Valley of the Kings: A Sacred Place of Mystery and Exploration Valley of the Kings, said to be the greatest treasure trove ever known, is the home of more than sixty-three tombs and chambers of pharaoh’s and other major royal figures. Built more than three and a half thousand years ago, it has been a concentrated area of archeological and egyptological exploration. It tells the story of not only the pharaohs and nobles laid to rest there, but also the craftsmen who designed, built, and painted the tombs. Construction of the Valley of the Kings took place from the sixteenth to the eleventh centuries BCE during the eighteenth through twentieth dynasties, also known as the New Kingdom Egypt (Journey Through the Valley of the Kings). The Valley of the Kings sits on the West Bank of the Nile in Egypt outside of an ancient city Thebes which is modern day Luxor. To this day the site remains a great world of ancient mystery and treasure.
Craftsmen began work on the tombs the day a king took over the throne and continued until the day he was buried; seventy days after his death for mummification (Schneider). The construction of these tombs were seen as far more important than that of the palace …show more content…
“A blissful eternity, to many Egyptians, was one spent soaring through the sky with the sun god by day and returning nightly to a well-supplied tomb” (What Life Was Like 171). Inside, craftsmen lined the walls with beautiful paintings that were not meant for art’s sake but to produce the means by which the king would come alive again (Journey Through the Valley of the Kings). Scenes from Amduat, the Book of Gates, and the Book of Caverns all were spells to help the dead king find his way to the afterlife. The hieroglyphs were key and one mistake could completely ruin the king’s journey. Accuracy was deeply important and the craftsmen put fine detail into every tomb’s
Craftsmen began work on the tombs the day a king took over the throne and continued until the day he was buried; seventy days after his death for mummification (Schneider). The construction of these tombs were seen as far more important than that of the palace …show more content…
“A blissful eternity, to many Egyptians, was one spent soaring through the sky with the sun god by day and returning nightly to a well-supplied tomb” (What Life Was Like 171). Inside, craftsmen lined the walls with beautiful paintings that were not meant for art’s sake but to produce the means by which the king would come alive again (Journey Through the Valley of the Kings). Scenes from Amduat, the Book of Gates, and the Book of Caverns all were spells to help the dead king find his way to the afterlife. The hieroglyphs were key and one mistake could completely ruin the king’s journey. Accuracy was deeply important and the craftsmen put fine detail into every tomb’s