WV24

Welcome to the Western Valley of the Kings, often referred to as the 'Valley of the Monkeys.' This area is far more secluded and rugged than the main Eastern Valley, offering a starker, more solitary experience of the Pharaonic…

The walk to WV24 is a journey through a landscape that feels 'technical' and 'risky' even in its stillness. You are walking along the same paths that the ancient tomb builders trod over 3,000 years ago. …

We now stand at the threshold of the entrance shaft. Like many Eighteenth Dynasty tombs of this type, WV24 begins with a vertical drop rather than a sloping corridor. …

Descending into the main chamber, you enter a space that is literally frozen in time. This room was never finished. …

In the corners of the main chamber and within the debris of the shaft, archaeologists found a significant cache of pottery sherds. These fragments are the 'juice boxes' of history, providing essential data about the tomb's…

Off to one side of the main chamber is a small niche or annex, roughly carved into the wall. In a completed tomb, this might have been a room for the 'canopic' jars containing the internal organs of the deceased. …

As we prepare to exit the tomb, look closely at the ceiling and walls for signs of ancient and modern stabilization. The Western Valley is particularly prone to flash flooding, and WV24 has acted as a 'drain' for the wadi on…

As we emerge from the cool depths of WV24 and step back into the rugged sunlight of the Western Valley, take a moment to breathe in the dry, ancient air. This has been a 'new summit' in our understanding of the Valley of the…