Hiero Lens

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Tomb of Thutmose III (KV34)

Monument at Valley of the Kings · also called KV34, Thutmose III tomb, Tuthmosis III tomb

KV34 holds the whole Amduat written in simple cursive hieroglyphs, as if a papyrus had been unrolled on the walls. It is the tomb of Thutmose III (c. 1479–1425 BC), hidden high in a cleft in the cliffs.

A steep stair climbs a narrow gully to the entrance, then the tomb drops inside. The decoration is drawn, not carved: black and red signs and stick-like figures on a pale background. Next to the painted tombs of later kings it looks almost like a sketchbook.

The burial chamber is rounded like a cartouche. The king's red quartzite sarcophagus, also cartouche-shaped, is still inside. His mummy was found in the royal cache at Deir el-Bahari in 1881 and is now at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.

What to see and read

The Amduat

The twelve hours of the night run round the burial chamber in three bands. It is one of the earliest complete copies of the book.

List of gods

In the hall before the burial chamber, hundreds of small gods of the Amduat stand in rows, each with its name.

King and tree goddess

On a pillar, Thutmose III is fed by a tree that is the goddess Isis. Members of his family are shown nearby.

Names you can find here

Signs to look for

  1. Scarab beetle L1ḫpr The scarab, kheper, is the heart of Menkheperre, Thutmose III's throne name.
  2. Game board Y5mn The game board, men, follows the sun disc in Menkheperre.
  3. Ibis on a standard G26ḏḥwty The ibis on a standard is Thoth, in the birth name Thutmose.
  4. Three fox skins F31ms The fox skins spell mes in Thutmose, 'Thoth is born'.

Reading the hieroglyphs here

  • The cursive signs are thin. Hold the Hiero Lens camera close, or trace a sign over a photo.
  • If it is open when you visit, check at the gate whether it is on the main ticket.

Point your camera at a wall Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.

Questions

Why do the hieroglyphs in Thutmose III's tomb look like stick figures?

The walls copy a papyrus. The Amduat is written in cursive hieroglyphs, the quicker hand scribes used with ink.

Is the tomb of Thutmose III hard to reach?

It takes a steep climb up metal stairs and then a descent inside. It is not suitable for anyone who struggles with steps.

Also at Valley of the Kings

Monument

Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62)

KV62 has one painted room, the burial chamber, where you can read the cartouches of Tutankhamun and of Ay, the king who buried him. The young king's mummy still lies in the tomb.

Monument

Tomb of Seti I (KV17)

KV17, the tomb of Seti I (c. 1290–1279 BC), shows royal hieroglyphs at their best: almost every wall is carved in fine raised relief and painted, from the entrance down to the burial chamber.

Monument

Tomb of Ramesses VI (KV9)

KV9 is known for its burial chamber ceiling, where the sky goddess Nut swallows and gives birth to the sun among the texts of the Books of the Day and Night. Begun for Ramesses V, it was taken over by Ramesses VI (c. 1140 BC).

Where it is

Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.