Book Review: The Lost Tomb by Kent Weeks

The Celebrity Cafe (Tracy Elledge )
This is a new review of an old book.

Egyptologist Kent Weeks spent years in the Valley of the Kings convinced that every other excavator, tomb robber, and Howard Carter wanna-be had missed something big. In 1995, Weeks’ suspicions were confirmed when he crawled into a tomb unseen for more than 150 years. Even so, the last person to see it, explorer James Burton, only saw the entrance. Using Burton’s maps and projections, Weeks knew he could rediscover the tomb. . . .

It was more than 15 years between Weeks' signing on with the Mapping Project, and his first foray into the tomb known as KV5. Three years after the first foray, the tomb was still only 7% excavated, but that excavated part was already the largest tomb in the Valley. Research into the tomb’s location and hieroglyphics on the walls, proved the tomb to be that of the sons of Pharaoh Ramesses II. It is now known as KV5, and is still under excavation. Weeks’ narrative style, combined with journal excerpts and maps, makes for a fascinating read. Weeks immerses the reader in the culture and history of the dig, while expanding on the history and significance of the Valley itself. Academics and laymen alike will enjoy Weeks’ adventure into the Egyptian mystery of life and death.