Tomb KV31 is a burial in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt. The tomb was filled with mixed debris of pottery sherds and linen fragments and the remains of five mummified individuals dating to the Eighteenth Dynasty. Only the top of the shaft was known before the University of Basel Kings’ Valley Project excavated in 2010, and no earlier excavations are known. However, it is suggested that the stone anthropoid sarcophagus excavated by Giovanni Battista Belzoni may have originated from this tomb.
Excavation and layout of Tomb KV31
In January 2010, the University of Basel Kings’ Valley Project began its excavation of the tomb, of which only the upper portion of the shaft was known. The shaft was well-cut and descended 5 metres (16 ft) through accumulated conglomerate and bedrock; the fill within the shaft contained modern rubbish above limestone chips, sand, and rocky debris. The shaft opens onto a central chamber with two adjoining rooms filled with debris to a depth of at least 1 metre (3.3 ft). Three pots containing Nile mud used for sealing the tomb’s door were found at the bottom of the shaft.
Most of the tomb is cut from good-quality limestone bedrock; the first chamber is partly cut from bedrock and the conglomerate. It was immediately apparent that the tomb was thoroughly robbed in the past, as pieces of broken funerary items were scattered around. The remains of several mummies and their wrappings were found within the side chambers. After the excavation, a metal door was installed over the shaft to protect the tomb and prevent water and debris from re-entering. The tomb was mapped in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Contents of Tomb KV31
The rooms’ fill contained the same mix of broken pottery from white-washed and decorated jars, wooden fragments from coffins, large quantities of linen bandages and natron bags and other textiles, and the unwrapped remains of mummies. Also found were pieces from two canopic jars, one of calcite and one of limestone; the latter was inscribed, but the space for the owner’s name was blank. A piece of a dummy jar inscribed for Sennefer was also encountered. Organic materials, including wood and fabric, were in excellent condition. Later strays in the tomb include ostraca, a piece of linen embroidered with the cartouche of Ramesses III, and an ushabti from the Twentieth Dynasty.
Mummies
They found five mummies within the two side chambers: two women and three men between 18 and 30. As there are no names for the mummies, each was given a designation based on the room they were found in (room C or room D).
Mummy C1
Mummy C1 is female and 18–25 years old at death based on the degree of epiphysial fusion and the unworn nature of her teeth. Her body is 159–160 centimetres (5.22–5.25 ft) long, and her height in life is estimated to have been 155–165 centimetres (5.09–5.41 ft). Her organs were removed through an incision, and the torso was filled with dense packing; her brain does not appear to have been removed. Short, silky black hair remains on her head. The ears have been plugged with linen.
Ancient robbers have damaged the body, with her face smashed and her head, right hand, and left foot disarticulated; the limbs are fractured, and several fingers and toes are missing. Robbers evidentially cut through the bandages with a sharp blade, as cut marks are seen on the shoulders, head and back. The front wall of the torso was also removed, and cut marks were seen on the torso stuffing.
Mummy C2
Mummy C2 is likely to be a young male aged 20–25, based on the fusion of the epiphyses and slightly worn teeth. The body measures 159 centimetres (5.22 ft), and the height, based on the measurements of the long bones, is 165 centimetres (5.41 ft). The front half of the head is covered with linen bandages, but they are missing on the back of the head, revealing braided hair. The ears may have been plugged; the brain appears not to have been removed. The organs have been removed, and the torso is stuffed with rolls of resin-soaked linen.
This body retains much of its bandaging, with the arms and legs preserving at least a dozen layers of fabric. The body is separated into several pieces: the head and pelvis, the legs separated from the torso and arms. Cut marks left by robbers are visible in the bandage layers of the face and thighs; a portion of the front wall of the torso has been removed. The body exhibits several post-mortem fractures, and parts of both hands and the left foot are missing.
Mummy C3
Mummy C3 is likely to be male. This individual is estimated to be 18–25 years old with a height in the life of 175 centimetres (5.74 ft). His headless body was found with his arms crossed over his chest and his left-hand fingers clenched like a king. The torso is stuffed with a dense substance. Both feet are missing, as is the right hand; the limbs show multiple fractures and dislocations. Thick bandaging is preserved on the right leg from mid-thigh to mid-calf.
Mummy C4
Mummy C4 is the largely intact body of an individual, possibly male, although no genitalia is seen. The body is 154 centimetres (5.05 ft) long, with an estimated stature and a life of approximately 160 centimetres (5.2 ft). His hair is short save for longer strands on the right side, suggesting the side lock of youth. The teeth are a little worn, but the wisdom teeth have not erupted; the bottom jaw is missing. The left arm is broken but present, while the right arm is altogether missing. The legs are dislocated at the knee and feet. The embalming incision may be vertical, possibly dating the mummy to before the reign of Thutmose III. Cut marks left by robbers are seen on the back of the hip.
Mummy D4
Mummy D4 is the highly fragmented body of an adult aged 20–30. The individual is possibly female, although this is very uncertain. Only the skull, parts of the spine, shoulder blades, sternum, right upper arm, one leg and part of the pelvis remain. The grouping is based on the fact the leg and pelvis portions match and the presence of a spare head. A living height of 155 centimetres (5.09 ft) based on limb measurements is estimated for a male individual. The brain was not removed. The hair on the head is short and reddish, possibly due to bleaching during embalming. A part of the genitals (possibly male) may be preserved on the left side, although ancient damage complicates this. The leg belonged to a likely individual fat in life, as the skin is folded over places.
The unwrapping and scattering of the bodies were likely the work of ancient and modern tomb robbers. The mummies were likely unwrapped during the Third Intermediate Period. Removing heads and hands is attributed to more modern robbers looking for pieces to sell to early tourists. The report suggests that these mummies were all interred initially, given the large pottery recovered from the tomb. The style of mummification seen in the individuals conforms to that of the elites of the mid-eighteenth Dynasty.
