Tausert & Setnakht (Valley Of The Kings - KV14)

Tomb KV14 In The Valley Of The Kings

Tomb KV14 in the Valley of the Kings at the west bank of Luxor in Egypt is said to be the final resting place of Tausert and Setnakht. The tomb and the story behind it seem to be among the most unusual things in the whole valley. Due to having two complete burial chambers, KV14 is also one of the largest tombs in the valley.

The Story Behind The Tomb’s Construction And Ownership

The tomb was originally constructed for Tausert. She was the queen and wife to Sethos II. Construction took place in four separate stages. The first phase shows Tausert as a queen; the second phase took place under the reign of ruler Siptah. Later, when Queen Tausert ascended the throne, she ordered changes in the tomb to reflect her royal stature.

Another part of the story says that Setnakht, the father of Ramesses III, was ordered to be buried in the Tomb of Tausert rather than the original one intended for him. Ramesses III claimed KV11, intended for Setnakht, as his own. The tomb is thus unique as almost all pharaohs buried in the valley had their own tombs except Setnakht who was buried in a tomb which was constructed for Tausert.

Tomb Design

KV14 has an entranceway followed by three corridors that led into a ritual shaft that ended with a small, non-pillared hall. The fourth chamber was followed by a small antechamber, and the first burial chamber had many annexes. After this chamber were many more annexes and then two other corridors that finally ended into the second burial chamber. This chamber also had four annexes and a corridor.

Remarkable Features Of The Tomb

KV14 is totally unique in being a queen’s tomb initially, which was later on used for the burial of a king. The presence of two finished burial chambers and the thickness of gates before the first burial chamber are also rare. The beginning of a third burial chamber that was later abandoned is also rare. The presence of a side chamber is also remarkable.

Decorations Inside The Tomb

The images of Tausert before the deities were at one point changed to show a king rather than the queen. These images are believed to be the only ones where changes were made for Setnakht, the decorative plan of the tomb otherwise remained unchanged. The only exception was placed where the queen’s name appeared where the same was plastered and repainted to show Setnakht’s name and image.

The text from Book of the Dead, Opening of the Mouth Ritual, Book of the Gates, Book of Caverns and more can be seen on the walls. The ceiling meanwhile was decorated in an astronomical pattern.