m
Total area: 193.36 m²
Total volume: 464.98 m³

Additional Tomb Information

Entrance location: Base of sloping hill
Owner type: Prince
Entrance type: Ramp
Interior layout: Corridor and chambers
Axis type: Straight

Categories of Objects Recovered

Architectural elements
Vessels

Site History

An ostracon in the Berlin Museum (Berlin Ostracon P.10663) records that in regnal year 28 of Ramesses III a group of workmen went to the Valley of the Kings to "found the [tomb] of a prince of His Majesty." The tomb may be KV 3, but the name of the prince is unknown, although some have suggested that it was intended for the prince who succeeded his father as Rameses IV. There are no indications that the tomb received a royal burial. Bricks and remains of sandstone columns indicate that KV 3 was used as a Christian chapel during the Byzantine Period.

Dating:

This site was used during the following period(s):
New Kingdom, Dynasty 20, Rameses III (dated by the presence of the king's cartouches)
Byzantine Period

Entryway A

Seven modern steps descend from the present valley floor to the entryway, which gently slopes toward gate B. A modern retaining wall has been erected around the sides and ends of the entryway.

Architectural Features

Overhang

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

Width: 2.71 m
Length: 8.51 m
Area: 23.23 m²
Orientation: 68.56°

Gate B

An overhang protrudes above the lintel of this decorated gate. There are traces of the cartouches of Rameses III on the thicknesses, partly covered by the frame of a modern metal gate. Remains of a winged sun disk decorate the lintel.

Architectural Features

Overhang

Condition

Cutting finished
Decorated
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 2.61 m
Width: 2.13 m
Length: 0.62 m
Area: 1.32 m²
Volume: 3.45 m³
Orientation: 0° from entryway A
Maximum slope: -7.58°

Decoration

Names and epithets: Rameses III Reveals
Names and epithets: Rameses III Left (north) thickness
Names and epithets: Rameses III Right (south) thickness
Winged sun disk Lintel

Corridor B

Images of Rameses III preceding figures of the prince can be seen on the walls where they were cut through the plaster coating into the rock beneath. The preserved traces show a sequence of at least three scenes on each side, consisting of the prince behind the king facing a deity. On the left (north) wall, the deities are Ptah, a damaged figure, and Osiris. On the right (south) wall they are Ra-Horakhty, Thoth, and a damaged figure. At the top of each side of the corridor a frieze of cartouches of Rameses III is flanked by pendant uraei. There is a rectangular cutting, the start of a chamber (Ba) in the left (north) wall, and the gate to a cut side chamber (Bb) in the opposite wall.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Decorated
Decoration damaged

Dimensions

Height: 3.13 m
Width: 2.73 m
Length: 9.72 m
Area: 26.64 m²
Volume: 82.86 m³
Orientation: 0° from entryway A

Decoration

Deceased with deities: Ptah, Osiris Left (north) wall
Deceased with deities: Ra-Horakhty, Thoth Right (south) wall
Names and epithets All walls

Gate Ba

This partially cut gate would have led to a side chamber which was never cut.

ConditionExcavated
Cutting unfinished
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 1.2 m
Width: 1.04 m
Length: 1.85 m
Area: 2.1 m²
Volume: 0.12 m³
Orientation: 90° left from corridor B
Maximum slope: -11.45°

Gate Bb

Because of the loss of plaster, we do not know if the gate was once decorated.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 1.95 m
Width: 1.16 m
Length: 0.61 m
Area: 0.71 m²
Volume: 1.39 m³
Orientation: 90.38° right from corridor B
Maximum slope: 6°

Side chamber Bb

The side chamber is located to the right (south) of corridor B. We cannot determine if it was once decorated.

Condition

Cutting finished
Excavated
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 2.1 m
Width: 3.13 m
Length: 4.66 m
Area: 14.56 m²
Volume: 30.58 m³
Orientation: 90.38° right from corridor B

Gate F

Some of this gate's decoration has been lost. Traces of vertical columns of a dedication text appear on the reveals, and a winged sun disk decorates the lintel.

ConditionDecorated
Cutting finished
Decoration damaged
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 2.8 m
Width: 2.12 m
Length: 1.05 m
Area: 2.23 m²
Volume: 6.24 m³
Orientation: 0° from corridor B
Maximum slope: -2.74°

Decoration

Text Reveals Winged sun disk Lintel

Pillared chamber F

The decoration has now been completely lost. Two pairs of pillars flank the central axis. Gate Fb in the center of the right (south) wall, directly opposite gate Fa, represents the start of the cutting for another side chamber. There are traces of ancient repairs on the ceiling.

Architectural Features

Pillars

Condition

Cutting finished
Undecorated
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 3.13 m
Width: 7.71 m
Length: 6.81 m
Area: 52.4 m²
Volume: 163.75 m³
Orientation: 0° from corridor B
Number of pillars: 4
Average pillar width: 1.04 m

Gate Fa

There are no traces of decoration on this gate.

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 2.14 m
Width: 1.26 m
Length: 0.7 m
Area: 0.88 m²
Volume: 1.88 m³
Orientation: 90° left from pillared chamber F
Maximum slope: 1.74°

Side chamber Fa

The side chamber is located to the left (north) of pillared chamber F. There is no trace of decoration.

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 2.05 m
Width: 3.16 m
Length: 4.57 m
Area: 14.44 m²
Volume: 29.6 m³
Orientation: 90° left from pillared chamber F

Gate Fb

An abandoned start for the cutting of the gate shows that a chamber was intended to follow.

Condition

Excavated
Cutting unfinished
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 1.04 m
Width: 1.09 m
Length: 1.45 m
Area: 1.54 m²
Volume: 1.6 m³
Orientation: 90° right from pillared chamber F
Maximum slope: 9.31°

Gate G

There are no traces of decoration on this gate.

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 2.76 m
Width: 2.11 m
Length: 0.81 m
Area: 1.7 m²
Volume: 4.69 m³
Orientation: 0° from pillared chamber F

Chamber G

This very wide but shallow chamber has a vaulted ceiling. There are no surviving traces of decoration. The ceiling is blackened by soot.

Architectural Features

Vaulted ceiling

Condition

Cutting finished
Undecorated
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 3.02 m
Width: 6.15 m
Length: 2.89 m
Area: 17.77 m²
Volume: 45.95 m³
Orientation: 0° from pillared chamber F

Gate H

This gate has no lintel; the jambs reach the vaulted ceiling extending from chamber G to chamber H. No traces of decoration are found.

Condition

Cutting finished
Undecorated
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 3.12 m
Width: 2.65 m
Length: 1.1 m
Area: 2.91 m²
Volume: 9.08 m³
Orientation: 0° from chamber G
Maximum slope: 1.03°

Chamber H

This very wide but shallow chamber has a vaulted ceiling. There are no traces of decoration.

Architectural Features

Vaulted ceiling

Condition

Cutting finished
Undecorated
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 3.12 m
Width: 5.81 m
Length: 3.03 m
Area: 17.6 m²
Volume: 49.64 m³
Orientation: 0° from chamber G

Gate J

There are no traces of decoration on this gate.

Condition

Cutting finished
Undecorated
Excavated

Dimensions

Height: 2.57 m
Width: 2.12 m
Length: 0.85 m
Area: 1.8 m²
Volume: 4.62 m³
Orientation: 0° from chamber H

Chamber J

No traces survive to show if this chamber was decorated.

Condition

Excavated
Cutting finished
Undecorated

Dimensions

Height: 2.56 m
Width: 2.72 m
Length: 4.25 m
Area: 11.54 m²
Volume: 29.54 m³
Orientation: 0° from chamber H

History of Exploration

Pococke, Richard (1737-1738): Mapping/planning
Burton, James (1825): Mapping/planning
Franco-Tuscan Expedition (1828-1829): Epigraphy
Lepsius, Carl Richard (1844-1845): Visit
Ayrton, Edward Russell (1904-1906): Excavation (conducted around entrance)
Quibell, James Edward (1904-1906): Excavation (conducted around entrance)
Burton, Harry (1912): Excavation (conducted for Theodore M. Davis)

Conservation

Conservation history: A rubble revetment was constructed around the entrance, together with a wall across the entry. A metal gate has been installed in gate B, partly covering inscriptions on the thicknesses.

Site condition: The painted plaster wall decoration has almost entirely fallen away except near the ceiling in corridor B. A coating of smoke from recent burning of trash in the corridor entrance has damaged the ceiling.