Smith 2
to have been used by King Tut’s wife, Ankhesenamun. The inscription of the architectural style of
the chamber and the forms of the jars and the coffins found in the tomb indicate an eighteenth
dynasty date which is considered a contemporary with King Tut (Habicht, Bouwman & Rühli
221). Upon comparison, the overhung shaft of KV63 has been found to be similar to other
eighteenth dynasty tombs therefore, dating construction of the earlier portion of the eighteenth
dynasty to the new kingdom. The contents of the jars found in this tomb resemble those found in
tomb KV54 which was considered as an embalming cache for King Tut. Given the proximity of
King Tut’s tomb and the striking similarities between the sarcophagi portrait and the contemporary
style of the final part of the 18
th
dynasty, there are speculations that the coffins were used for the
burial of the bodies of Tut’s wife, Ankhasenamen. Additionally, the fact that the tomb’s location
and its entrance were sealed by similar flood layer as that of Tut, it is more likely that it was Tut’s
main burial embalmer’s cache.
The KV55 tomb has been identified with a single occupant assumed to be reburial place
for the late 18
th
dynasty and a royal ache for King Tutankhamun. At the entrance of the KV55
tomb, there are storage jars that are related to the 18
th
dynasty type. The tomb has a layout that is
similar to that of King Tutankhamun’s, indicating that the tomb was designed to be a private burial
place and was later owned by the royal cache. Additionally, the mummy was relocated to tomb
KV55 after the Akhetaten had been abandoned during King Tutankhamun’s reign. The tomb’s
door is also sealed with the name of Tutankhamun. The mystery of tomb KV55 is closely entangled
to the story of King Tutankhamen as the jars found in the niche of the tomb seem to have been
made for the wife of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun's son (Bell 120).
