Definition: The Valley of the Kings is the site of the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs from the
New Kingdom dynasties, during the 16th-11th centuries B.C. There are also burial sites for other important figures. Some of the kings' tombs had room for other family members who died during their reigns. The tomb of 18th dynasty pharaoh
Tutankhamen was found almost intact -- unlike the other tombs of his dynasty. The tombs have been looted since very early in their history. The last king whose tomb was begun in the Valley, Ramses XI, was not buried there.
The Valley of the Kings lies on the west bank of the Nile across from ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). The tombs were cut into the limestone rock by workers from Deir el-Medina.
The tombs are given a number following the letters KV (abbreviation for Valley of the Kings). There are actually two valleys, the east and west. The West Valley tombs are numbered following the abbreviation WV. KV 62 is Tutanhamen's tomb. The number reflects the order of discovery. The valley is also called a "wadi" or ravine.
Sources:
Kent R. Weeks "Valley of the Kings" The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Ed. Donald B. Redford, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2001
Aidan Dodson "Valley of the Kings" The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Brian M. Fagan, ed., Oxford University Press 1996
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wxyz Also Known As: Wadi el-Biban el-Moluk, Theban necropolis
