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"The world was astonished when American Egyptologist Kent Weeks discovered an elaborate tomb deep beneath the surface of Egypt's legendary Valley of the Kings. Soon he realized that this was the centuries-old burial site for the sons of Ramesses II. Previous to this discovery, no one had been certain where - or even if - this spectacular tomb existed. Now, in The Lost Tomb, Weeks takes readers into the largest and most complicated mausoleum yet found, unlocking age-old mysteries of Egyptian history. His insider's account of this significant archaeological find is paired with an unforgettable sense of adventure and awe." "Drawing on his own diaries, as well as those of his wife and foreman, Weeks brings to life the excitement and risks that he and his team encountered during the dig, including floods, scorpions, claustrophobia, and terrorist attacks. Photographs and sketches illustrate the crew's progress in uncovering KV 5 (as the tomb is called) and show the wealth of objects and decorations found in its more than one hundred fifty chambers and hallways. Weeks also provides a fascinating close-up of how an archaeologist works, revealing the tools and guesswork involved in finding such an elusive tomb - and the perhaps more complex task of evaluating the wall paintings and texts discovered within."--… (more)
jlelliott: John Romer's history of the Valley of the Kings provides a wonderful setting for Week's story about tomb KV5. The Lost Tomb is a great continuation of the valley's story, elaborating on modern archaeological work in this ancient site.
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I'm an avocational Egyptologist. That's one step above simply being nuts about Egypt, and I figure I can claim the title since I actually spent two long years in college studying the Ancient Egyptian language with a man who really disliked me a lot. I wish it had been Kent Weeks.
The discovery of KV5 set the archaeological world on its ear. While it should probably be no surprise that Rameses the Great would command his tomb builders to dig out enough rooms to bury all 62 of his sons, the feat was, nevertheless, an amazing task. A small group of men, using tools of copper — a metal that is so soft that you can bend a sheet in your hands, that would demand sharpening after only a few moments of digging — created a veritable palace within the limestone walls of the Valley of the Kings. And Professor Weeks, when he found it, has faced almost the same effort to excavate the tomb out of the centuries of flood debris that had filled it from top to bottom.
There has been no find in the Valley of the Kings as significant as this since Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. -The Lost Tomb- is the story of that discovery and Weeks' role in it.
The book is absorbing. Weeks writes much as he speaks, with the same enthusiasm for his topic as he has shown in interviews. He is meticulous in his descriptions, and able to back up his conclusions because of his long work in Egyptology.
This is a splendid book. Weeks writes almost as well as he discovers and digs. He has shown himself to be an excellent, enthusiastic teacher of things Egyptian, and I'm happy to recommend this to others.
Also, take note of the fact that Weeks was also the leader of the multi-year project, the Theban Mapping Project, to map the Valley tombs to create an complete atlas. If you're as much of an Egyptophile as I, you may want to find a copy of it. He was also co-author of X-Raying the Pharoahs. ( )
"The world was astonished when American Egyptologist Kent Weeks discovered an elaborate tomb deep beneath the surface of Egypt's legendary Valley of the Kings. Soon he realized that this was the centuries-old burial site for the sons of Ramesses II. Previous to this discovery, no one had been certain where - or even if - this spectacular tomb existed. Now, in The Lost Tomb, Weeks takes readers into the largest and most complicated mausoleum yet found, unlocking age-old mysteries of Egyptian history. His insider's account of this significant archaeological find is paired with an unforgettable sense of adventure and awe." "Drawing on his own diaries, as well as those of his wife and foreman, Weeks brings to life the excitement and risks that he and his team encountered during the dig, including floods, scorpions, claustrophobia, and terrorist attacks. Photographs and sketches illustrate the crew's progress in uncovering KV 5 (as the tomb is called) and show the wealth of objects and decorations found in its more than one hundred fifty chambers and hallways. Weeks also provides a fascinating close-up of how an archaeologist works, revealing the tools and guesswork involved in finding such an elusive tomb - and the perhaps more complex task of evaluating the wall paintings and texts discovered within."--
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Kent Weeks made international headlines when, seventy feet below the surface of Egypt's Valley of the Kings he found the largest and most complicated mausoleum yet discovered, the tomb of Ramesses II's sons. Now for the first time, Weeks shares up-to-the-minute details on the thrilling discoveryand contemplates what the tomb, called KV5, will reveal as the excavation moves forward. Built in the age of Exodus, the tomb could potentially transform ancient and biblical history. Its lower levels, possibly containing mummies of Ramesses II's sons, may shed new light on many of the mysteries of the Old Testament, including the story of Moses and the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. Weeks draws on his own diaries, as well as those of his wife and his foreman, to describe the excitement and risks that surround such a significant find. From floodwaters that threatened the opened tomb and the precarious craw spaces deep within it, to thieving tourists and scorpions, this adventure is not for the weak of heart. Photographs and sketches illustrate the crew's progress and the objects and decorations found in the tomb's chambers and hallways The resulta true-life, impossibly thrilling Raiders of the Lost Arkwill entrance readers from beginning to end.
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The discovery of KV5 set the archaeological world on its ear. While it should probably be no surprise that Rameses the Great would command his tomb builders to dig out enough rooms to bury all 62 of his sons, the feat was, nevertheless, an amazing task. A small group of men, using tools of copper — a metal that is so soft that you can bend a sheet in your hands, that would demand sharpening after only a few moments of digging — created a veritable palace within the limestone walls of the Valley of the Kings. And Professor Weeks, when he found it, has faced almost the same effort to excavate the tomb out of the centuries of flood debris that had filled it from top to bottom.
There has been no find in the Valley of the Kings as significant as this since Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. -The Lost Tomb- is the story of that discovery and Weeks' role in it.
The book is absorbing. Weeks writes much as he speaks, with the same enthusiasm for his topic as he has shown in interviews. He is meticulous in his descriptions, and able to back up his conclusions because of his long work in Egyptology.
This is a splendid book. Weeks writes almost as well as he discovers and digs. He has shown himself to be an excellent, enthusiastic teacher of things Egyptian, and I'm happy to recommend this to others.
Also, take note of the fact that Weeks was also the leader of the multi-year project, the Theban Mapping Project, to map the Valley tombs to create an complete atlas. If you're as much of an Egyptophile as I, you may want to find a copy of it. He was also co-author of X-Raying the Pharoahs. (