reddish brown canyon in the limestone. Wadis branched out on both sides; the map in the guidebook resembled a pinnated leaf. Boulders and chunks of rocky rubble continually tumbled down the cliffs, altering the landscape. The mutability, as well as the remoteness, had made a perfecthideaway for the priests to bury their pharaohs in hopes the tombs (and treasures within) would remain undisturbed. Now the valley was protected by the soldiers at the entrance and a few guards in a tiny building perched on the top of one of the cliffs.
Inez was well prepared. “There are sixty-three excavated tombs. The first, down that path on the right, belongs to Ramses VII, and has been open to tourists since Greek and Roman times. Ramses IV is next, and it has graffiti on the walls dating back to 278 B.C. Farther up and on our left is the tomb of at least six of the fifty sons of Ramses II. This tomb has one hundred and twenty-one chambers and corridors, making it larger and more complex than any other tombs that have been found to date in all of Egypt. On the right is the tomb of Ramses II, who was the son of Seti I. He and his father both had sarcophagi made of alabaster.” She paused for a breath. “The farthest tomb is that of Tuthmosis III at the end of the—”
“That’s Tut,” Alexander said, gesturing toward a long line of tourists waiting in front of an entrance with a barred gate, “or Tutankhamun, if you prefer. It’s officially known as KV62. Only one other tomb has been found since 1922, and that was in 2006. There was great hope that KV63 would also be filled with gold, jewelry, and of course a mummy or two. The media and the Egyptologists were breathless with anticipation.”
“And …?” said Caron. She’d managed to nudge Inez away, and now was gazing at him with something closely akin to adulation.
“Although it contained seven coffins, none had a mummy,” Inez said before Alexander could respond. “The stone jars and the coffins held fragments of pots, fabric, and natron, a form of carbonate salt used for cleansing and cosmetic purposes as well as mummification. The style of the lintel above the door is similar to the one at Tut’s tomb, leading to speculation that it might have served as a storage area for another tomb built for Tut’s wife, Ankhsenamon.Their two known daughters were stillborn, their mummies found in Tut’s tomb.”
“Fascinating,” Caron said as she gazed at the cloudless sky.
Alexander may have been the dilettante son of a baron, but he was not oblivious of the tension. “I say, Inez, you’re better informed than I. Shall we all go have a look inside it?”
“Before we do that,” Peter said, “why don’t we have a look at the excavation in progress?”
“We met Dr. King last night,” I said to the girls. “Her college in Maine is funding the project.”
Alexander snorted. “In theory. Only colleges and foundations with established programs in Egyptology are granted concessions to excavate. They in turn allow individuals to raise money and do the actual labor. Howard Carter had Lord Carnarvon as his patron. These days, archeologists rely on private donations made through the college. My father, among others, has given a goodly sum to this project.” He paused to light a cigarette. “It allows him free access to the site, which is off-limits to the tourists. It also allows me the same privilege, and all of you as my guests.”
A group of Asians swarmed by us, camcorders readied. A much livelier group of Germans, the women dressed in tank tops and the men bare chested, brayed at some private joke. An older woman sat on a low wall, fanning herself with an open guidebook. A few determined parents ignored their whining offspring as they trudged up the winding road. Babies in strollers fidgeted and fussed.
The site we were seeking was only a couple of hundred feet past King Tut’s entrance. It was ringed with yellow rope tied to rods, and a large truck was parked
Inez was well prepared. “There are sixty-three excavated tombs. The first, down that path on the right, belongs to Ramses VII, and has been open to tourists since Greek and Roman times. Ramses IV is next, and it has graffiti on the walls dating back to 278 B.C. Farther up and on our left is the tomb of at least six of the fifty sons of Ramses II. This tomb has one hundred and twenty-one chambers and corridors, making it larger and more complex than any other tombs that have been found to date in all of Egypt. On the right is the tomb of Ramses II, who was the son of Seti I. He and his father both had sarcophagi made of alabaster.” She paused for a breath. “The farthest tomb is that of Tuthmosis III at the end of the—”
“That’s Tut,” Alexander said, gesturing toward a long line of tourists waiting in front of an entrance with a barred gate, “or Tutankhamun, if you prefer. It’s officially known as KV62. Only one other tomb has been found since 1922, and that was in 2006. There was great hope that KV63 would also be filled with gold, jewelry, and of course a mummy or two. The media and the Egyptologists were breathless with anticipation.”
“And …?” said Caron. She’d managed to nudge Inez away, and now was gazing at him with something closely akin to adulation.
“Although it contained seven coffins, none had a mummy,” Inez said before Alexander could respond. “The stone jars and the coffins held fragments of pots, fabric, and natron, a form of carbonate salt used for cleansing and cosmetic purposes as well as mummification. The style of the lintel above the door is similar to the one at Tut’s tomb, leading to speculation that it might have served as a storage area for another tomb built for Tut’s wife, Ankhsenamon.Their two known daughters were stillborn, their mummies found in Tut’s tomb.”
“Fascinating,” Caron said as she gazed at the cloudless sky.
Alexander may have been the dilettante son of a baron, but he was not oblivious of the tension. “I say, Inez, you’re better informed than I. Shall we all go have a look inside it?”
“Before we do that,” Peter said, “why don’t we have a look at the excavation in progress?”
“We met Dr. King last night,” I said to the girls. “Her college in Maine is funding the project.”
Alexander snorted. “In theory. Only colleges and foundations with established programs in Egyptology are granted concessions to excavate. They in turn allow individuals to raise money and do the actual labor. Howard Carter had Lord Carnarvon as his patron. These days, archeologists rely on private donations made through the college. My father, among others, has given a goodly sum to this project.” He paused to light a cigarette. “It allows him free access to the site, which is off-limits to the tourists. It also allows me the same privilege, and all of you as my guests.”
A group of Asians swarmed by us, camcorders readied. A much livelier group of Germans, the women dressed in tank tops and the men bare chested, brayed at some private joke. An older woman sat on a low wall, fanning herself with an open guidebook. A few determined parents ignored their whining offspring as they trudged up the winding road. Babies in strollers fidgeted and fussed.
The site we were seeking was only a couple of hundred feet past King Tut’s entrance. It was ringed with yellow rope tied to rods, and a large truck was parked
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