KV37

Welcome to the Valley of the Kings, the final resting place of the great Pharaohs of the New Kingdom. While your gaze may be drawn to the grand, decorated tombs of kings like Ramesses or Tutankhamun, today we are exploring a more…

We begin our descent into KV37 through a steep, narrow stairway carved directly into the bedrock. This type of entrance is typical for the Thutmosid period, designed to be easily hidden by the desert scree and debris once the…

Following the entrance stairway, we enter the first corridor. This is a relatively straight, undecorated passage that serves as the spine of the tomb. …

The corridor opens into a pillared hall, a significant architectural feature that marks KV37 as a tomb of some prestige. The hall contains several massive pillars, carved from the living rock to support the ceiling. …

Finally, we reach the burial chamber, designated as Room J in the schematic of the tomb. This is the most sacred part of KV37, the spot where the sarcophagus would have been placed. …

One of the most intriguing aspects of KV37 is the collection of items used to perform magic rituals discovered within its corridors and chambers. These include divine figurines and 'shabtis'—small statues that were magically…

Our exploration of KV37 concludes with a look at its place in the broader landscape of the East Valley and the history of its discovery. As mentioned earlier, the tomb was numbered by John Gardner Wilkinson in 1827 as part of the…

As we conclude our visit to KV37, take a final moment to appreciate the quiet, understated majesty of this early Eighteenth Dynasty tomb. We have walked through its descending corridors, stood among the rock-cut pillars of its…