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| In 1995, archaeologist Kent Weeks made
one of the most important discoveries in the study of ancient Egypt when
he uncovered the entrance to KV 5, a massive "lost tomb" in Egypt's Valley
of the Kings. With more than 120 corridors and chambers already located, and more expected to be revealed during ongoing excavation, KV 5 is the largest tomb in the Valley of the Kings. And it was here that Weeks found a skull that could be that of the firstborn son of the legendary king Rameses II, the pharaoh traditionally identified with the biblical story of Moses and the Book of Exodus. Weeks, professor of Egyptology at American University in Cairo, discusses his find: Q: Could the skull featured in the special actually be that of Amun-her-khepeshef, the firstborn son of the legendary pharaoh Rameses? Kent Weeks: When I read the broken inscription that said "Amun-her," (which Weeks found in a chamber in KV 5 in the Valley of the Kings) I realized this must be the tomb of Amun-her-khepeshef, Rameses' eldest son. And then we really knew we were on to something, because the team had now found proof for just whom the tomb had been built. A few days later, in the dim torchlight of Chamber 2, we discovered a pit and, in it, ancient human remains. It was a human skull. Obviously a very ancient one ingrained with dirt. Part of its jaw was missing, but the shape matched those I'd seen on the pharaohs before ... so I thought this must be it. I'm quite possibly holding the 3,000-year-old skull of Rameses' son and heir. Q: Why is this discovery significant in terms of learning more about Rameses' progeny? Kent Weeks: We know something about the lives of (Rameses' successors) Khaemwese and Merenptah, but the processional lists indicate Rameses II had at least 30 more sons and 30 daughters. Until the Theban Mapping Project discovered in 1995 that there was decoration on the walls of more than 100 chambers in KV 5, we knew little about Rameses II's children. Now, perhaps we can look forward to putting some flesh on the bones of the sons of Rameses II. Certainly one of the most interesting and important is the firstborn son, Amun-her-khepeshef. The late Egyptologist Elizabeth Thomas argued that KV 5 was "the tomb of the royal children" mentioned in the Turin Papyrus, and that KV 5 belonged to royal sons. We now know that she was correct. Q: Why do you think Rameses the Great's sons would have been honored with such an elaborate, labyrinthine tomb? Kent Weeks: It may have been because Rameses was declared a god during his lifetime. And if he was, he was limited in what he could do in the secular world. A god couldn't very well go and cut ribbons, adjudicate cases and things like that. The sons would have. Click Here For Part Two of Interview |
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