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The Tomb of Ramses VI

Ramesses VI ,reigned 1142 BC to 1134 BC, was the fifth ruler of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt and his tomb, KV9, is located near King Tutankhamen's in the Valley of the Kings.

Ramesses' two main names are normally realised as Nebmaatre-meryamun and Ramesse-amunherkhepshef neterhekaiunu. Ramesses VI is now known to have enjoyed a reign of 8 full Years. He lived for 2 Months into his brief regnal Year 9 before dying and was succeeded by his son, Ramesses VII. His 8th Regnal Year is also attested in a graffito which also names the serving High Priest of Amun, Ramessessnakht.

Shortly after his burial, his tomb was penetrated and ransacked by grave robbers who hacked away at his hands and feet in order to gain access to his jewelry. A medical examination of his Mummy reveals severe damage to his body.

THE TOMB

The tomb of Ramesses V (KV 9) is one of the most interesting tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Its decorations represent sort of a treatise on theology, in which the fundamental elements are the sun and its daily journey in the world of darkness. In general, the decorations provide the story of the origins of the heavens, earth, the creation of the sun, light and life itself. The decorative plan for this tomb is one of the most sophisticated and complete in the Valley of the Kings.

However, as it turns out, Ramesses VI was not much of a tomb builder, for this tomb was originally build by his predecessor, Ramesses V.

It was only enlarged by Ramesses VI. Why Ramesses VI did not build his own tomb, as was certainly the tradition, is unknown to us.

However, the inscriptions for Ramesses V found in the first parts of the tomb were not usurped, and it is clear that the brothers probably shared a common theology.

The tomb has been known of since antiquity, attested to by numerous graffiti.

It was known to the Romans as the tomb of Memnon, and to the scholars of the Napoleonic Expedition as La Tombe de la Metempsychose. It was cleared of debris by George Daressy in 1888.

The tomb itself is somewhat simplistic, with no true stairways, but otherwise similar to other 20th Dynasty tombs. There are three corridors that lead to the ritual shaft, and then to a four pillared hall.

This is followed by by two more corridors, a vestibule and then the burial chamber with its single annex at the rear. The last corridor (number 5) is unique, as the floor is sloping while the roof is horizontal.

This was done to avoid part of tomb KV 12

In this tomb, astronomical ceilings are found in each passage.

The walls of the first through third corridors are painted with images from the Book of Gates and the Book of Caverns, a theme which is continued on into the vestibule.

The beginning of the first corridor has a scene of the king making offerings to Ra-Horakhty followed by Osiris, now shown on both sides of the corridor.

But rather then the Litany of Ra, the Book of Gates follows on the south wall and the Book of Caverns on the north.

In the fourth and fifth corridors there are also passages from the Book of Amduat, and in the vestibule passages from the Book of the Dead.

The walls of the burial chamber, where there is to be found a broken sarcophagus, are painted with illustrations from the Book of the Earth, while the astronomical ceiling have decorations from the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night.

While the decorations are well colored with sunk reliefs, stylistically the art is inferior to most of the 19th Dynasty tombs.

The mummy of Ramesses VI was not found in his tomb, but rather that of Amenophis II.

This tomb is also included in the subject of the well known Papyrus Mayer B, which records the robbery of the tomb during antiquity, probably before Year 9 of Ramesses IX.