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National Geographic Treasures of the Earth, opening June 11, showcases three remarkable archaeological sites from around the world. Aspects of each site are represented in rich detail, providing a chance for children and families to discover, analyze, and interpret archaeological clues and work using the tools of the field.
Among those sites is the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I. Our team worked extensively with experts in Egypt to recreate parts of his tomb, often described as one of the most spectacular in all of the Valley of the Kings. One of those experts, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Famed Egyptologist and Archaeologist and a good friend of the museum, gives you a first-hand account as he and his team excavated the mysterious tunnel found in the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I. Check it out:
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"40194","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"200","height":"298","title":"Dr. Zahi Hawass","alt":"Dr. Zahi Hawass"}}]]By Dr. Zahi Hawass, Famed Egyptologist and Archaeologist
I always wanted to work in the Valley of the Kings. There is something magical about the cliffs that contain the tombs of the most famous kings of Egypt. There are 63 tombs in the Valley of the Kings that have been recorded, 26 of which belonged to these great pharaohs, and the others of which were for their most valued nobles. My team and I have been excavating a tunnel that leads deep into the cliffs from the burial chamber of the tomb of Seti I, one of the great warrior kings of the 19th Dynasty (ca. 1291 – 1278 B.C.) for over two years. We have reached the end of the tunnel and revealed to us the mystery for the first time.
The story goes back to almost 40 years ago when I was a young man working in the Valley of the Kings. I met Sheikh Ali Abdel-Rassoul, a 70 year old man who was a member of the famous Abdel-Rassoul family that knew the secrets of the Valley of the Kings. Sheikh Ali took me from my hand and led me to the tomb of Seti I, the longest tomb in the Valley of the Kings about 100 meters long. He showed me a tunnel that extends downward from the king’s burial chamber, and explained to me how he had explored it to a depth of around 130 meters, farther than any archaeologist had gone up to that point. He had been excavating with the permission of the Antiquities Service in 1960, but this permission was revoked after only a few months, and he was unable to go any farther.
Sheikh Ali told me that whenever I become a great archaeologist, I should come back to the tomb and find out what lies at the end of this tunnel. He believed that it would be the true burial chamber of the king, hidden away behind a false burial chamber in order to protect it from robbers. I did not really believe Sheikh Ali at the time but I knew that we had no artifacts from the burial of Seti I, which could mean that his real resting place had not been found. There was no evidence, however, that the tunnel led to anything significant. Over the years, however, I came to think that regardless of what we may find at the end of the tunnel, it would be good to explore it to determine its real function.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"40195","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"200","height":"267","title":"Dr. Zahi Hawass","alt":"Dr. Zahi Hawass"}}]]When we first considered investigating the tunnel in 2007, we found that the rock in which it was carved was unstable, making it extremely unsafe to work in. Everyone was afraid that the excavation would cause the tunnel to cave in. I discovered that this was the reason why Egyptologists avoided excavating the tunnel. Despite the fact that no one had ever succeeded, I decided to take the risk and do the work. Before we began, I consulted with Dr. Ayman Hamed, an expert in soil mechanics. He devised a plan to excavate the tunnel while simultaneously protecting the tomb itself. He said that the tunnel could be supported by iron beams. The walls of the burial chamber, in which the tunnel extends from, needed to be covered in order to protect the paintings. Lastly, he wanted to build wooden stairs and a trail way for transporting the sand and stone rubble during the excavation. Before we started our excavation, we stabilized the interior, using a system of iron beams to support the walls and ceiling.
During the excavation, we found many artifacts on the ground, such as pottery and shabtis dating to the 19th Dynasty and inscribed stones with the name of Seti I. Steps were also found in many locations with graffiti. We thought that the artifacts found could show that something important lay at the end of the tunnel. We also discovered where Sheikh Ali excavated. He reached a depth of 130 meters before losing the real path. He, in fact, started digging into the bedrock itself! We have excavated around 174 meters inside the mountain and have reached the end. We have found interesting evidence that suggests Seti I built a royal tomb inside a tomb. Soon, the secrets of Seti I will be revealed.
To be continued...
Among those sites is the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I. Our team worked extensively with experts in Egypt to recreate parts of his tomb, often described as one of the most spectacular in all of the Valley of the Kings. One of those experts, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Famed Egyptologist and Archaeologist and a good friend of the museum, gives you a first-hand account as he and his team excavated the mysterious tunnel found in the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I. Check it out:
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"40194","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"200","height":"298","title":"Dr. Zahi Hawass","alt":"Dr. Zahi Hawass"}}]]By Dr. Zahi Hawass, Famed Egyptologist and Archaeologist
I always wanted to work in the Valley of the Kings. There is something magical about the cliffs that contain the tombs of the most famous kings of Egypt. There are 63 tombs in the Valley of the Kings that have been recorded, 26 of which belonged to these great pharaohs, and the others of which were for their most valued nobles. My team and I have been excavating a tunnel that leads deep into the cliffs from the burial chamber of the tomb of Seti I, one of the great warrior kings of the 19th Dynasty (ca. 1291 – 1278 B.C.) for over two years. We have reached the end of the tunnel and revealed to us the mystery for the first time.
The story goes back to almost 40 years ago when I was a young man working in the Valley of the Kings. I met Sheikh Ali Abdel-Rassoul, a 70 year old man who was a member of the famous Abdel-Rassoul family that knew the secrets of the Valley of the Kings. Sheikh Ali took me from my hand and led me to the tomb of Seti I, the longest tomb in the Valley of the Kings about 100 meters long. He showed me a tunnel that extends downward from the king’s burial chamber, and explained to me how he had explored it to a depth of around 130 meters, farther than any archaeologist had gone up to that point. He had been excavating with the permission of the Antiquities Service in 1960, but this permission was revoked after only a few months, and he was unable to go any farther.
Sheikh Ali told me that whenever I become a great archaeologist, I should come back to the tomb and find out what lies at the end of this tunnel. He believed that it would be the true burial chamber of the king, hidden away behind a false burial chamber in order to protect it from robbers. I did not really believe Sheikh Ali at the time but I knew that we had no artifacts from the burial of Seti I, which could mean that his real resting place had not been found. There was no evidence, however, that the tunnel led to anything significant. Over the years, however, I came to think that regardless of what we may find at the end of the tunnel, it would be good to explore it to determine its real function.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"40195","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"200","height":"267","title":"Dr. Zahi Hawass","alt":"Dr. Zahi Hawass"}}]]When we first considered investigating the tunnel in 2007, we found that the rock in which it was carved was unstable, making it extremely unsafe to work in. Everyone was afraid that the excavation would cause the tunnel to cave in. I discovered that this was the reason why Egyptologists avoided excavating the tunnel. Despite the fact that no one had ever succeeded, I decided to take the risk and do the work. Before we began, I consulted with Dr. Ayman Hamed, an expert in soil mechanics. He devised a plan to excavate the tunnel while simultaneously protecting the tomb itself. He said that the tunnel could be supported by iron beams. The walls of the burial chamber, in which the tunnel extends from, needed to be covered in order to protect the paintings. Lastly, he wanted to build wooden stairs and a trail way for transporting the sand and stone rubble during the excavation. Before we started our excavation, we stabilized the interior, using a system of iron beams to support the walls and ceiling.
During the excavation, we found many artifacts on the ground, such as pottery and shabtis dating to the 19th Dynasty and inscribed stones with the name of Seti I. Steps were also found in many locations with graffiti. We thought that the artifacts found could show that something important lay at the end of the tunnel. We also discovered where Sheikh Ali excavated. He reached a depth of 130 meters before losing the real path. He, in fact, started digging into the bedrock itself! We have excavated around 174 meters inside the mountain and have reached the end. We have found interesting evidence that suggests Seti I built a royal tomb inside a tomb. Soon, the secrets of Seti I will be revealed.
To be continued...
