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Storied Walls
The Litany of Ra is among the Ancient Egyptian funerary texts of the New Kingdom written on the inside of the tomb of Rameses IV. Can you imagine what it must have been like when they discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799 and were finally able to decipher the copious notes inscribed on the walls and ceilings of this magnificent structure?
Time lost all meaning for me in Egypt.
The 63 tombs in the Valley of the Kings might indeed be over a thousand years younger than the magnificent Pyramids of the Old Kingdoms at Giza (see: Stories in Ancient Stone), but even the graffiti defacing them is older than the buildings I grew up around!
The Theban rulers of the Eighteenth Dynasty – spanning the period from 1549/1550 to 1292 BC – mark the start of the New Kingdom of Egypt, an era in which Ancient Egypt arrived at the peak of its power.
The Valley of the Kings was used for royal and noble burials from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC, and contains the tombs of pharaohs, preeminent nobles, and the wives and children of both nobles and pharaohs.
Today, to help protect the tombs from the impact of hot, sweaty bodies, the more important ones are open on a rotation system.
The first tomb I visited was the tomb of Ramesses (Rameses or Ramses) IV, the third pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. This relatively simple tomb was intended to be much larger, but was cut short when he died (1145 or 1149 BC) about six and a half years into his reign.
The chamber has been open since antiquity, and is believed to have been used as a dwelling by Coptic monks. European visitors described it in the early 1700s, and many 18th- and 19th-century visitors even used it as a hotel. As a consequences, the tomb is noted for having “the second-highest number of ancient graffiti within it”: it contains markings left by Ancient Greek and Roman visitors, depictions of Coptic saints and crosses, and more modern signatures.
Of course, the tombs were (with the exception of that of Tut Ankh Amun) looted by ancient grave robbers. I am not alone, however, in thinking that the real treasure is on the walls.
What was extraordinary to me was the vibrancy of the colours and the integrity of the bas-relief of the remaining hieroglyphics and paintings. The quality of the ancient workmanship is just stunning!
Over 3000 years ago, plasterers smoothed the quarried walls with muna, a plaster made from clay, quartz, limestone and crushed straw. This was then coated with thin layers of clay and limestone and whitened with a layer of diluted gypsum. Draftsman then sketched out the designs, as decided by the high priests and the pharaoh. Once any corrections were noted, sculptors would carve the bas-relief, which was then painted in the six basic colours (each with symbolic ritual meaning) made from mineral compounds. A layer of varnish or resin was then applied as a protective coating, and this, along with Egypt’s dry climate has helped protected the paintings.
Join me in the Tomb of Ramses IV!
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Porter
Half the fun of exploration is getting there. We travelled to Luxor on the ‘luxury’ overnight train from Cairo, complete with porters, microwave meals, and tiny sleeping compartments.
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View from the Bus
From the Luxor train station, it was about a one-hour bus trip across and along the Nile to the Valley of the Kings.
The Colossi of Memnon
Our first stop was west of Luxor, where twin colossi depicting Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled (1386-1353 BC) during the 18th Dynasty, flank the entrance to what was once his mortuary temple.
Colossus of Memnon
Following an earthquake in 27 BC, one of the colossus started to ‘sing’ at dawn. Greco-Roman tourists renamed the statue Memnon for the eerie wail it made – which reminded them of the mortal son of Eos crying to his mother every morning.
Balloon over Luxor
Meanwhile, more modern tourists have the opportunity to ride high over the valley.
Howard Carter House
British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter (1874-1939) became world-famous after discovering the intact tomb of Tut Ankh Amun. He became a popular public speaker, but died without receiving any British honours for his works.
Relief Map
The visitor centre to the Valley of the Kings contains an impressive large relief model of the layout of the tombs.
Shuttle into the Valley
The valley is extensive, with an inhospitable climate – blistering hot days and freezing cold evenings – that made it unsuitable for people to live and thrive.
Shuttle Driver
The shuttles are a welcome help to ferry tourists towards the tomb entries.
Walid and the Postcards
Our guide (who can’t enter the tombs with us) uses postcards to explain the illustrations inside K2.
Hieroglyphics and Graffiti
Ancient funerary texts and netherworld books: the Litany of Ra, the Book of Caverns, the Book of the Dead, the Book of Amduat, and the Book of the Heavens, line the walls of the tomb.
Painted Corners
The bits of plaster that have been rubbed off over time only highlight how well most of the work has lasted.
Colours and Textures
The colours – after all this time – are eye-poppingly bright.
Into the Afterlife
The texts inside the tomb helped the deceased find his way.
Illustrations
More Hieroglyphics – More Graffiti
Corridor into the Tomb
A rail at the end of the corridor keeps us out of the burial chamber of Ramesses IV. There are faded stars overhead.
Birds
On my way out, I paused to admire more hieroglyphs – and more graffiti.
Exit – Entry
Back outside, even at eight in the morning, the heat and brightness are overwhelming …
Alone with his Phone
… and we are plunged back in the 21st century.
From 1149 BC to AD 2019 in the blink of an eye! As I said, Egypt renders the passage of time and the depth of history unfathomable.
I just hope Rameses got where he was meant to be going …
Until next time –
Safe Travels!
Pictures: 07October2019
[…] We know all this because the texts describing the processes of mummification, the magic spells to protect the ‘deceased’ on their journey, and the rituals and protocols required of them and the living mourners, were all painstakingly rendered on the walls of the tombs of the most affluent and most revered of the Ancient Egyptians: the Pharaohs (see: The Writing on the Walls). […]
[…] FactoryAfter a hot morning in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings (see: The Writing on the Walls and Take me to the Afterlife), a stop in an air-conditioned alabaster factory was a welcome […]