History Embalmed

Tomb of Ay

Tomb of Ay
Full details of Ancient Egyptian Religion, Death Rituals, Embalmers and Mummification can be found via the sitemap, in the Section called Egyptian Mummies. The following table lists details of the Tomb of Ay including its reference number, the date the burial place was discovered and the name and details of the Egyptologist who discovered or excavated the Tomb of Ay.

Ancient Egyptian Tombs - Tomb of Ay excavated by Giovanni Battista Belzoni
The Valley of the Kings is a necropolis. A necropolis is defined as a large cemetery or burial place near the site of a center of an ancient civilization. The Valley of the Kings, where the Tomb of Ay was found, is located near the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes (now modern-day Luxor).

There are 63 tombs which have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings belonging to the Pharaohs and leading dignitaries. Many of the tombs were discovered by the Egyptian tomb robbers of antiquity but during the 19th and 20th centuries renewed interest in Egyptology led European Egyptologists, such as Giovanni Battista Belzoni, to make further excavations in the Valley of the Kings, hoping to find undiscovered tombs, complete with fabulous treasures.

Tomb of Ay
Location of the Burial Site
 Valley of the Kings
Number
 KV23
Name of Occupant
 Tomb of Ay (Kheperkheprure Ay 1325 -1321
Period / Kingdom
 New Kingdom
Date of Period / Kingdom
 1570 BC - 1070 BC
Dynasty
 18th - Eighteenth Egyptian Dynasty
Date of Discovery
 Antiquity
Name of Egyptologist
 Re-excavated by Giovanni Battista Belzoni
Nationality of Giovanni Battista Belzoni
 Italian
Lifespan of Giovanni Belzoni
 1778 - 1823

Additional facts and information about the Tomb of Ay & Giovanni Battista Belzoni

The Tomb of Ay was built on the base of a sheer cliff, accessed by a staircase and consists of corridors and chambers. Paintings and decorations showing images of Ay have suffered from deliberate desecration, as did the sarcophagus. Hunting scenes have remained intact. The tomb now contains the reconstructed, original sarcophagus.

Giovanni Belzoni was a larger than life character (6 feet 7 ins - 2metres tall) who excavated many sites in Egypt, often accompanied by his English wife, Sarah Bane. He published a famous illustrated book about his Egyptian discoveries called the Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs and Excavations in Egypt and Nubia.

Ancient Egyptian Tomb numbering system
All tombs are and numbered and the legends KV, QV, WV & TT  indicate their location as follows:

  • KV (e.g. KV no.35) refers to the King Valley
  • QV (e.g. QV no.66) refers to the burial of Nerfertari in the Queen Valley
  • WV (e.g. WV no.23) refers to the burial of the Pharaoh Ay in the Western Valley
  • TT (e.g. TT no.55) refers to the burial of Ramose designated to the category of Theban Tomb
    • There are at least 415 catalogued tombs, designated TT for Theban Tomb which are burial places of nobles and important court officials

Tomb of Ay
Each section on the subject of Egyptian Tombs addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of Pharaohs and of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Tomb of Ay discovered by Giovanni Battista Belzoni.

Egyptian Tombs

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