KV2 Tomb: The Complete Guide to the Tomb of Ramesses IV
Tomb KV2 in the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Ramesses IV and is located low in the main valley, between KV7 and KV1. It has been open since ancient times and has numerous graffiti on it.
Tomb of Ramses IV in Valley of the Kings on West Bank of Luxor Egypt
One of the most accessible and quite impressive to the eye tombs in the Valley of the Kings is KV2. This royal tomb was cut into the western cliffs of the desert landscape of Luxor and it was the place where Ramesses IV, the king of the twentieth dynasty of Egypt was buried.
KV2 tomb is more or less straight and open unlike some previous tombs which wind around taking narrow corridors. It is covered with colourful religious writings and celestial scenes which are very clear. The KV2 provides a close and close examination of New Kingdom funerary art and theology to the visitor and scholar due to its preservation and accessibility.
Who Was Ramesses IV?
Ramses IV
Ramesses IV ruled Egypt during the early Twentieth Dynasty, around 1155–1149 BCE. He was born to Ramesses III who was among the last effective leaders of the New Kingdom.
The kingdom of Egypt was economically strained and experiencing internal issues at the time Ramesses IV took over. Nevertheless, these challenges did not stop him as he aimed to keep on with the large construction projects, as well as to keep Egypt with its traditional religious ways. KV2’s tomb is not only ambitious but also obedient to the traditional royal burial customs.
Kv2 tomb location
The Valley of the Kings is the royal tomb of the pharaohs of new king. KV2 tomb is close to the center of the valley, and one of the first tombs that is visited by modern people. It is close to the heart of things and can be easily designed as compared to certain hidden or complex tombs.
Valley of the kings
The name of the tomb, KV2, merely denotes it as the tomb of the Kings, Valley number 2 according to the modern archaeological nomenclature.
Contemporary plans of the KV2 tomb
There are two known plans of the tomb’s layout contemporary to its construction.
- One on papyrus (now located at the Egyptian Museum in Turin) provides a detailed depiction of the tomb at 1:28 scale. All of the passages and chambers are present, with measurements written in hieratic script. The papyrus plan also depicts the pharaoh’s sarcophagus surrounded by four concentric sets of shrines, the same layout of shrines that were found intact within Tutankhamun’s tomb.
- The other plan of the tomb was found inscribed on a slab of limestone not far from the tomb’s entrance, and is a rough layout of the tomb depicting the location of its doors. The latter plan may have just been a “workman’s doodle”, but the papyrus plan almost certainly had a deeper ritual meaning and may have been used to consecrate the tomb after it was built.
KV2 Tomb of Rameses IV
Kv2 tomb inside
A hieratic ostracon has been discovered mentioning the initiation of the tomb, its location selected by the local governor and two of the pharaoh’s chief attendants in the second year of his reign. Ramesses IV ascended the throne late in life, and to ensure that he would have a sizable tomb (during what would be a relatively brief reign of about six years), he doubled the size of the existing work gangs at Deir el-Medina to a total of 120 men. Though sizable, KV2 has been described as “simplistic” in its design and decoration. The tomb was excavated at the base of a hill on the northwest side of the Valley of the Kings.
Ramses IV tomb corridor
Like other tombs of the 20th Dynasty, KV2 is laid out along a straight axis. The successors of Ramesses III from this dynasty constructed tombs that follow this pattern and most were decorated similarly to one another.
The tomb has a maximum length of 88.66 m and consists of three slowly descending corridors labelled B, C, and D. This is followed by an enlarged chamber (E), and then the burial chamber (J). Past the burial chamber lies a narrow corridor (K) flanked by three side chambers [Ka, Kb and Kc].
The tomb is mostly intact and is decorated with scenes from the Litany of Ra, Book of Caverns, Book of the Dead, Book of Amduat and the Book of the Heavens. The sarcophagus is broken (probably in antiquity), and the mummy was relocated to the mummy cache in KV35.
The Burial Chamber
Tomb of Ramesses IV
Burial chamber
The burial chamber is the heart of KV2. It contains a large granite sarcophagus, though the original mummy of Ramesses IV was later moved to protect it from tomb robbers. The chamber’s decoration emphasizes cosmic order. The ceiling’s star patterns represent the night sky, reinforcing the idea that the king would join the eternal stars.
Artistic Style of KV2 tomb
The art in KV2 is very bold and colourful. Figures are drawn in a clear way, with intense contrast of the yellow, red, blue and white paint. The style portrays late New Kingdom traditions where the focus pushes towards clarity and not elaboration. Although not as finely carved as earlier tombs, KV2’s paintings remain visually striking.
Discovery and Early Exploration
KV2 tomb has been known since antiquity. Graffiti from Greek and Roman visitors appear on its walls, showing that it was accessible even in ancient times.
In the nineteenth century, European explorers documented its decorations. Unlike tombs sealed until modern discovery, KV2 had long been open. This early exposure contributed to wear but also preserved historical inscriptions.
Ramesses IV’s Mummy
The mummy of Ramesses IV was not found in KV2 tomb. Instead, it was discovered in a royal cache at Deir el-Bahari, where priests had reburied several pharaohs to protect them from looters. Today, his mummy is displayed in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.
Religious Meaning of KV2 tomb
KV2 tomb reflects a belief system centered on rebirth and cosmic order. The king’s journey mirrors the sun’s nightly passage through darkness before rising again. Each decorated corridor represents stages of transformation.
Visits in antiquity
KV2 Tomb of Rameses IV
One among the eleven to eleven tombs accessible to early travellers included the tomb. KV2 holds the second-largest collection of ancient graffiti in it (after KV9), with 656 single graffiti left by visitors of both Ancient Greek and Roman origins. There are also approximately 50 or so pieces of Coptic graffiti in this tomb, with the majority of them being drawn upon the right wall at the entranceway. Most probably the tomb was inhabited by the Coptic monks and the pictures of Coptic saints and crosses are also present on the walls of the tomb.
Richard Pococke may have been the first European to visit the area when he came to KV2 tomb in about 1743 and named it Tomb B in his Observations of Egypt, published in 1743.
