The
credit for sensational discovery of the tomb before 1881 goes to an Arabian
family Abd el-Rassul. That the Royal Cache was empted by
Emile Brugsch and
Gaston Maspero in only two days,
without any archeological documentation. Later publications: G.Maspero "Les Momies royales de Deir el-Bahari", Paris
1889 and G.E.Smith"Catalogue General des Antiquites Egyptiennes du
Musee du Caire. The Royal Mummies", Caire 1912.
depth of shaft (A):
l=13 m corridor (B): l=7.40 m ; w=1.68 m ;
h=max 3.92 m corridor (C): l=23.80 m ; w= 1.40 m (originally ) ;
h=1.80 (without filling) staircase: l=7.20 (horizontally) ; h=6.40 (at its end) niche (D): l=3.00 m (under ceiling) ; w=1.80 (and less)
; h=0.70 m (third step) corridor (E): l=30.6 m ; w=1.40 chamber (F): h=1.72 m ; inner surface=c.6.80x4.40 m
(very irregular with banks on three sides) ; outer surface=8.40 x 5.20 m
entrance to the tomb
Ahmed Abd wl-Rassul, photography from 1902
Circumstances
thereof are well known and described in detail in many publications.
Therefore I presented only a short register of mummies found there:
A(1) -
61067 - mummy of
unknown man C (Nebseni ?) discovered in a
sarcophagus of a scribe and priest Nebseni (XX-XXIDynasty). G.E.Smith states the man was an eunuch as the absence
of genitals would indicate. l=174 cm.
B(2) - 61053 - mummy
of Ahmes-Inhapi - daughter of Snakhtenre Tao I, wife of
Sekenenre Tao
II (XVII Dynasty). Mummy found in sarcophagus of lady Rai. Lenght of
mummy - 169 cm. She is described as
a stout youngish woman.
B(3) - 61090 - mummy of Duathathor-Henuttawi, wife of Pinudjem I,
daughter of Ramesses XI (XX Dynasty),
in her nested inner and outer coffins.
B(4) - 61077 - mummy ofSeti I (XIX Dynasty) in his
coffin. He
died in his 60s.
B(5) - Shabti boxes, canopic jars and bronze libation vessels, in part belonging
to Duathathor-Henuettawi.
B(6) - Leather canopy of Isetemkhebet,
daughter of the HighPriest Menkheperre.
C(7) -
ranged down the corridor:
61076 -
mummy of unknown woman in Bakt's coffin. Young woman of about 21 years. Dated to
the XVIII Dynasty.
coffin
fragments of Ramesses I (XIX Dynasty)
61056 - mummyof
unknown woman B.
Possibly queen Tetisheri, wife of Sanakhtenre Tao I, mother of
Seqenenre Tao II (Dynasty XVII). This mummy was incorrectly
identified by
G. Maspero to be that of Ramesses I.
She was a white haired,
partially bald petite lady. Lenght - 157 cm.
61065 - mummyof
Tuthmosis Ior Ahmose-Sipair, his father.
(XVIII Dynasty)
in
coffin of
Pinedjem I . G.Maspero
thought he was over 50 at time of death, but recently examinations have
shown he was only approximately 20 years old. One recent theory, as
noted by S.Ikram and A.Dodson, proposes that this mummy is actually
that of Ahmose-Sipair, the father of Tuthmosis I. Length - 155 cm.
61058 - coffinedmummy of
Amenhotep I (XVIII Dynasty) died in 40s.
61066 - coffined mummy of
Tuthmosis II (XVIII Dynasty).
Smith noted that Tuthmosis II was
practically bald and that the skin of his face was wrinkled, facts which
made him conclude that the king was older than 30 when he died. No
obvious cause of death was found during the examination of the mummy,
but all report that the ruler's skin is covered with scab-like patches
that may be symptomatic of some as-yet unknown disease which may have
claimed his life. Smith, however, thought that the skin eruptions could
have been caused post mortem by reactions of the tissues with the
embalming materials. Lenght - 168 cm.
D(8) -
niche:
61057 - coffined
mummy of
Ahmose
(XVIII Dynasty). Length of mummy - 163,5 cm.
61059 - coffined mummy
of Siamon, Ahmose I's
second son, who died as a young child. Length of mummy - 90,0 cm (XVIII Dynasty).
61060 - mummy of
Sitamun,daughter of Ahmose. This mummy consists of
a bundle of reeds surmounted by a skull Length of mummy - 120,0 cm.
We can only guess at the reasons for the manufacture of this curious
artificial corpse. Perhaps Sitamun, who was a small child at the time of
her demise, had died in such a way that little was left of her body.
She may have been devoured by wild animals or crocodiles.
61051 - coffined mummyof Seqenenre Tao II. Lenght of mummy
- 170,0 cm (XVII Dynasty).
mummy
of
Pinedjem Ifound
in a huge, over 3 m in length, sarcophagus of queen Ahhotep.
61055 -
mummy of Ahmes-Nefertari,
mother of Amenhotep I in her coffin.
She died aged 70. Lenght of mummy - 161 cm.
61083 - cartonnaged mummy of Ramesses III (XX Dynasty) - length
of mummy - 168,3 cm. Age of died - 65 years.
61068 - coffined mummy of Tuthmosis III(XVIII Dynasty). He died iat ca 65 years of age. The mummy was damaged
by grave-plunderers. Broken into a few pieces it was protected from
complete destruction by priest using wooden bands. Length of mummy
- 161,5 cm.
61078 - coffined mummyof Ramesses II - most often examined Egyptian mummy
of 90-years old man. Length of mummy - 173,3 cm (XIX Dynasty).
F(9) - chamber:
61067 - mummy ofDjedptahiufankh - son of Ramesses, priest of Amun. Names and titles on
coffins, and texts of mummy cloths give the dates of Years 10 and 11
of Shoshenq I, and of his son Iuput.
61093 - mummy
of Isetemkhebet - daughter of
Menkheperre, wife of Pinedjem II.
Her coffins, canopics and other funerary equipment were buried with
her. A much earlier set of her coffins were reused for the burial of
Neskhonsu. DB320 may be her original place of burial.
61088 - mummy
ofMaatkare, daughter of Pinedjem I
and queen Duathathor-Henuttawi.
Her coffins, a papyrus, and shabtis were found with her. Her body
was accompanied by the mummy of her pet-baboon (which at some point
was erroneously thought to be the body of an infant). Length of
mummy - 152,2 cm.
61089 - mummy for
years considered as
baby-daughter of queen Maatkare, Mutemhet, in fact mummy
of baboon.
61092 - mummy of
Masuharte
- general and high priest of Amun. His mummy is now in the Museum of Mummification at Luxor. Length of mummy - 169,6 cm.
61095 - mummy of
Neskhons - wife of Pinedjema II. Buried in DB320 in year 5 of Siamun.
61096 - mummy of
Nestanebtisheri - priestess of Amun, daughter of
Pinedjem II. Mummy found
with coffins and shabtis. There was also a linen docket written in
hieratic on her shroud, which indicated that it had been woven for
her by her alleged step mother Istemkheb. Length of mummy - 162,0 cm.
61087 - mummy of
Nedjemet - wife of
Herhor (and Piankh). Her coffins, canopic
chests and two Books of the Dead were found with her. The age of
Nodjmet at death is thought to have been between 30 and 35. Length of mummy - 154,8 cm.
61094 - mummy
ofPinedjem II - high priest of Amun,
son of Menkheperre.
Pinudjem II was buried with his coffins, a shabti box, an Osiris
figure, a papyrus, and canopic jars. Length of mummy - 170,6 cm.
mummy
of Ramesses I
(XIX Dynasty), who died
between 35 and 45 years of age. The body had been very well
preserved using embalming techniques typical of the late 18'th-early
19'th Dynasties. The man may have died from complications resulting
from a severe ear infection. Lenght - 160 cm.More ->>
61091 - mummy of Taiuheret, probably wife of high priest-general
Masuharte. She had white
hair, which indicates she died an elderly woman. Her canopic jars
were also found in the tomb. Length of mummy - 160,6 cm.
61061 - mummy of
Ahmes-Henttimehu (XVII Dynasty), probably daughter of
Seqenenre Tao II and Ahmes-Inhapy. She was an old woman at the time
of her death and must have lived into the reign of Ahmose. Lenhgt -
152 cm.
61062 - mummy of Ahmes-Hentempet (XVII Dynasty), daughter of Seqenenre
Tao II and Ahhotep. She reached
an advanced age. Lenght - 161 cm.
61063 - mummy of
Ahmes-Sitkamose, perhaps a daughter of Kamose (XVII
Dynasty). Lenght - 162 cm.
61054 - mummy of lady Rai, wet-nurse of Ahmes-Nefertari (XVIII Dynasty).
She was a youngish woman. Mummy is in very good shape. Lenght - 151
cm.
61064 - mummy of
Prince Ahmose-Sipair, son of Ahmose and
Ahmes-Nefertari. (XVIII Dynasty. This peculiar mummy looks
very distorted. The skin and only some of the bones remain. Length of mummy in bandages - 93 cm.
61052 - mummy of
Ahmes-Merytamun, probably daughter of Seqenenre Tao II (XVIII Dynasty),
describes as a small old woman. Mummy is badly damaged and is
missing its arms, both of had been pierced and remarked on the poor
state of her dentition. She was elderly at the time of her death.
61098 - mummy of
unknown man E (probably
XVIII Dynasty). The man was not embalmed and sown into a sheepskin.
He must have been a youngish man as his teeth were only slightly
worn. Lenght - 171 cm.