KV12

KV12 Tomb of Unknown

In KV12 is an ancient Egyptian undecorated family grave in the middle of the eighteenth dynasty. It is located in the Valley of the Kings on the grave of Amenhotep II afferent Wadi.

Research

The grave was already known at the time of Richard Pococke, a first report was made 1820-1840 by James Burton. The grave was initially filled with debris, which was cleared away over time from unknown excavators. Further excavations were carried out by Harold Jones (1908-1909), Howard Carter (1920-1921) [A 1] and Otto Schaden ( 1993-1994), but brought forth no significant findings.

Burton took mummy remains inside the tomb as well as a graffito on the wall of a chamber. In the end chamber of the body was probably buried. After John Romer this was sealed in antiquity with clay plaster.

At the entrance to Jones et al discovered two calcite shabtis that. from the grave of Ramses VI come. Workers who KV9 probably at the time of Ramses VI. ausmeißelten, accidentally broke through in the end chamber.

Construction

The grave is composed of a plurality of chambers and has a length of about 90 m. It runs from south to north and has a laterally offset input. On the input follows a hall with a single column, several unfinished branches and a staircase. The outer chambers are rough hewn, while the inner carefully edited. In the subsequent passage to the north there is a staircase with lateral ramps, similar to royal tombs. The deeper part of KV12 is unbalanced, but around the central main chamber outline can be seen not gouged doors. Probably a balanced arrangement of the side chambers was intended, but has not been completed. The irregularity in the adjoining rooms is due to impenetrable rock veins.