KV9

KV9 is a tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, originally constructed by Pharaoh Ramesses V, who was interred there. His uncle, Ramesses VI, later reused it as his own. Its layout is typical of the 20th Dynasty, the Ramesside period, and is much simpler than that of Ramesses III's tomb, KV11.

Workmen digging one of the corridors accidentally broke into KV12. The work on KV9 also helped preserve the tomb of Tutankhamun, whose entrance was buried beneath huts built for the craftsmen working on the tomb of Ramesses VI. In 2020 the Egyptian Tourism Authority released a full 3D model of the tomb with detailed photography, available online.

The layout is a long corridor divided by pilasters into several sections, leading to a pillared hall, from which a second long corridor descends to the burial chamber. The digging of the burial chamber was not fully completed, and two pillars on its back wall are still connected to the wall behind them. The tomb has some of the most diverse decoration in the valley, and Ramesses VI, in a break with tradition, used the decoration program of the Osireion at Abydos as his template.

The entrance is decorated with a disk containing a scarab and the ram-headed Ra between kneeling Isis and Nephthys. The first corridor shows Ramesses VI before Ra-Horakhty and Osiris, in scenes originally depicting Ramesses V, with a complete Book of Gates and an almost complete Book of Caverns. The second corridor shows eleven hours of the Book of the Amduat. The burial chamber walls carry the Books of the Earth, and its vaulted ceiling shows the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night framed by the goddess Nut.

In the Graeco-Roman period the tomb was identified as that of Memnon, the mythological king of the Ethiopians who fought in the Trojan War, and it was frequently visited. 995 graffiti left by visitors have been found, ranging from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. They were left mostly by Greek pilgrims, written in black or, less frequently, red ink, mainly in Greek but also in Latin, Demotic and Coptic.

The tomb has some of the most diverse decoration in the Valley of the Kings. In fact Ramesses VI, in a break with tradition, used the decoration program of the Osireion at Abydos as the template for his tomb. Its layout consists of a long corridor, divided by pilasters into several sections, leading to a pillared hall, from which a second long corridor descends to the burial chamber. The digging of the burial chamber was not fully completed; its back wall has two pillars which are still connected to the wall behind them instead of standing separate.

Entrance

The entrance is decorated with a disk containing a scarab and an image of the ram-headed Ra between Isis and Nephthys who are kneeling. The jambs and thicknesses, mentions the name of Ramesses VI. The jambs are usurped from Ramesses V.

First corridor

On both sides are images of Ramesses VI before Ra-Horakhty and Osiris. The scenes originally depicted Ramesses V but were usurped. On the south wall of the corridor begin the scenes from a complete version of the Book of Gates, while the north wall is decorated with an almost complete exemplar of the Book of Caverns. The ceilings are decorated with astronomical figures and constellations in the first few divisions of the corridor, while in the last two divisions, and continuing into the first hall [designated Hall E by Piankoff], is a double presentation of both the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by an elongated image of the goddess Nut.

Hall

The corridor ends in a pillared hall [Hall E]. On the left (south) wall the Book of Gates is continued. The decorations show divisions 10 and 11 including the final scene of the composition, where Nun raises up the bark of Ra from the primordial waters with the goddess Nut above the scene. On the right side of the hall (the north) the Book of Caverns scenes continue. Above the entrance to the next corridor the king is shown censing and libating before Osiris. Ramesses VI is shown in a variety of scenes before gods and goddesses such as Meretseger, Khonsu, Ptah and Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. As previously noted, the ceiling of the hall is decorated with the remainder of the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by an elongated image of the goddess Nut. The ramp descending to the next corridor is flanked on either side by two images of winged cobras with crowns, representing the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Second corridor

The decorations show scenes of 11 hours from the Book of the Amduat in sequential order, although hours 7-11 are abbreviated . The ceiling depicts the barques of Ra and the Books of the Day and Night.

Antechamber and Burial Chamber

Ramesses VI is shown before Hekau, and Maat in the antechamber [Hall H, the Hall of Two Truths] at the end of the corridor, preceding the burial chamber. It contains important transfiguration spells (Chapters 124-127 and 129) from the Book of the Dead. The walls of the cavernous burial chamber are decorated with the Books of the Earth (including the Book of Aker). These include images of a solar boat with the double-headed god Aker, images of Osiris and various gods, the destruction of enemies, and representations of the sun's rays resurrecting various figures. A detailed analysis of these complex scenes are in J. Roberson, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth. The vaulted ceiling of the chamber is decorated, once again, with the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by a double elongated image of Nut.