Valley
of the Kings - KV55 'Amarna Cache' - XVIII Dynasty
Tomb
dated to Akhenaten’s time and known now
as Amarna cache was discovered in January 1907 by Edward R. Ayrton and
Theodore M. Davies. Remainders of gilded wooden chapel belonging to
queen
Tiji,
the wife of Amenhotep III, were found
inside and thus the tomb used to be assigned to her.
A
coffin, originally made for Semenkhkare's consort - Merytaten,
beautifully manufactured and incrusted with gold and precious stones,
included a mummy. Forehead of the anthropoid coffin was adorned with
gold ureus – symbol of royalty. The name of king was removed in
ancient time, probably when it moved from Akhetaten to Valley of the
Kings. In the tomb were found also four canopic
jars with carved female heads on their covers, various small artifacts
mainly with names of Amenhotep III and Tiy and finally last but not
least - fragments of gilded chest-like chapel belonging to Tiy and
resembling those discovered in
Tutankhamun’s
tomb. Unfortunately all its elements underwent complete destruction. The
coffin and mummy inside of it were severely decayed due to ground water
getting to the tomb. First unfolding of the mummy (Joseph L. Smith)
caused its bad damage and turned part of it into ash. Only
bones
and skull remained in good
condition. Very close similarity of the skull
with that of Tutankhamun,
and the same blood group (A2MN),
indicates that they were close relatives. The project’s CT scan of this
mummy provides an age at death of 45-55. Most earlier forensic studies
had put forth an age of 21-23 or later - 25-28 and identified with Semenkhkare.
DNA tests showed he was the son of Amenhotep III and queen Tiji, also
father of Tutankhamun. Mummy was moved
from
Akhetaten
to Valley of the Kings.
1 -
blade of a small copper graving tool
2 - panel and door from shrine
3 - lid of large alabaster vase
4 - second door from shrine
5 - "magic brick"
6 - panel from shrine with erased figure of
Akhenaten
7 - scattered blue beads
8 - box
9 - "magic brick"
10 - roof (?) of shrine
11 - panel from shrine
12 - side-panel (?) from shrine
13 - box
14 - broken remains of wooden box containing
156 objects, including ointment vases, model
papyrus rolls, wandts, two figures of Bes,
small figure of girl carrying a vase, Wadżet-eyes
and models of fruit
15 - lion heads from bier, seal fragments,
ureus of late names of the Aten
16 - coffin and mummy
17 - "magic brick" ; seal fragments
18 - statue plinth (?)
19 - canopic jars
20 - "magic brick"
21 - box
22 - remains of a small containing amulets
and other material "for the ceremony of
opening the mouth" including the handle of a
chisel, four alabaster blocks, flint knives
and two red pebbles
23 - box
24 - alabaster "vase stand" ; fragment of
furniture with the cartouches of Tiji and
Amenhotep III