The tomb of king Sethi The First KV17

An Unexpected Tunnel

In tomb KV17, researchers found a weird and unexpected tunnel which sinks deep underground beneath the burial chamber. This is one of the major puzzles related to Sety I’s tomb today. Could it lead to another burial chamber? An interesting feature found in the tomb’s decoration are cenotaphs, which can be translated to read “empty tomb.” The writing was likely seen as way to protect the pharaoh’s remains. This was a very important part of ancient Egyptian religion, as the deceased’s body had to be saved, otherwise, the person wouldn't be able to stay alive in the afterlife.

the tunnel, it was probably meant to reach groundwater - creating a symbolic link between the pharaoh’s burial and the myth of the tomb of Osiris. In royal tombs, the cenotaph was placed on a false sarcophagus on an ''island'' surrounded by water. It was associated with the original forces of creation and the myth of Osiris. But for Sety I, his most famous cenotaph is in his temple in Abydos.

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Tomb of Pabasa (TT279)

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