Ancient Egyptian Royal Tomb, Thutmose IV

Illustration of the interior of a royal tomb of a king of Ancient Egypt. This depiction is partially based on the tomb of Thutmose IV, the 8th king of the 18th Dynasty.

Thutmose IV ruled from 1401 BC to 1391 BC. The tomb has many rooms and side room, with the tomb at lower right. An exploded view of the burial site is at upper right, including the sarcophagus inside it that contains the mummified body of the king.

Ancient Egyptian Royal Tomb, Thutmose IV. Photo: Jose Antonio Penas / Science Photo Library

The mummy of Thutmose IV was found within the mummy cache of KV35 in 1898 by Victor Loret. The body of the king was moved in antiquity by ancient priests for safety reasons. The king was originally buried within his own tomb (KV43) in the Valley of the Kings, which was discovered by Howard Carter in 1903.

Related: Mummy of Thutmose IV

Grafton Elliot Smith (1871-1937), upon examining the body of the king, concluded that the king was very ill at the time of death and had seemingly suffered with an illness for a while, sadly describing Thutmose IV as “extremely emaciated”.

The Goddess Hathor giving the Ankh to the deceased king

Thutmose IV being given life by the gods Osiris and Anubis. Wall painting from the Tomb of Thutmose IV. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1401-1391 BC. Valley of the Kings, West Thebes.

Thutmose IV’s tomb (KV43) was rediscovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1903 by British Egyptologist Howard Carter (for Theodore M. Davis). The tomb shown here is adorned with wall paintings and carvings, and ornate funerary objects and statues, along with sarcophagi of family members.

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Thutmose IV, ca. 1401-1391 BC. Valley of the Kings, West Thebes.