Research

Pottery and the Valley of the Kings: »The remains of objects not worth describing«

The state-of-the-art analysis of the well-dated pottery from various New Kingdom tombs (ca. 1550–1000 BC) in the Valley of the Kings is an important contribution to the fine dating of the periods of use of the ceramic inventory throughout Egypt.

Valley of the Kings (© D. Aston)

During the heyday of exploration in the Valley of the Kings, beginning with Eugene Lefèbvre’s survey in 1883 and ending with Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun in 1922, a large number of uninscribed, and evidently robbed, 18th Dynasty tombs were discovered. Of little interest to the early explorers, the fragmentary material from such tombs was generally only summarily examined and left in situ. Beginning in the 1980s, however, the Tacoma Pacific Lutheran University, under the leadership of Donald Ryan, began re-examining some of these tombs (KV 21, 27, 28, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 60) and throughout the past two decades the University of Basel, under the leadership of Hanna Jenni (KV 32) and Susanne Bickel (KV 26, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 59, 64) has systematically re-cleared the others. Much pottery remained and this has now been systematically recorded within this project.

The pottery from the remaining tombs is in the process of being written up. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Otto Schaden (†), Salima Ikram and the Amenmesse Tomb Project, I have also been entrusted with the pottery from the intact tomb KV 63, the publication of which will also appear in due course. Currently the process of recording is continuing.

Publications

Publications

That from KV 21, 27, 28, 44, 45 and 60 appeared in an article published twenty years ago, whilst the remainder is in the process of publication. That from KV 32 will appear in early 2021, whilst that from KV 40 and KV 64 will follow soon after (see below).

  • D. Aston, The Pottery, in: S. Bickel (ed.), Räuber – Priester – Königskinder. Die Gräber KV 40 und KV 64 im Tal der Könige, Band 1. Die beschrifteten Objekte der 18. Dynastie und die Keramik. Swiss Egyptological Studies 2 (Basel/Frankfurt am Main in press).
  • D. Aston, The Pottery from KV 32, in: H. Jenni, A. Dorn, E. Paulin-Grothe, Das Grab der Königin Tiaa im Tal der Könige (KV 32), Swiss Egyptological Studies 1 (Basel/Frankfurt am Main 2021) 70–100.
  • D. Aston, Pottery recovered near the tombs of Seti I (KV17) and Siptah (KV 47) in the Valley of the Kings, Aegyptiaca Helvetica 24 (Basel 2015).
  • D. Aston, B. Aston, D. Ryan, Pottery from Tombs in the Valley of the Kings KV 21, 27, 28, 44, 45 and 60, Cahiers de la céramique égyptienne 6, 2000, 11–38.

 

 

Principal investigator

    Duration

    since 2012