Other tombs: queens and commoners in the Kings' Valley

More than half of the tombs in the Kings’ Valley were not designed for kings. The Valley also served –at certain periods– as a necropolis for people other than pharaohs. Regarding these “other tombs” many research questions still remain open. Because these non-royal tombs are almost systematically undecorated and sometimes even rather crude, they have retained very little scholarly attention until recently. They form, however, a most interesting and specific group of sepulchers not only within the Kings’ Valley, but within the entire Theban necropolis. Although they share certain common features, their architecture shows a great typological variety. The social spectrum of tomb owners seems restricted to royal family and intimate entourage.