Posted on 02/08/2006 10:48:04 AM PST by SunkenCiv
AN American archaeological mission discovered a tomb in Luxor's Valley of the Kings next to the burial place of King Tut, Egyptian antiquities authorities have announced.
An excavation team from the University of Memphis made the find five metres from Tutankhamun's tomb, while the mission was doing routine excavation work, said Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Some three metres beneath the ground, the tomb contained five human mummies with coloured funerary masks enclosed in sarcophagi and several large storage jars.
The mummies date to the 18th dynasty (circa 1539-1292 BC).
(Excerpt) Read more at theage.com.au ...
Yesterday I found out that Wikipedia already has a page on this discovery:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV63
Now THAT's fast!
WP is a hangout for people who would post on FR, but have some kind of weird prejudice against us. :')
You mean they're not all at Democratic Underground? I figured it was just a coincidence that a lot of Wikipedia's writers happen to be liberal. It would have been tough for them, but I think they could have posted something about KV63 here, so long as they kept the politics out of it.
Interesting choice of title for the article, eh? ;')Tombs in CollisionThe quarrymen who began work on KV 11 for Setnakht at the southern end of the Valley of the Kings did not know that another tomb, KV 10 belonging to Amenmeses, already lay nearby. While cutting corridor D1a of KV 11, workmen broke into side chamber Fa of KV 10 [16923]. They immediately abandoned work here and instead, decided to enlarge another, already existing tomb for Setnakht's use. This was KV 14, originally dug in Dynasty 19 for Queen Tausert. Later, Setnakht's son and successor, Rameses III, returned to KV 11 and adopted it for his own burial. His workmen slightly changed the axial orientation of the tomb to avoid any more problems with KV 10 and went on to dig one of the largest tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
by Kent Weeks
December 11, 2002
Theban Mapping Project
KV 9 (Rameses V and Rameses VI)Nearly a thousand graffiti in Greek, Latin, and Coptic are written over the scenes... When the lower corridors and chambers were being cut, workmen accidentally broke into the rear chamber of KV 12... Rameses V started the construction of KV 9, cutting from the entrance through chamber E. Rameses VI finished the excavation of the tomb, decorating the new sections with his own name and image, and usurping representations and cartouches of Rameses V in the first five corridors. It is not known whether Rameses VI removed the body of Rameses V, or if the two kings shared the tomb. KV 9 has been open since antiquity. Papyrus Mayer B records thefts in KV 9, and a graffito dated to regnal year 9 of Rameses IX on the ceiling of the burial chamber J may refer to the inspection of the tomb after it was reported robbed...The wall reliefs in KV 9 are well-preserved, and there is little flood damage in the tomb.
by Kent Weeks
Theban Mapping ProjectKV 10 (Amenmeses)This tomb is also of interest because of the breakthrough by the cutting of KV 11. KV 10 was cut during the reign of Amenmeses, but no evidence survives to indicate that he was interred in the tomb. At some later date, the tomb was usurped by Takhat, who bore the titles of king's daughter and great royal wife, and another queen, Baketwerel. The origins of these two royal women are not certain, but it is now thought that they are related to Rameses IX of Dynasty 20. Early in Dynasty 20, workmen were excavating KV 11 for Setnakht. While digging corrridor D, they accidentally broke through the ceiling of side chamber Fa in KV 10. KV 10 has been partially open since antiquity, and there are Greek, Arabic, and modern inscriptions on the walls at the entrance to the tomb.
by Kent Weeks
Theban Mapping ProjectKV 11 (Rameses III)This tomb has multiple side chambers off the first and second corridors B and C, decorated with unusual scenes. Workers cutting this tomb accidentally broke through to KV 10... The first three corridors of KV 11 were begun for Setnakht, but abandoned when the cutting of the third corridor broke into another tomb (KV 10). The tomb was subsequently completed by Ramesses III, who added the side chambers to corridor C and finished the tomb through chamber L. After his burial was disturbed, the mummy was reburied in the cache in TT 320, and discovered in 1881. The tomb has been partly accessible since antiquity.
by Kent Weeks
Theban Mapping ProjectKV 12 (Unknown)The plan of KV 12, particularly of its lower chambers, suggests that it was intended for multiple burials of royal family members... The builders of KV 9 accidentally broke into this tomb when carrying out their excavations. Where we would expect the first corridor, the tomb builders cut a chamber (B) with central pillar, side chambers, and lateral descent. The unusual design of the tomb with its multiple side chambers is similar to KV 5 (but on a smaller scale), and also to KV 27 and KV 30... Because KV 12 is not decorated, and because it has been thoroughly plundered, the exact dates of construction and use are unknown. It was probably begun in Dynasty 18 and used in Dynasty 19 or 20 for multiple burials, perhaps for royal family members, as KV 5 was used by Rameses II. The lower chambers pre-date Rameses VI since the east wall of chamber G was broken through by the tomb cutters of KV 9. If there had been any earlier burials, they may have been plundered at that time.
by Kent Weeks
Theban Mapping ProjectKV 14 (Tausert and Setnakht)KV 14 is a rare example of a queen' s tomb of the Rameside period in the Valley of the Kings re-used for a king's burial. This tomb possesses two complete burial chambers (J1 and J2); the thicknesses of gates before the first burial chamber J1 were cut back. A third burial chamber (K1, K1a and K1b) was begun but abandoned between the other two. Names and images were altered from Tausert to Setnakht and from Siptah to Sety II. Side chamber Ga is unique... The fate of Tausert's own burial is uncertain since the tomb was taken over in Dynasty 20 for the burial of Setnakht. Her mummiform granite sarcophagus was recently found in KV 13 where it had been re-used for the burial of prince Amenherkhepeshef. In most instances, the image and name of the queen were replaced with those of Setnakht. At some point, the names of Siptah were altered to those of Sety II, although the date of this change is not known.
by Kent Weeks
Theban Mapping Project
It won't be the first time Dr. Velikovshy failed to get credit where he deserved it. Even in the New Chronology group where I participate, they seem reluctant to admit that he was right on some issues, which is all the more remarkable because David Rohl doesn't hesitate to tell us where he agrees with Velikovsky.
:') I spent an hour or so rereading some unpublished chapters, regarding the sequence of rulers when the house of Akhenaten died out, which put the proverbial b-slap to the competition. Check my links page here on FR for a wayback machine link I added today. (': Time to go backpack shopping. Yes, that's right, my past has caught up to me, and I have to go on the lam. ;')
I had a dream last night that two of these mummies were identified as Akhenaton and Nefertiti. :')
from Khazakhstan:
New tomb opened in Egypt's Valley of Kings
13.02 / 09:27 | 1008
http://www.inform.kz/txt/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=139754
LUXOR (Egypt). February 13, 2006. KAZINFORM - ...So far, archaeologists have not entered the tomb, having only opened part of its 1.6-yard-high (1.5-meter-high) entrance door last week. But they have peered inside the single chamber to see the sarcophagi, believed to contain mummies, surrounded by around 20 pharaonic jars... Schaden's team will finish clearing rubble from the bottom of the shaft, then completely open the door in the coming days to allow archaeologists to enter. They can then look for any hieroglyphs that identify those buried inside. The team hopes to remove the coffins before the end of the digging season, usually around May, when the weather gets too hot to work in the deserts outside Luxor, 300 miles (500 kilometers) south of Cairo, Schaden said. The coffins appear to have some damage from termites, Brock says. "It's going to take a lot of conservation work to consolidate these things before we can take them out," he said... [Kent Weeks commented that] Objects in the tomb "could be 200 to 400 years later than the original cutting of the tomb," he said.
A Concealed Cachet in Luxor!! February 2006
http://guardians.net/hawass/news/a_concealed_cachet_in_luxor.htm
...The sarcophagi contain mummies that date to the 18th dynasty, which for an unknown reason they were buried rapidly in the small tomb. Eight pits have also been located and archaeologists have suggested that they are stairs used by ancient Egyptians to enter and exit the tomb... Otto Shaden the director of the American mission said that from the build-up of the rubble and construction of workmen's huts above that tomb had been concealed at least since the latter part of dynasty 19.
Ohio retiree in Egypt exploring newfound tombAn Egyptologist from Ohio is among those helping unearth a tomb that's thousands of years old and the first discovered in eight decades in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Earl Ertman, 73, of Tallmadge, is an associate director on the project. The retired University of Akron art professor has the job of identifying objects the researchers uncover... Ertman is part of the team of American archaeologists that discovered the chamber while working on the neighboring tomb of Amenmeses, a late 19th Dynasty pharaoh. The project is affiliated with the University of Memphis.
Cincinnati Enquirer
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
New Tomb Discovered in the Valley of the KingsThe burial chamber holds seven wooden anthropoid ("human-shaped") coffins with painted faces, about twenty pottery jars, and other materials that will come to light as the clearing of the tomb progresses.
Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology
University of Memphis
Egyptomania blogI've been a little too vague on the discovery of the tomb, because I wasn't sure what to say and not to say. (In that respect, vagueness is always the way to go!) Basically, the team was excavating the workmen's huts on the west side of KV 10 at the end of last season, and at that point they uncovered three corners of the shaft. That was March 10, 2005. However, I'm not sure that that can be given as the date of discovery, since the Valley is full of such shafts, and many of them are maybe 1 meter deep or peter out or lead to nothing, and there was no guarantee that this shaft wouldn't be the same (did that sentence make sense?). So, this season, we unearthed the workmen's huts (yet again!! took quite a while, let me tell ya!) and found the shaft, and began to work our way down. Then, during the first week in February, we reached the door, and the rest is history!!
by Sharon Nichols
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Reeves was barred from excavation in Egypt pending a hearing on allegations of antiquities stealing and smuggling. He has, happily, been cleared of the allegations (at last). [source]Fight over newly discovered tomb in the Valley of the Kings: Explorer Ousted!As a matter of fact we first located the tomb during the course of a ground-penetrating survey of our concession in 2000." ...The British Egyptologist has no idea why he is not credited to be the discoverer... "The Americans were handed copies of our radar data in mid-2005 as soon as we heard of their stumbling upon it." ...In the consequence the Egyptian authorities surprisingly disbarred Nicholas Reeves of his excavation licence - so that now the American team was free to take credit for it. Will the British Egyptologist continue his "Amarna Royal Tombs Project"? Reeves: "We are in discussion with the Supreme Council of Antiquities. But regrettably there is no clarity on this issue just at present."
Legendary Times
2/18/2006
www.mysteries-magazin.com
Akhenaten:
Egypt's False Prophet
by Nicholas ReevesAkhenaten is known for being the ruler who attempted to restructure the Egyptian multigod religion organization into a monotheistic form of worship. Reeves, former curator of the British Museum's Department of Egyptian Antiquities, argues some new and original theories behind Akhenaten's actions regarding political policy and religion.
Valley of the Kings FoundationFirst of all I should like to express ARTP’s delight at the recent uncovering by Otto Schaden’s University of Memphis team, outside the entrance to Amenmesse (KV10), of a new shaft tomb - KV63. The discovery offers welcome confirmation that my belief in the existence of further tombs in the Valley of the Kings was indeed soundly based... ARTP was quick to put at the disposal of Otto and his team our research on that particular area just as soon as we heard a rumour of the discovery in mid-2005. We send our best wishes for a painstaking and thorough excavation - properly executed the potential information-yield of the find should be very high indeed. Please note that for the time being this website will be the only official vehicle for my thoughts and comments on KV63.
Home of the Amarna Royal Tombs Project
by Nicholas Reeves
One last little bit, same source as the "Legendary Times" thing.
http://www.glyphdoctors.com/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=501
Transcript of Dr. Hawass' announcement of the shaft
by Barb Krause - Friday, 10 February 2006, 08:13 PM
Here is the transcript of the announcement Zahi made:
Zahi Hawass lecture from the morning of 1/26/2006, Cairo time
Zahi Hawass: Some good news. I was in Luxor two days ago and I did go to the Valley of the Kings to see this shaft that has been excavated by Memphis State University. And they believe that this shaft is intact and the excavators believe that it's the tomb of Nefertiti. I think that they're going to open it two days from now. But the bad news is that I don't think that it's intact. When I looked at it, I found out that it has a Dynasty 19 deposit. Means that, uh, if Dynasty 19 exists in the area means, that the shaft was stolen in Dynasty 19. But it's going to be very exciting.
And at the same time in Luxor I saw the American expedition working also from Johns Hopkins University. And they found this beautiful statue. It's a life size statue, made of granite and it's for a lady. And it has no name except the name of Amenhotep the third which means that this statue should be for queen TI, the wife of Amenhotep III.
This is just to tell you what's happening in the field of excavations, what we are doing.
(Went into the slideshow)
Q and A following slide show.
(Several questions unrelated to the find in Luxor)
Q: This shaft you said they found that might be Nefertiti's tomb, is this a newly found shaft?
Zahi Hawass: Yes. They found it last year. And they did cover it. And they wanted to announce it and I said you can't announce that you found that shaft. You have to excavate the shaft and after that, we can announce that you found something.
Uh, there was an English expedition working on the other side by some one, his name is (I couldn’t make it out). And we stopped this man for many reasons. But he came this year to claim that this is his concession. But, then, this is an expedition from Memphis University and they began, for the last month, to clean the deposit above that shaft. It's at the entrance of the Valley of the Kings exactly. And when I went two days ago, I found they are opening today or tomorrow. But I, I can feel it's not really intact. They think it's intact. Then we'll see who's wrong and who's right tomorrow.
(further questions, unrelated)
regarding Nefertiti, other Amarna stuff, chrono order:
Found: Queen Nefertiti's Mummy
The Sunday Times (UK) | 6-8-2003 | Jack Grinston
Posted on 06/08/2003 1:05:51 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/925321/posts
Nefertiti mummy 'found in Egypt'
BBC News | 10 June 2003 | BBC staff
Posted on 06/10/2003 1:42:05 PM EDT by Constitution Day
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/926411/posts
Smenkhkhare, the Hittite Pharaoh
BBC History ^ | September 5, 2002 | Dr Marc Gabolde
Posted on 07/30/2004 12:42:36 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1181802/posts
Teasing The Sun (Nefertiti)
IOL ^ | 9-5-2004
Posted on 09/12/2004 9:02:36 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1214189/posts
Nefertiti's 'Love Affair' With Moses to Hit the Silver Screen
Yahoo News! ^ | Fri Apr 8
Posted on 04/08/2005 7:21:11 PM EDT by nickcarraway
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380126/posts
Treasures of Tanis
Archaeology ^ | May/June 2005 | Bob Brier
Posted on 04/22/2005 1:52:45 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1389163/posts
King Tut's skin color a topic of controversy
LA Life ^ | Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | Evan Henerson
Posted on 06/16/2005 9:59:26 AM EDT by optik_b
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1424033/posts
Egyptomania (originally 'Egyptomania')
Metro West Daily News ^ | Sunday, October 2, 2005 | Chris Bergeron
Posted on 10/08/2005 10:25:02 AM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1498946/posts
Researchers to look into Victorian historical 'truths'
Guardian ^ | Friday November 25, 2005 | Polly Curtis
Posted on 11/27/2005 10:51:07 AM EST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1529287/posts
Demonstrators say King Tut exhibit depicts wrong skin color
http://www.centredaily.com ^ | Dec. 17, 2005 | MACOLLVIE JEAN-FRANCOIS
Posted on 12/18/2005 3:08:30 PM EST by Rebelbase
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1542927/posts
Team Unearths Statue of Egypt's Queen Ti
AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/23/06 | AP
Posted on 01/23/2006 11:00:39 PM EST by NormsRevenge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563695/posts
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