Dust whispers secrets. Here before you stands KV27 a tomb shrouded in mystery in the Valley of the Kings.
For centuries KV27 remained largely unexplored. Its location between KV21 and KV28 in a side wadi was known. John Wilkinson visited it. However a full exploration didn’t happen until the 1990s. Donald P Ryan of Pacific Lutheran University led the excavation. He uncovered a simple tomb. It has a shaft and four rooms. Unlike many royal tombs KV27 is undecorated. The identity of its occupant remains unknown a puzzle that continues to fascinate and frustrate archaeologists.
The tomb’s layout is unique. It’s similar to KV30. It’s possibly an expanded version of a simpler shaft tomb. Or it may represent a transition in architectural styles. A plastered ramp connects the main chamber to a side chamber. This was initially thought to be a sealed burial shaft. Pottery suggests the tomb dates to the mid-Eighteenth Dynasty.
The original discovery of KV27 is lost to history. No records exist. Richard Pococke may have noted its location. Wilkinson certainly knew about it. Eugène Lefébure briefly described it mentioning fragments of a mummy. Auguste Mariette may have investigated it in 1859.
The Pacific Lutheran University’s Valley of the Kings Project excavated KV27 in 1993 and 2006. Local antique sellers used the entrance to escape the heat. A family of dogs even lived there in 1990. The 1993 excavation yielded pottery and fragmented burial remains. These included wood gold leaf and wrappings.
The 2006 excavation was more thorough. The shaft was cleared revealing modern rubbish and souvenirs. The tomb was full of flood debris. Chamber B yielded few artifacts. Only fragmented stone vessels pottery and faience were found. Some human metacarpals were also present. Side Chamber C was full of pottery sherds mostly from white-washed storage jars. Large stones suggest a catastrophic flooding event. This chamber contained the most human remains a partial skull vertebrae ribs and a right arm. The remains appear to be from a single individual at least thirty years old. Animal bones were likely food mummies. Two inscribed fragments of a canopic jar were found. They name a “god’s father” Userhet the owner of KV45. The excavation of the remaining two chambers was left for later. A steel door was added to secure the tomb. The wall around the shaft was repaired. A diversion wall was built to protect against flooding.
Today KV27 holds its pottery finds. Other artifacts are stored in KV21 for flood protection. The mystery of KV27 lingers. Who lies within this quiet chamber? What stories could its silent walls tell? The answers remain buried waiting for future discoveries.