QV 22
Anonymous
Entryway A
See entire tombShaft entrance with a cemented brick surround spanned by a metal grill with mesh.
Shaft entrance of QV 22. © Getty Conservation Institute and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Chamber B
See entire tombLarge rectangular roughly cut chamber perpendicular to the shaft (A), with a niche or small side chamber jutting out of the middle of the south wall at a 45 degree angle. In the southeast corner of the chamber, the ceiling has collapsed, and the corner of the southeast chamber is therefore only estimated. Dried, cracked mud on the shaft wall and chamber floor indicated flooding. A mummified dog, fine pottery fragments, and bone and wood fragments were found in the chamber. The side chamber or niche also has a collapsed ceiling, making it difficult to assess its function.
View of rear of side chamber from Chamber B. © Getty Conservation Institute and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
About
About
QV 22 lies on a slight slope on the south side of the main Wadi, along the south side of the principal pathway. It has one main chamber (B) perpendicular to the shaft and a small side chamber or niche that juts out at a 45 degree angle. The shaft has a cemented brick masonry surround spanned by a metal grill with mesh.
Elizabeth Thomas described this tomb as one of the "crosswise" tombs with an uncommon plan and a deep shaft. At the time of her visit, a number of artifacts were present. The tomb was last cleared in 1986-87 by the Franco-Egyptian Mission. They noted that its contents were similar to those of QV 21 - mummified remains and fragments of fine pottery, bone, and wood - that indicate that the 18th Dynasty tomb was reused in the Third Intermediate period.
Noteworthy features:
Elizabeth Thomas described this tomb as one of the "crosswise" tombs, with an uncommon plan and a deep shaft.
Site History
The tomb was constructed in the 18th Dynasty and reused in the Third Intermediate Period.
Dating
This site was used during the following period(s):
Exploration
Conservation
Site Condition
According to the GCI-SCA, like its neighbors, QV 22 is cut into an area of intersection between two different qualities of rock. The marl and shale are separated by a clear horizon that runs in a nearly vertical fashion along the length of the main chamber (B). More specifically, the southern portion of the eastern end of the main chamber (B), as well as the entirety of the side chamber or niche are cut into weak, highly fractured shale. The remainder of the tomb is composed of marl. In some areas where shale is present, there are signs of rock fall and deterioration. Dried, cracked mud is present on the walls of the shaft and on the floor of the main chamber, providing evidence of previous flooding or water infiltration. More vulnerable to damage from water infiltration, the shale has deteriorated more rapidly than the marl in this tomb.
Old electricity building and entrances to QV18, QV19, QV22, QV21, QV20, QV23, QV25, and QV26
Signage in front of QV20, QV21, QV22, and QV23 with old electricity building in background
Entrances to QV21, QV22, and QV23 with old electricity building in background.
Entrances to QV21, QV22, and QV23 with old electricity building in background
Entrances to QV22 and QV19 in background
Entrances to QV22 and QV19 in background
Entrances of QV19, QV20, and QV22.
Entrances to QV20, QV21, and QV22
Entrances to QV19, QV20, QV21, and QV22
QV49 and QV50 in the foreground with the southeastern side of the main wadi, southern branch, and entrance to the QV in the background.
Entrances to QV19, QV20, QV21, QV22, and QV23
Entrances to QV19, QV20, QV21 and QV22
Entrances to QV17, QV19, QV20, QV21, and QV22 with visitors shelter at QV51 and QV66 in background
Entrances to QV19, QV20, QV21, and QV22
Shaft entrance of QV 22. © Getty Conservation Institute and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
View of rear of side chamber from Chamber B. © Getty Conservation Institute and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Articles
Tomb Numbering Systems in the Valley of the Queens and the Western Wadis
Geography and Geology of the Valley of the Queens and Western Wadis
Bibliography
Aston, D.A. The Theban West Bank from the Twenty-fifth Dynasty to the Ptolemaic Period. In: Nigel Strudwick, and John H. Taylor (Eds.). The Theban Necropolis: Past, Present and Future. London: British Museum, 2003: 138- 63.
Aston, David. Burial Assemblages of Dynasty 21-25. Chronology – Typology – Developments. Denkschriften der Gesamtakademie 54 = Contributions to the Chronology of the Eastern Mediterranean 21. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2009.
CNRS mission report: Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France). Rapport d'activité 1987-1988 URA no. 1064, 1987-1988.
Demas, Martha and Neville Agnew (eds). Valley of the Queens. Assessment Report. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2012, 2016. Two vols.
Thomas, Elizabeth. The Royal Necropoleis of Thebes. Princeton: privately printed, 1966.
