Ramesses XI (Valley Of The Kings - KV4)

About Ramesses XI’s Tomb

Tomb KV4 is the final resting place of king Ramesses XI and is said to have been the last tomb built for any pharaoh in the Valley of the Kings at Egypt. The tomb is said to have been used as a workshop by Pinejdjem I who kept here funerary equipment from tombs KV 29, KV 34 and KV 38. Pinejdjem too planned to usurp the tomb as his own burial place, but this plan was abandoned.During the Coptic period the tomb is was also used as a place of residence. Later findings claim that the tomb was not where Ramesses XI was actually buried.

About KV4

Tomb KV4 lies in the west bank of Luxor in the area known as Valley of the Kings and is believed to have been opened since antiquity for tourists and visitors. The first pillared hall and the burial chamber are unfinished and the decorations can only be seen in the first corridor. The major attraction of the tomb is that it is the last of the royal tombs in the valley.

Tomb's Design

KV 4 consists of an entranceway and a corridor that ends into a descending ramp. This is followed by the second and the third corridor that finally leads to a ritual well room that was undug and undecorated. The peculiar feature seen was the rectangular rather than square pillars in the burial chamber, the ceiling inside was vaulted and no barriers were found inside, however, pivot holes for door jambs could be seen inside the corridors and chambers. An unusual feature seen in the tomb was a shaft within the burial chamber indicating the presence of more chambers further along.

Decorations Inside The Tomb

Tomb KV4 has very little decoration when compared to other royal tombs in the area. The entranceway and the beginning of the first corridor had scenes where Ramesses XI was seen kneeling between two goddesses bordered by the sun disk. The corridor entrance also had a similar illustration.

Artifacts Found In The Tomb

The major artifacts related to Ramesses XI found inside the tomb include three foundation deposits which had his name inscribed on them. Also, limestone chips, fragments of gold gesso, faience, cedar wood were found. The workshop run by Pjnejdem led to a finding of some intrusive items as well as two large fragments of blue faience vessels and more. A beeswax figure of Ramesses XI seen standing before Goddess Ma’at was also found in the tomb.

More About KV4

The exact location as to where the king was buried still remains uncertain, but most Egyptologists believe that the place of burial must be somewhere in the north of Egypt.