Читать книгу The Golden Mask of King Tut The Code - Jesús Ariel Aguirre - Страница 14

Akhenaten and his court at Amarna, as in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes Ajetaton (Tel el-Amarna) royal tombs were also excavated, but in this case only for a royal family. Akhenaton’s family. The Royal Valley and its main tomb, TA26, hide the key to the events that led to the ruin of the Aton project.

The Royal Valley, sunk in an arid plateau, is called Wadi Abu Hasah el Bahri. Given its position and structure, the torrential rains that occasionally fall in the area, form torrents of water that clean the canals and ditritu of the area. In this way, fragments and debris from the various tombs found there are dragged beyond their mouth. The inhabitants of the area, aware of this fact, have searched there for remains of archaeological pieces since ancient times for their commercialization.

This trade already began in 1882, the first pieces being found in the Royal Valley (today in the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh) to the Reverend WJ Loftie, and continued until the trail led to the official discoveries of the royal tomb. Unfortunately, the neglect of the area to this day has allowed most of the reliefs of the royal tomb to have been looted. It seems that fate has wanted to get rid of the “heretic king” since in addition to losing most of the archaeological remains in the area in this century; drawings and photographs of the French expedition were also lost.

In addition to the Royal Tomb, there are other hypogea in the rock; only four tombs reach modest dimensions, the largest of them having a majestic entrance, a divided staircase for the descent of a heavy sarcophagus and chamber in a length of about 40 meters. This particularity in the staircase, which also incorporates the TA26, indicates the possibility that it was conceived for a sovereign, surely Smenjkara, but it was never completed.

Another of them, of elaborate structure, could have been elaborated, according to C. Aldred, for the bull Mnevis of Heliopolis, thus fulfilling Ajenaton the promise engraved in a stele to bury that bull in the city of Aton.

Another third grave worthy of mention is the one in front of the TA26. This also unfinished tomb shows a long entrance hall. Like TA26 and the aforementioned Wasi Principal tomb, it reflects the new straight-axis structure (which it copied in the Valley of the Kings), this circumstance indicating the possibility that it was conceived for another member of the royal family. Since the width of the corridor is of more modest dimensions and the new ramp is not incorporated into the staircase, we can think that it was not addressed to the king, but to someone very important within the royal family (Nefertiti or Maritaton).

Another tomb with the beginning of a straight axis, although smaller, is the tomb located in front of the TA 26. After the classic staircase, a ramp corridor opens a small unfinished chamber.

Its structure and position may indicate that it was conceived for a second-order member of the royal family. Maybe for a second queen like Anjesenpaaton or Kiya herself. It could be here that the bodies of Nefernefrure and Setepenre were buried.

The lack of archaeological data and the unfinished state of the tombs prevent us from knowing the owners of the annexed tombs of the Valle Real.

Let’s talk about the royal tomb TA26, the entrance of the tomb is at ground level, on the west slope of the valley, to receive the light of Aton dawn, this motif that is reflected, along with the adoration of the temple in many scenes from the grave.

According to studies, the inclination of the tomb is such that the sun can enter the first staircase and illuminate the burial chamber. However, since the sarcophagus is off-axis, it would remain in the shade, so although at first some authors have commented on this possibility as an intention of the builder, the position of the sarcophagus makes the entry of the sun useless, at least for reasons mystics. In addition, it is necessary to have the closure and sealing of the tomb.

It is virtually a long and empty corridor that descends by means of steep stairs (A, C) separated by a long and inclined passage (B), 28 meters long towards the interior of the hill, which leads to an anteroom that leads to the walls of the burial chamber. The anteroom (C) is at the foot of a second staircase and leads through a door to a protection well about three meters deep. The walls of the room where the well is located (D) were decorated with inscriptions, leaving only a few remains. The door of this room leads to the burial chamber (E) that was sealed after burial with blocks similar to those that covered the well. The dead chamber (E) measuring 10 square meters and three and a half meters high, has a 33-centimeter-deep crypt flanked by two stone columns. It is here that a plinth for Akhenaten’s sarcophagus is found. At the bottom there is the opening of the door (F) that was not completed and that could lead to a corridor so that the tomb had the classic configuration of a bent axis.

The reliefs and inscriptions carved on the plastered walls of this chamber were almost totally destroyed after the king’s death. The remains of the king’s sarcophagus were found scattered throughout the chamber, proof that it was thoroughly destroyed.

Other doors seem to have begun to open on the sides of the central corridor (B) that did not go beyond holes in the walls. However an annex was developed for Queen Tiye. Starting from a corridor (1), and crossing a narrow room (2), it seems that the builders encountered an accident on the ground so they had to go around it. Finally, before an anteroom with banquets (4), we arrive at what would be Tiye’s dead room (5) since the last room (6) is incomplete. Here the remains of the red granite sarcophagus of Tiye, with its cartridges, those of Ajenaton and those of Amenhotep III were found.

There are also some annexes known as the Alpha, Beta and Gamma cameras. In summary, TA26 is an excavation 28 meters into the interior of the hill, and although it was lined with limestone and decorated with inscriptions, today only a few remains of the ornaments remain in the tomb. Remains of the king’s sarcophagus were found. According to the remains found, this was made of pinkish gray granite in which the Akhenaten cartridge can be seen.

But as we know all the royal descendants including the heretic king was transferred by Tut Ankh Amun, to the Valley of the Kings later and that place was left as a desert wasteland.