During the early 18th Dynasty, the first known royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV20) was quarried for Thutmose I and later adapted for Hatshepsut. Its unusual curving plan shows the experimentation that characterized the initial shift from pyramid/temple-centered burial landscapes to hidden cliff-cut royal tombs.
KV20 was further enlarged and refitted during Hatshepsut’s reign to accommodate her burial alongside that of her father. The work illustrates how early Valley tombs could be modified over time, and how royal tomb architecture began incorporating longer corridors and more complex internal arrangements.
A separate tomb (KV38) was prepared for Thutmose I’s reburial, likely under Thutmose III. The move underscores the evolving concerns with security and suitability that drove architectural changes and the continued reworking of royal burial arrangements in the Valley.
Thutmose III’s tomb (KV34) established influential elements of early New Kingdom royal tomb design, including a steep, bent-axis plan and a distinctive cartouche-shaped burial chamber, signaling increasing standardization in internal planning while still retaining strong variation between reigns.
In KV34, funerary compositions such as the Amduat (and the Litany of Ra) appear as core decorative programs meant to guide the king through the afterlife. This marks a major architectural-and-textual integration: tomb walls became structured vehicles for standardized underworld books.
The tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35) retains an early bent-axis approach but features a rectangular burial chamber divided into upper and lower pillared sections, a layout that became characteristic of later New Kingdom royal burials and influenced subsequent spatial planning.
Tutankhamun’s KV62 is notably small and simplified relative to other royal tombs, consistent with a hasty interment. Its compact arrangement demonstrates that practical constraints (time, politics, resources) could override architectural norms even in royal contexts.
Horemheb’s KV57 is widely described as a transition from 18th Dynasty bent-axis designs toward the straighter axial concepts typical of 19th–20th Dynasty royal tombs. Its partly straightened/jogged geometry reflects an architectural pivot at the end of the 18th Dynasty.
KV57 is identified as the first royal tomb to show the Book of Gates, expanding the repertoire of underworld books used in tomb decoration. This shift mattered architecturally because decorative programs were mapped onto corridor-and-chamber sequences, reinforcing more regularized layouts.
The tomb of Ramesses I (KV16) is a short, straight-axis royal tomb, reflecting the new dynasty’s move toward more linear planning. Its truncation also shows how reign length and logistics could directly shape architectural scope.
Seti I’s KV17 became one of the Valley’s largest and most decorated tombs, featuring multiple major funerary texts (including the Book of Gates and Amduat). Its scale and elaborate program represent a high point in integrating architecture with extensive underworld literature.
Ramesses II’s KV7 was cut in the lower central Valley, a location that increased exposure to flooding and long-term damage. Its plan and decorative program illustrate both continued ambition and the environmental risks that influenced later planning, maintenance, and preservation issues.
KV14 was constructed through multiple phases associated with Twosret’s changing status and was later reused and extended for Setnakhte. The palimpsest of altered names and scenes demonstrates how tomb architecture could be repurposed across regimes, reshaping plans late in the New Kingdom.
In the Third Intermediate Period, KV35 (originally Amenhotep II’s tomb) was reused as a cache for multiple royal mummies, reflecting intensified tomb robbery and official strategies to protect royal remains. This later reuse underscores how New Kingdom tombs acquired new functions long after their architectural completion.
Michael CarricoDevelopment of Royal Tomb Architecture in the Valley of the Kings (c. 1550–1069 BCE)