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Tour the Tombs

Use this map to help you identify where some of ancient Egypt’s most fascinating rulers are buried.

December 1, 2016
By Jennifer Marino Walters
Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

A statue of the Egyptian ruler Hatshepsut

From a distance, there doesn’t appear to be much to see in Egypt’s famous Valley of the Kings. But this desert area actually hides many ancient secrets. About 3,500 years ago, this hilly stretch of land, located west of the Nile River, was a burial place for pharaohs. So far, 64 tombs have been discovered there. Artifacts found in the tombs include wall paintings, pottery, and statues.

ALESSANDRO VANNINI/Corbis via Getty Images

King Tut’s coffin 

“The tombs offer an amazing window into a culture that existed thousands of years ago,” says Lisa Ackerman of the World Monuments Fund. “You can see what great artists and engineers the ancient Egyptians were.”

Unfortunately, many of the tombs have not been well cared for. Many of them have been looted by thieves and damaged by floods. 

Courtesy of Dr. Kent Weeks

Archaeologist Kent Weeks points to a carving on a wall in the tomb of Rameses II’s sons.

In 1978, archaeologist Kent Weeks decided to take action. That year, he started the Theban Mapping Project (TMP). Its goal is to photograph, describe, and map every single temple and tomb in the ancient city of Thebes. That’s where the Valley of the Kings is. Weeks hopes the information the TMP collects will help experts to better protect the sites. 

In the process of carrying out their work, Weeks and his team have also made their own discoveries. A huge one, for example, came in 1995. That year, they unearthed the valley’s largest tomb. It was once the resting place of a famous pharaoh’s sons. That tomb is still being excavated.

Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images

The Valley of the Kings is surrounded by limestone cliffs. 

The sites you’ll be identifying on this map—including that one—are all located in the eastern section of the valley. That’s where most of the known tombs are. The West Valley of the Kings is much larger, but it has not been explored as thoroughly, Weeks explains. “A few archaeologists have said there was nothing left to find . . .  and they were all proven wrong,” says Weeks. “I am 100 percent sure that if we went into the West Valley and took a survey of it, we would find other tombs.”

This map shows the location of underground tombs that have been discovered in the East Valley of the Kings. Each tomb has a different shape, with rooms and connecting hallways. A pathway leads to the different tombs.

1. In your own words, how would you explain relative location? Find one or more examples of relative location used in the article.

2. How did you figure out where Rameses II’s sons were buried? Now that you know, how else might you use relative location to describe the location of their tomb? 

3. How do you know which tomb shown here was discovered by Weeks and his team? Why do you think this tomb needed to be so large?

4. In addition to relative location, each place on Earth also has a specific location, such as a street address. What is the specific location of your school? How might you describe your school’s location relative to your home?

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