KV 5 (Sons of Rameses II)

General Site Information

Structure: KV 5

Location: Valley of the Kings, East Valley, Thebes West Bank, Thebes

Owner: Sons of Rameses II

Other designations: 5 [Lepsius], 8 [Hay], Commencement d'excavation ou grotte bouchée [Description], M [Burton]

Site type: Tomb


Description: KV 5 is located in the main wadi of the Valley of the Kings. The tomb may originally have been an Dynasty 18 tomb (consisting of chambers 1, 2, and part of 3) usurped by Rameses II as the burial place for several of his principal sons. Still under excavation, the tomb has so far revealed 121 corridors and chambers. Since the tomb appears to have several bilaterally symmetrical sections, it is likely that the number of chambers will increase to 150 or more in subsequent field seasons. KV 5 itself is the largest tomb in the Valley; pillared chamber 3 is the largest chamber of any tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

At least six royal sons are known to have been interred in KV 5. Since there are more than twenty representations of sons carved on its walls, there may have been that many sons interred in the tomb.

The tomb is decorated with scenes from the Opening of the Mouth ritual (pillared chamber 3) and representations of the king, princes and deities (chamber 1, chamber 2, gate 3, pillared chamber 3, corridor 7, chamber 8, gate 9, corridor 12).

Noteworthy features: The overall plan of this tomb is unusual: there is a change in the tomb's principal axis after chamber 3; several chambers lie beneath other chambers; two corridors extend toward the northwest beneath the entrance and the road in front of the tomb; the plan is unlike any other royal tomb. Pillared chamber 3 has more pillars (sixteen) than any other chamber in the Valley of the Kings. The sculpted Osiris figure in the recess at the end of corridor 7 is unique.

Axis in degrees: 134.18

Axis orientation: Southeast

Site Location

Latitude: 25.44 N

Longitude: 32.36 E

Elevation: 169.87 msl

North: 99,637.895

East: 94,095.771

JOG map reference: NG 36-10

Modern governorate: Qena (Qina)

Ancient nome: 4th Upper Egypt

Surveyed by TMP: Yes


Measurements

Maximum height: 2.85 m

Mininum width: 0.61 m

Maximum width: 15.43 m

Total length: 443.2 m

Total area: 1266.47 m²

Total volume: 2154.82 m³


Additional Tomb Information

Entrance location: Valley floor

Owner type: Prince

Entrance type: Staircase

Interior layout: Corridors and chambers

Axis type: Straight

Categories of Objects Recovered

Human remains

Jewellery

Mammal remains

Religious objects

Tomb equipment

Transport

Vessels

Written documents


Site History

A small tomb perhaps dating to Dynasty 18 was appropriated by Rameses II and considerably enlarged in several phases. There is no evidence of re-use of KV 5 after the reign of Rameses II. The tomb was first visited in modern times by James Burton, who mapped its first nine chambers. Its greater extent was realized by the Theban Mapping Project in 1995, and more chambers continue to be discovered until today.


Dating:

This site was used during the following period(s):

New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (entryway A, chambers 1 and 2, and part of pillared chamber 3)

New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, Rameses II


History of Exploration

Burton, James (1825): Mapping/planning

Carter, Howard (1902): Visit

Theban Mapping Project (1987-): Epigraphy

Theban Mapping Project (1987-): Excavation

Theban Mapping Project (1994-): Conservation

Theban Mapping Project (1995-): Photography


Conservation

Conservation history: The tomb is currently undergoing engineering and conservation work as it continues to be cleared.

Site condition: The tomb was robbed in antiquity. Since then, it has been hit by at least eleven flash floods caused by heavy rains in the Valley. These have completely filled the tomb with debris and seriously damaged its comprehensively decorated walls. From about 1960 to 1990, tour buses parked above the tomb; their vibrations caused serious damage to parts of the tomb near the roadway, as did a leaking sewer line installed over the entrance when the Valley of the Kings rest house was built.