New Kingdom
Ramesses VI (Nebmaatre Meryamun)
20th Dynasty · 1186-1069 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Source: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Background
Ramesses VI presided over the loss of Egypt's remaining Canaanite territories, but the construction debris from his own tomb has an ironic legacy: it accidentally buried and preserved the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb for more than 3,000 years. Research: UCL Digital Egypt; Theban Mapping Project.
Reign dates: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
An empire in retreat
Ramesses VI, an uncle to his predecessor, usurped the tomb originally intended for Ramesses V and expanded it for himself. His reign was marked by severe economic contraction. Due to intense Libyan raids and dwindling resources, he was forced to recall troops from foreign outposts, permanently abandoning Egypt's long-held imperial territories in Canaan.
The tomb that accidentally saved Tutankhamun's
Ramesses VI's tomb, KV9, was cut into the Valley of the Kings directly above the much smaller, already-forgotten tomb of Tutankhamun. As workers enlarged KV9, the stone chips and debris they generated piled up at the base of the cliff and buried the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb below, and the huts built for the construction crews were later set up on top of that debris. This accident of construction is now credited as the main reason Tutankhamun's tomb escaped the attention of ancient robbers and remained sealed until Howard Carter cleared away those same workmen's huts in 1922.
Sources for this profile
- Baker, D. D. (2008). The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume 1. Stacey International.
- Shaw, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.
- University College London. Kings of the New Kingdom.
- Reeves, N., & Wilkinson, R. H. (1996). The Complete Valley of the Kings. Thames & Hudson.
- Dodson, A., & Hilton, D. (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.
The complete, APA-formatted reference list is on the Academic Sources & Bibliography page.