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| Plan of Tomb KV55 |
The Tomb of
Akhenaten (KV55) not open to the common untile 2010. KV55 possibly belongs to Akhenaten, Tiy, or
Smenkhkare, but it is unknown. Discovered by Edward Ayrton (american) on January 6rh, 1907 while processing the tomb of
Ramesses IX (KV6). He accidentally found the entrance. It was partly sealed by the direct door and covered, then stampeed with the same seal seen on Tuts tomb (jackal and 9 captives). The barrier had been breached, and the passageway filled with limestone dust. This was likely done in the
20th dynasty, when other tombs were likewise resealed. When the tomb of Ramses IX was but, the debris poured out into the entrance, sealing it again. Tomb was excavated hurriedly (looking for treasure) and randomly.
Quite a bit of water damage from a leak over the door, which was disciplined in antiquity. Tomb cleared out by 1908 and sealed with a steel door. Items are inscribed with the names of
Queen Tiy,
Amenhotep III and Tut. Most items ended up in museums, but many were stolen by workers. The steel door vanish in 1923, exchanged with stone, which also collapsed and the tomb was taking with dust by 1944. Inquired yet over again in 1959 by Elisabeth Thomas and Lyla Pinch Brock in 1993. Plaster was fixed in 1996. Probably started as a secret tomb and retrod as a royal tomb.
21 steps lead in, with a particular corridor and one chamber. The burying chamber is 7 x 5 meter and 4 m high. Black detergent builders marks point that another room was contrived. Plausibly cut at the very time as Tuts and Yuya/Tuya, since they are so corresponding.
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| Pectoral found on the Tomb KV55 |
Walls were stiff, but spare. Probably covered some time afterwards the tomb was dug. Most of the plaster on the northern wall was vanished by the time of the burying. First found on the rubble was a door panel prepared for a shrine to Akhenatens mother, Tiy. Most of the shrine (developed by Akhenaten) was observed in pieces, although his name was scratched off. Decayed coffin found inside, with crook and flail visible. The
cartouches had been cut off and the bottom part of the golden face mask were riven away. A mummy was determined alone. The coffin,
canopic jars, and other points got were originally contrived for a woman but adapted for the use of a man. Probable that vanished pieces (some never made it ot the museum) were entered with the name of Smenkhkare, the heir of
Tutankhamun. Tomb may have been remodeled for Queen Tiy (Davis). Nevertheless, Weigall did not trust it could be a woman and that the body may have better been Akhenaton the incomplete stsate of the tomb due to the induced burial from
Amarna peculiarly since all names were erased from the funerary materials. The mummy, while mistook as a woman, has been conclusively presented to be male. Heiht 3.93 m, length 27.61 m. Trance on the valley floor with a stairway. Straight axis.
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