The Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings was a place in Ancient Egypt that was located in the Southern part of Egypt and it was located west of the Nile River.  This was a place where many important people were buried.

Tombs

Along the Valley of the Kings there were tombs that were built that would house important kings and pharaohs.  These kings ruled from the year 1500 B.C. to 1000 B.C.  This was a time when pyramids were not being built to house pharaohs and so many of them were buried in the tombs instead of having their own pyramid.

How Many?

There are over 60 tombs that are found in the Valley of the Kings.  Some of these tombs are very small and just a hole in the ground while others of them are very large and have over 100 different rooms or areas.

Even though many of these tombs are still in the Valley of the Kings, most of them have been looted from thieves which means that things were stolen.

Though there were things that were stolen, there are still things such as paintings and other art works that allows historians a way to study the people during that time period.

King Tutankhamun was one of the tombs that was not looted and so it holds many treasures and is still there so that historians are able to study it and learn more about him.

Pharaoh Tutankhamun

One of the most important tombs, one that is still there is the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.  Many people call him King Tut for short.

King Tuts tomb was found by an archeologist by the name of Howard Carter.  He discovered the tomb in 1922 and found it under some huts where workers lived.  Because the tomb was under the ground and because there were other things on top of it, the thieves were not able to find it so many of the artifacts were still there and in perfect shape.

Some of the things discovered in King Tuts tomb was his mummy, a gold mask, a coffin and much gold.  His tomb had many different rooms or chambers in it including a burial chamber, a treasure chamber and an annex.

The Curse of King Tut

King Tuts tomb was said to be cursed and it was thought that anyone who entered into the tomb would have a curse on it.  The curse was written on a stone tablet and Howard Carver hid this because he was afraid that his workers would not go into the tomb.

Even though the curse was written on the stone, nothing bad happened to the people that opened or went into the tomb, so it is said that the curse was made up to scare thieves away.

Kings of the Valley of the Kings

There are many kings that were buried in the Valley of the Kings including:

• Tuthmosis I
• Ramses I
• Ramses II
• Ramses III
• Ramses IV
• Ramses V
• Ramses VI
• Ramsis VII
• Ramsis IX
• Ramses X
• Amenhotep I
• Tutankhamun
• Hatshepsut

More Facts About the Valley of the Kings:

• Different cultures have been known to write on the tomb and historians found that some of these cultures included the Greeks and the Phoenician.
• When someone worked in a tomb, they lived in the city called Deir El Medina.
• Another thing found inside King Tuts tomb was a lock of hair that is said to have belonged to his grandmother.
• People can now go to the Valley of the Kings and visit the tombs there.
• Many pharaohs from different times were buried at the Valley of the Kings but historians do not know all the people buried there.

 

What Did You Learn?

1. What is the Valley of the Kings?  The Valley of the Kings is a place where many kings and pharaohs are buried.
2. Where is the Valley of the Kings located? The Valley of the Kings is located in Southern Egypt and west of the Nile River.
3. What is one of the famous pharaohs that was buried in the Valley of the Kings? King Tut was one of the most famous pharaohs that was buried at the Valley of the Kings.
4. Why was King Tuts tomb not looted or stolen from? King Tuts tomb was not looted because the tomb was found under the ground and things were built on top of it.
5. How many tombs were found in the Valley of the Kings? There were over 60 tombs found in the Valley of the Kings.