The archaeological site that I have decided to take a closer look at is the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. The Valley of the Kings is located on the West bank of the Nile in Thebes. Thebes is located in the now modern day city of Luxor. The Valley of the Kings is a burial site, the “royal cemetery” for most of the Egyptian Kings of the New Kingdom. The Valley of the Kings served as the royal cemetery for over 400 years; the cemetery grew to house at least 62 tombs in this time period. As time went on throughout the 400 years of service as a burial site, the designs of the tombs became more elaborate, complex, and colossal (Manley 108). The Valley of the Kings is located in a “desert wadi,” which is a dry water-course with hills on both sides hence the term “valley” in the site's name. The site spans ten square kilometres of land in the valley (Weeks 1). One of the hills siding the valley is al Qurn, the highest cliff of the hills in the area (Manley 108). The site is divided into two parts, the West Valley and the East Valley. The majority of the tombs are located in the East valley with only two being discovered in the West Valley thus far. Being in Egypt the site is a desert scape, located just West of the Nile which is the only significant water source near the site. The valley is comprised of prominently white limestone may have been a factor of why this location was chosen as a burial site, limestone is a soft rock and is easy to work with; the limestone walls of the tombs are smooth (Theban Mapping Project). The Valley of the Kings was first documented in 1799 during Napoleon's exploration of Egypt by one of his scholars. In 1816, Giovanni Belzoni carried out one of the first excavations of the necropolis, unveiling and identifying eight tombs. Other excavations have been carried out since then. Starting in 1902, Theodore M. Davis funded a major and
Egyptian culture didn’t truly begin until the third dynasty, which is grouped into a period called the Old Kingdom. Since then, it developed into a thriving culture that changed little, even with new leaders. This conveys a sense of order and cohesion that flows throughout the time of the Egyptians. I was fascinated by the continuity. Unlike the artists of today, Egyptian artists did not rebel against the conventions of their day. If the surviving art is any indication, they were content to follow the artistic practices of their time. During the New Kingdom, a painting called "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" was created. It is a depiction of a portion of the process of laying Pairy to rest. Harold Hays wrote an article called “Funerary
The statue of Khafre is an example of how pharaohs utilized their wealth to elaborate the power they possessed while they were alive and to utilize while they were dead. They ordered statues to be made in their name to decorate the valley temple. The valley temple is a funerary setting in which Khafre ordered 23 statues to be made for it. In this case, Khafre’s statue was made and place near the
The funerary rituals introduced by the Egyptians were the most intricate, spiritual rites in their times and, perhaps, even to this day. Their elaborate customs, tombs, and gifts to the dead were representative of their pious, devoted nature. Albeit not all were as imposing as the oldest and still remaining Seven Wonder of the World, the Pyramids of Giza, all were meaningful and sacred. The Egyptians, highly reverent of their dead, adopted ornate, religious burial practices to fit to every member of their society.
The site of Emperor Haung’s tomb is located in Lintong, Shaanxi province, near the city of Xi’an in China (Kesner 1995). After its completion in 210 BCE, it was covered by earth mined from an area near the Wei River, sealing it away from the outside world for over two thousand years (Swart 1984). While ancient historians wrote of the unbelievable tomb, hidden under a massive pile of earth, many modern historians simply did not believe it to be true. However, between 1932 and 1970, five figures of kneeling servants were found near where the tomb mound was thought to be (Swart 1984). The mausoleum itself was eventually unearthed in 1974 by farmers who were digging wells and accidentally broke into a vast pit containing life-sized statues of about 6,000 soldiers and horses. A group of Chinese archaeologists were assigned to excavate the site and dig up its ancient treasures. In 1976, two more underground pits were found with about 1,500 more soldiers and horses (Swart 1984). Other than the clay soldiers and horses, brass figures were discovered...
It’s a valley in Egypt that was used for over 500 years during ancient Egyptian times as a resting place for Pharoahs. The site’s most famous Pharaoh buried at the site is King Tut, which started the Pharoah’s Curse legend when a group of Archaeologists died excavating the tomb. Almost all of the tombs have been ransacked since ancient times but, much of the beauty and architectural ingenuity can still be seen at the site. Don’t expect to see every tomb that the Valley has, though. Only a portion of the royal tombs is open to the
The New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, from 1550 – 1070 BC, was a time of extraordinary wealth, power, and the continuation of the arts in the classic ancient Egyptian style. Characterized by the abstract and impersonal depiction of humans, along with the strength of the Egyptian Empire, the New Kingdom is considered the peak of power and prosperity in ancient Egypt. “Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su” is a piece created in this time period that was originally part of a portrait located on the top of the king’s coffin. Because the coffin would carry the king’s mummified body in his tomb, the portrait depicts the pharaoh as being prepared for the Underworld, as well as being the ideal body for the spirit of the king to flow through. The objective of the coffin’s portrait is also to convey the power of the kingdom, putting emphasis on the king’s image and the immense wealth that accompanies him. In addition to the piece’s function as a coffin, “Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su” embodies the strength and wealth of the New Kingdom through the piece’s human face, use of bright colors, and geometric detailing.
After the impressive innovation of pyramids through Egypt’s Old Kingdom phase during 2575-2040 BCE, the construction of Tomb of Ti took place in Saqqara, Egypt. Saqqara served as the necropolis, or city of the dead, for Egypt’s capital of Memphis at the time. The tomb belonged to the royal family of the fifth dynasty official Ti and provided an excellent source of evidence for what daily life was like in the Old Kingdom through narrative artwork of painted reliefs. Nevertheless, the tomb serves the same purpose as others in the surrounding area to assist a spirit of the deceased into the afterlife, but the Tomb of Ti has its own unique aesthetic style when dealing with the simplistic images throughout it. The daily life subjects depicted
Egyptians hid treasures under the tombs, so no one would steal it. The location of the tombs is along the Nile River, and is across the river from the ancient town of Thebes. Ramesses I, and the II, were buried in the valley of the kings. The burial tombs were decorated nicely with paintings and texts. The design of the building and the inside of the building are very unique. The Valley of the Kings shows one of the most artistic burial chambers in the whole valley. Location of the Valley of the Kings, Kings buried in the Valley of the Kings, decoration of the burial tombs, and the design of the building.
W. Raymond Johnson, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, (1996), pp. 65-82, Date viewed 19th may, http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3822115.pdf?&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt which was chosen as the burial ground for a great number of pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom; the New Kingdom in Egypt spans the time between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC which includes the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth dynasties of Egypt (Long 2015: 39). In 1979 an organization known as the Theban Mapping Project was organized to strategically catalogue the present and available archaeological record of the Theban Necropolis in the Valley of the Kings. “The TMP’s goal is to establish a historical and contemporary record of all monuments … and to prepare detailed topographical maps, architectural plans and surveys of their history and condition (Weeks 2000:1).” The book
I am fascinated with the information I have learned through my research and college studies concerning Archaeology. In this paper I will endeavor to relate my personal interest in the subject matter, discuss a few of my favorite archaeological finds, and then conclude with King Herod’s most cherished creation – Caesarea Maritima. This has not only proven to be a marvelous creation, but an even better archaeological find! http://www.bibarch.com.
Thebes - Thebes first became the capital of Egypt around 2135 BC. It served off and on as capital until around 1279 BC. Thebes and Memphis generally rivaled each other as the largest and greatest cities in Egypt. Thebes was an important political and religious city. It housed several major temples including the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. The Valley of the Kings is located near the city of Thebes.Cites can’t happen automatically, they start off as villages and make their way up to become cites. They start off as villages and then slowly form into towns and then cites, but the houses arent made of stone, instead the are made of mud bricks. It can be extremely useful, if the house gets destroyed from a flood instead of clearing
The elements that will be focused on are the multiple functions of the tomb and rituals, specifically the mummification of bodies. Ancient Egyptian tombs had many functions; the main function being to hold the bodies of the dead. Tombs were typically built during a person’s lifetime and were ready by their time of death (Olson, 2009). Before bodies were put in the tombs, they underwent a process called mummification to help preserve the body and keep it intact. The tomb was also a place where family members could come and visit the deceased. In the early years, tomb structures were very simple; they consisted only of one chamber (Grajetzki, 2003: 3-4). Later on, façade tombs were built— which consisted of two parts; an “underground chamber for the dead and the superstructure built above the ground, over the shaft and the burial chamber” (Grajetzki, 2003: 8). Next, the Egyptian tombs and ...
Few bygone civilizations fascinate us as much as that of the ancient Egyptians. The kingdom along the Nile River has been the subject of countless books, magazine articles, movies, and television shows and documentaries. There is even a hotel in Las Vegas with an ancient Egyptian theme! Museums all over the world dedicate entire galleries to excavated Egyptian artifacts, and Egypt itself receives millions of tourists flocking to photograph its ruins each year.
The pyramids of Egypt are fascinating, however, they remain to be a mystery. The well-built architecture is located in Giza, Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. The pyramids of Egypt are the oldest and only surviving member of ancient wonders. It is also the pride and one of the most important factors in Egyptian culture.