Ancient Egypt's Valley of the Kings: Fieldwork in KV 49, an Enigmatic Tomb

In 1906, an expedition led by American multi-millionaire Theodore M Davis explored a rocky spur in the Valley of the Kings, adjacent to the royal tomb of Amenhotep II. During this work, six tombs were uncovered, including KV 49, an undecorated, unfinished and seemingly unremarkable tomb.

In 2018 and 2019, the Pacific Lutheran University Valley of the Kings Project led by Donald P Ryan, re-excavated this curious and obscure tomb, revealing some dramatic surprises and interesting possibilities.

Dr. Donald P. Ryan is an archaeologist and Faculty Fellow in the Division of Humanities and is also the Director of the Valley of the Kings Project at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. He is best known for his research and excavations in the Valley of the Kings where he has discovered lost tombs and controversial mummies. A veteran of many expeditions, he has written numerous scientific and popular articles
and many books on archaeological subjects. His newest book, published in 2018, is Twenty-Four Hours in Ancient Egypt—A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There. His 2010 book, Beneath the Sands of Egypt—Adventures of an Unconventional Archaeologist, describes his life, his intriguing explorations, and the remarkable rediscovery of a lost tomb in the Valley of the Kings.