KV36

Welcome to the Valley of the Kings, the secluded wadi on the west bank of the Nile that served as the final resting place for Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs. While most people come here to see the grand tombs of Ramesses or the…

KV36 is architecturally simple compared to the sprawling, multi-corridor tombs of the pharaohs. It consists of a vertical shaft about 12 meters deep that leads directly into a single, undecorated burial chamber. …

One of the most spectacular finds within KV36 was Maiherpri's Book of the Dead. This long papyrus scroll, beautifully illustrated in vibrant colors, contains the spells and prayers necessary for the deceased to navigate the…

The chamber of KV36 was filled with an array of personal items that reflect Maiherpri's high status and his interests. Among the most famous objects are two beautifully decorated leather quivers and a set of arrows, highlighting…

When Loret opened the nested coffins of Maiherpri, he found a mummy that would change our understanding of the Egyptian elite. Maiherpri was approximately 20 years old when he died, and his preservation was excellent. …

Maiherpri was buried in a series of three nested coffins, which in turn were placed inside a large rectangular stone sarcophagus. The outer coffins were covered in black bitumen and decorated with gold leaf hieroglyphs, a style…

The tomb of Maiherpri is a perfect example of the cultural hybridization that defined the New Kingdom. Here, we see a man of Nubian origin fully embracing and being embraced by Egyptian funerary traditions. …

As we conclude our tour of KV36, the tomb of Maiherpri, take a moment to look across the rugged cliffs of the Valley of the Kings. This landscape is filled with the silence of four thousand years, but it is a silence that speaks…