Abstract of: The Last of the Experimental Royal Tombs in the Valley of the Kings: KV42 and KV34 (2011)
 

In the history of the Valley of the Kings, tomb KV34 is a watershed. On the one hand, it is the first royal tomb that can conclusively be allocated to a king (Tuthmosis III). On the other hand, the tomb of this king’s successor (KV35, of Amenhotep II) forms the starting point of an orderly and gradual evolution of the tomb’s design.
KV42 is a most enigmatic tomb: its owner can not be conclusively identified, and its plan has both modern and archaic aspects.
The plan of tomb KV34 also shows several traits that are difficult to explain – in particular the asymmetric shape of the burial chamber and of the pillared hall. It can be shown though, that the problems concerning the plan of KV34 can be solved by assuming that it was at first conceived on a more modest scale, and only later was enlarged. In this scenario, KV42 may have been designed between these two phases.

At the end of the paper, the development of the royal tomb design is described from KV39 to KV34.

83 pages, 30 figures, 19 tables, extensive bibliography.

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