One site that was mentioned in class a few times was the tomb of Seti the first. I think this tomb is one of the best examples of just how important life after death was to the Ancient Egyptians. The tomb of Seti the first (the first important pharaoh of the 19th dynasty) is located in the Valley of the Kings (KV17) and is one of the largest tombs in the valley. It is exquisitely painted with polychrome reliefs and in my opinion, is the best example of mortuary  architecture in the 19th century.  Seti 1 died in about 1279 BC after his 11 year reign . During his reign, he consolidated Egypt and the neighboring territories around it after the end of the 18th dynasty and Akhenaten’s failed attempt at radical reform.  However, he is more famously known for being the father of Ramesses II (Ramesses the Great).

In 1817, Giovanni Battista Belzoni rediscovered the tomb only to find it ransacked from looters. Belzoni did find some interesting artifacts including painter’s tools, wooden furniture, and a mummified bull. The mummified bull and lack of a human mummy led Belzoni to believe that this tomb was dedicated to Apis since this was before hieroglyphs had been deciphered. It was only later discovered that the tomb belonged to Seti 1 when hieroglyphs had been translated and the mummy of Seti 1 was found that had been hidden by priests during the Third Intermediate Period. In Belzoni’s notes he stated that the paint had looked as if the artists had just finished however, a lack of knowledge of preservation and carelessness led to the quick deterioration of the tomb.

After the rediscovery of the tomb, “excavations” began to take place. The sarcophagus was taken to be a part of a museum collection in 1820, and various paintings  were cut from the walls and taken to various museums in Europe. All of these “excavations” through the 1950s-60s caused the walls of the tomb to crack, collapse, and decay at a faster rate. Today, the tomb is mainly closed off to the public (though it is currently open) and restoration efforts are under way to prevent any further decay.

Despite the destruction that has occurred to the tomb since it was first sealed thousands of years ago, the tomb is still a beautiful symbol of the craftsmanship and dedication that went in to building these grand mortuary complexes. Seti the first’s tomb will continue to represent the skills and abilities of Ancient Egypt’s skilled craftsmen and the lengths that they took to ensure their Pharaoh could make it to the afterlife and continue to thrive for eternity.