It has a bent axis, typical of the layout of early
Eighteenth Dynasty tombs, but several features make this tomb unusual. The burial chamber is rectangular and divided into upper and lower pillared sections, with the lower part holding the cartouche-shaped royal sarcophagus of the king. This style of burial chamber became standard for royal burials in the later
New Kingdom. Only the burial chamber of the tomb is decorated, albeit in an unusual style that, other than
KV34 (the tomb of Amenhotep II's father,
Thutmose III), is not found elsewhere in the Valley of the Kings. On a yellow-tinged background (intended to resemble aged
papyrus), the
Amduat is traced, depicting the
ancient Egyptian deities as simple (almost naive)
stick figures, with text written in the
cursive hieroglyphic book hand used more commonly for sacred texts on papyrus. Later the tomb was used as a
mummy cache. Mummies belonging to the following individuals were relocated here during the
Third Intermediate Period and were identified by inscriptions on their burial wrappings: •
Amenhotep II (the original tomb owner found in his original sarcophagus) Side Chamber: •
Thutmose IV •
Amenhotep III •
Merneptah •
Seti II •
Siptah •
Ramesses IV •
Ramesses V •
Ramesses VI •
Queen Tiye, who was identified as the so-called
Elder Lady in February 2010 via DNA testing. • A prince, identified by some as
Webensenu, son of
Amenhotep II, whose
canopic jars were found in the tomb, or
Thutmose, the elder son of
Amenhotep III and
Tiye •
The Younger Lady who, in June 2003, was controversially claimed to be
Nefertiti by British Egyptologist
Joann Fletcher, whereas Egyptologist
Zahi Hawass believed it to be
Kiya, another wife of
Akhenaten who is thought by some to be the birth mother of
Tutankhamun. Some believed this mummy to be a male. However, with DNA testing, this mummy was shown in February 2010 to be a woman, the mother of
Tutankhamun, and the daughter of Amenhotep III and Tiye (making her both the sister and wife of Akhenaten). Her name, however, remains unknown, leaving open the possibility that she is likely either
Nebetiah or
Beketaten. • An "unknown woman D" in an upturned lid of a coffin inscribed for
Setnakhte (may be queen
Tawosret). • A body on a boat that was later stolen or destroyed at the start of the twentieth century (may be
Setnakhte). • Two skulls were found in the well and an anonymous arm was found with the above "Younger Lady." Most of the mummies discovered in KV35, including all mummies identified as monarchs or consorts, are on display at the Royal Mummies Gallery of the
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in
Cairo, having been moved there in 2021 during the
Pharaohs' Golden Parade. ==Gallery==