Some believe that Tyti, a queen buried in nearby QV 52, was his mother, and that he died young, perhaps while still a teenager. Apparently, he was never actually buried in this tomb. A sarcophagus originally meant for Queen Tausert was re-inscribed for him and was found in KV 13, the tomb of the Chancellor Bay. Amenherkhepshef may finally have been buried there. The entrance to QV 55, cut at the base of a steep set of stairs, was discovered in 1904 by Ernesto Schiaparelli. It was empty except for a sarcophagus. The walls were in excellent condition, brightly painted in the style of early Dynasty 20.

CHAMBER B On the right side of the front wall, a damaged figure of Thoth is followed by Rameses III embraced by Isis. This is a lovely scene: the delicate way in which king and goddess embrace yet do not touch, the elaborate headdress of the goddess, and the apron of the king are masterful touches. Amenherkhepshef also stands on the front wall, facing to the right, carrying a fan. He is following another figure of his father, who stands on the left side wall, censing before the god Ptah. Farther on, father and son are led forward by Ta-Tjenen, then by a canine-headed Duamutef, then a human-headed Imsety, and finally, on the left side of the rear wall,by Isis. The detail in these figures is precise and brightly painted, some of the best work the late New Kingdom has to offer. Look, for example, at the costume of Rameses III, especially in the scene on the rear wall where he and his son stand with Isis, and note his belt buckle, inscribed with the royal name; the elaborate blue and gold (and seemingly unattached) tail he wears; the patterned sleeves that cover his shoulders; the complex yet gracefully draped kilt. Such painting surely must have been done by an artisan who knew well the actual costume. The way in which the hands of the king and Isis are positioned and the modeling of the goddesses’ face are equally fine examples of the artist’s skill. Amenherkhepshef, too, standing with a feathered fan in his right hand, is well dressed.

 Here, his skin seen through his transparent skirt is a light shade of brown, not the unpleasant pink color used in similar scenes in the tomb of Khaemwaset. Each figure of king or prince in these scenes wears a different costume; each is elaborately drawn and brightly painted. The head of the prince at the right end of this wall is better proportioned than those farther left. Scenes on the left front wall of the chamber are now missing. But on the right front wall one can see Amenherkhepshef and his father censing before Shu, and the king led by Qebehsenuef and by Hapy.

Finally, on the right rear wall, Amenherkhepshef and Rameses III stand before Hathor in the same pose we saw left of the door. This wall is undecorated.

On the thicknesses of the gate into the next chamber, Isis (on the left) and Nephthys (on the right) face outward and perform an act of purification called “making nini.” The hieroglyph for “water” is drawn just above each of their outstretched hands.

CHAMBER C: BURIAL CHAMBER On the front wall, on either side of the gate, Amenherkhepshef is shown as an Iunmutef priest, wearing a panther skin with paws and claws but not the pantherheaded clasp that is often a part of this costume.The scenes on the left and right walls are from chapters 145 and 146 of the Book of the Dead.

The twenty-one gates through which Rameses III guides his son are described in those chapters, and each is protected by a genie. The accompanying text must be recited by the king and Amenherkhepshef to the genie at the gate in order to pass through. For example, this is what they seventh gate (the first on the left wall of the chamber): “Make a way for me, for I know you, I know your name and I know the name of the god who guards you. ‘Shroud Which Veils the Limp One; Mourner Who Wishes to Hide the Body’ is your name. ‘Ikenty’ is the name of her doorkeeper.” These scenes form a companion piece to scenes in the burial chamber of Khaemwaset. Here, the texts refer to gates five through eight, there, they refer to gates nine through sixteen. Some Egyptologists argue that this is evidence that Khaemwaset’s tomb was decorated after that of Amenherkhepshef.

A side chamber beyond the right wall of theburial chamber is undecorated. On the rear wall of the burial chamber, painted above the door, is an especially beautiful scene of two gracefully-coiled serpents, Wadjet and Nekhbet, protectors of the cartouches of Rameses III. Above them is a winged solar disk.

 CHAMBER D The walls are undecorated but an unfinished anthropoid coffin sits in the chamber. Originally, it would have been placed in the preceding burial chamber. The mummy of a wrapped human fetus now in a glass case in the corner was found south of the Valley of the Kings by Schiaparelli. It is not from this tomb.

From" The Illustrated Guide to Luxor" by kent R.Weeks ,published by the American University in Cairo Press. Copyright © 2005 White Star S.p.a