The following is a list of burials in the Valley of the Kings, in Thebes (modern Luxor, Egypt) and nearby areas.
The numbering system was established by John Gardner Wilkinson in 1821. Wilkinson numbered the 21 tombs known to him (some of which had been open since antiquity) according to their location, starting at the entrance to the valley and then moving south and west. Tombs that have been discovered since then have been allocated a sequential KV number (those in the Western Valley are known by the WV equivalent) in the order of their discovery.[1]
Since the mid 20th century, Egyptologists have used the acronym "KV" (standing for Kings' Valley) to designate tombs located in the Valley of the Kings. Additionally, the acronym "WV" is also used to designate tombs located in the West Valley (of the Kings).
Most of the open tombs in the Valley of the Kings are located in the East Valley, and this is where most tourists can be found.
| Number | width=9% | Time Period | Discovered | Intended for | Short summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KV1 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses VII[2] | ||
| KV2 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses IV[3] | ||
| KV3 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Unidentified | ||
| KV4 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses XI[4] | ||
| KV5 | 19th Dynasty | 1825 | Ramesses II (sons)[5] | With 120 known rooms and excavation work still underway, it is probably the largest tomb in the valley. | |
| KV6 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses IX | ||
| KV7 | 19th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses II[6] | ||
| KV8 | 19th Dynasty | Antiquity | Merenptah | ||
| KV9 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses V | Also known as the Tomb of Memnon or La Tombe de la Métempsychose. | |
| KV10 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Amenmesse | While intended for him, there is no direct evidence that Amenmesse was ever buried at this tomb. | |
| KV11 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses III | Also referred to as Bruce's Tomb, The Harper's Tomb. | |
| KV12 | 18th Dynasty | Antiquity | Various | This was possibly used as a family tomb. | |
| KV13 | 19th Dynasty | Antiquity | Bay | ||
| KV14 | 19th Dynasty | Antiquity | Twosret | ||
| KV15 | 19th Dynasty | Antiquity | Seti II | ||
| KV16 | 19th Dynasty | 1817 | Ramesses I | ||
| KV17 | 19th Dynasty | 1817 | Seti I[7] | Also known as Belzoni's tomb, the tomb of Apis, or the tomb of Psammis, son of Necho. | |
| KV18 | 20th Dynasty | Antiquity | Ramesses X | While this tomb was intended for the burial of Pharaoh Ramesses X, it was apparently abandoned while still incomplete. | |
| KV19 | 20th Dynasty | 1817 | Ramesses VIII | ||
| KV20[8] | 18th Dynasty | 1799 | Thutmose I & Hatshepsut | This tomb has been closed since 1994 due to flooding. | |
| KV21 | 18th Dynasty | 1817 | Queen ... | The original owner of this tomb is unknown, tombs KV22 to KV25 are part of the west valley mentioned below. | |
| KV26 | 18th Dynasty | c.1835 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV27 | 18th Dynasty | c.1832 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV28 | 18th Dynasty | c.1832 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV29 | c.1832 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | |||
| KV30 | 18th Dynasty | 1817 | Known as Lord Belmore's tomb. | ||
| KV31 | 18th Dynasty | 1817 | Excavations which mapped KV31 in 2010 & 2011 found the remains of five mummified elite individuals dating to the Eighteenth Dynasty. | ||
| KV32 | 18th Dynasty | 1898 | Tia'a | ||
| KV33 | 18th Dynasty | 1898 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV34 | 18th Dynasty | 1898 | Thutmose III | ||
| KV35 | 18th Dynasty | 1898 | Amenhotep II | During the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt over a dozen mummies were relocated here. Many of these included royalty as indicated by inscriptions on their burial wrappings. This tomb has been closed since 1994 due to flooding. | |
| KV36 | 18th Dynasty | 1899 | Maiherpri | A noble from the time of Hatshepsut. | |
| KV37 | 18th Dynasty | 1899 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV38 | 18th Dynasty | 1899 | Thutmose I | KV38 was used for the reburial of Pharaoh Thutmose I of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Thutmose I was originally entombed in KV20 before being moved here by Thutmose III. | |
| KV39 | 18th Dynasty | 1899 | Amenhotep I | ||
| KV40 | 18th Dynasty | 1899 | Various royal individuals | Burials date to the time of Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III, with members of their family being interred in it. Later intrusive burials from the 22nd Dynasty are also present.[9] | |
| KV41 | 18th Dynasty | 1899 | Not used | This has been described as a shaft rather than a tomb possibly belonging to Queen Tetisheri. | |
| KV42 | 18th Dynasty | 1900 | Merytre-Hatshepsut | This tomb was originally constructed for Hatshepsut-Meryetre, the wife of Thutmose III. She was never buried here though, and the tomb was later reused by Sennefer (mayor of Thebes during the reign of Amenhotep II). | |
| KV43 | 18th Dynasty | 1903 | Thutmose IV | ||
| KV44 | 18th Dynasty | 1901 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV45 | 18th Dynasty | 1902 | Userhet | Tomb of a noble | |
| KV46 | 18th Dynasty | 1905 | Yuya & Tjuyu | The parents of Queen Tiy. Until the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, this was the best preserved tomb to be found in the Valley. | |
| KV47 | 19th Dynasty | 1905 | Siptah | ||
| KV48 | 18th Dynasty | 1906 | Amenemipet called Pairy | ||
| KV49 | 18th Dynasty | 1906 | Storage | Tomb was possibly a store room. | |
| KV50 | 18th Dynasty | 1906 | Animals (pets) | Tombs contain animal burials, which were possibly the pets of Amenhotep II, whose tomb is nearby. | |
| KV51 | 18th Dynasty | 1906 | Animals (pets) | Tombs contain animal burials, which were possibly the pets of Amenhotep II, whose tomb is nearby. | |
| KV52 | 18th Dynasty | 1906 | Animals (pets) | Tombs contain animal burials, which were possibly the pets of Amenhotep II, whose tomb is nearby. | |
| KV53 | 18th Dynasty | 1906 | The original owner of this tomb is unknown. | ||
| KV54 | 18th Dynasty | 1907 | Embalming cache | This was probably an embalming cache for the tomb of Tutankhamun. | |
| KV55 | 18th Dynasty | 1907 | Smenkhkare &<br>Akhenaten | This tomb might be another mummy cache, and once possibly contained the burials of several Amarna Period royals – Tiy and Smenkhkare/Akhenaten. | |
| KV56 | 19th Dynasty | 1908 | Known as the Gold Tomb, the original owner of this tomb is unknown. Items with names of Ramesses II, Seti II and Twosret were found. | ||
| KV57 | 18th Dynasty | 1908 | Horemheb[10] | This tomb has been closed since 1994 due to flooding. | |
| KV58 | 18th Dynasty | 1909 | Known as Chariot Tomb, the original owner of this tomb remains unknown. Gold foil contains names of Tutankhamun and Ay | ||
| KV59 | c.1885 | Not used | This tomb appears to have been unused | ||
| KV60 | 18th Dynasty | 1903 | Sitre In | KV60 contains the mummy of Sitre In, who was a royal nurse of Hatshepsut. Another mummy was found that could be Hatshepsut herself, this is yet to be proven by DNA. | |
| KV61 | 1910 | Not used | This tomb appears to have been unused. | ||
| KV62 | 18th Dynasty | 1922 | Tutankhamun | Perhaps the most famous discovery of modern Western archaeology was made here by Howard Carter on November 4, 1922, with clearance and conservation work continuing until 1932. It was the first royal tomb to be discovered still largely intact (although tomb robbers had entered it), and was for many years the last major discovery in the valley. | |
| KV63 | 18th Dynasty | 2005 | Storage | Initially believed to be a royal tomb, it is now believed to have been a storage chamber for the mummification process.[11] | |
| KV64 | 18th Dynasty | 2011 | Nehmes-Bastet | The tomb of a priestess, discovered in January 2011.[12] The tomb was excavated in 2012 and was shown to have been used in the 18th as well as in the 22nd dynasty. The Lady Nehmesbastet lived during the 22nd dynasty.[13] |
The numbering the West Valley follows in sequence to that of the East Valley, and there are only five known burials/pits in the valley.
| Number | width=9% | Time Period | Discovered | width=9% | Intended for | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WV22 | 18th Dynasty | 1799 | Amenhotep III | The badly damaged mummy of Amenhotep III was later moved from the tomb, and restored in Year 13 of Smendes, and was ultimately discovered cached in KV35. This tomb was re-excavated in the 1990s, but is not open to the public. | ||
| WV23 | 18th Dynasty | 1816 | Ay | The contents of KV58 likely originated from WV23, as Ay's name occurs more frequently than that of Tutankhamun. "WV23" is the only tomb open to the public in the West Valley. | ||
| WV24 | 18th Dynasty | c.1832 | Unknown | "WV24" is an unfinished tomb that may have been intended for a high ranking noble. It could have also been built as a storage chamber for overflow from the royal burial as seen with WV23 and WVA. | ||
| WV25 | 18th Dynasty | 1817 | Unknown | This tomb may have been started as the Theban burial of Akhenaten, but it was never finished. | ||
| KV65 | 18th Dynasty | 2018 | Unknown | An unfinished tomb entrance, discovered in 2018[14] | ||
| WVA | 18th Dynasty | 1845 | Storage | This was a storage chamber for Amenhotep III's tomb which is located nearby. |