KV5

Welcome to the entrance of KV5, perhaps the most extraordinary archaeological mystery of the late twentieth century. For over a century, this tomb was considered a minor, insignificant shaft, largely ignored by explorers who were…

Descending into the first major chamber of KV5, one enters the grand 16-Pillared Hall. In ancient times, this room would have been an overwhelming display of royal power, similar in scale to the hypostyle halls of the great…

As the excavation of KV5 progressed beyond the pillared hall, a series of lateral corridors were discovered. To the astonishment of the team, these corridors were lined with doors leading to individual burial chambers. …

Deep within the main axis of the tomb, approximately seventy-five meters from the entrance, the excavators came upon a sight that is unique in the Valley of the Kings: a life-sized statue of the god Osiris, carved directly into…

KV5 is not just an archaeological site; it is an ancient crime scene. As we've discussed with the Turin Papyrus, the tomb was robbed within a century of the princes' burial. …

In 1997, the story of KV5 took an even more dramatic turn. Underneath the main entrance, the team discovered two sloping stairways leading to a lower level. …

As the seasons of excavation continued, another astonishing feature of KV5 emerged. At the bottom of the southwest stairway, a new corridor was traced heading out towards the tomb of Ramesses the Second himself, which lies barely…

Our exploration of the exterior of KV5 concludes here, but the work inside continues. This tomb is more than just a burial site; it is a monument to the unprecedented ambition and the tragic reality of Egypt’s greatest pharaoh,…