The tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun, known as KV62 and located in Egypt ’s famous Valley of the Kings, is one of the most famous funerary monuments in the world. Despite its fame, the structure, dating back to the Eighteenth Dynasty (which reigned from approximately 1332 to 1323 B.C.), is considered to be among the worst preserved in the entire Valley, and is now at risk of collapse: this is the evidence gleaned from a study published in the scientific journal npj Heritage Service that bears the signature of Sayed Hemeda, a researcher at Cairo University’s Faculty of Archaeology.
This underground tomb, which consists of four main chambers in addition to the entrance ramp and stairs, has in fact been found to be vulnerable and subject to long-term impacts caused by both lightning floods and geological movements since its discovery. These factors have over time triggered varying degrees of instability and damage that have progressively worsened.
The monument was dug into the rock, in a low location that allowed its entrance to be hidden by debris deposited by the floods and subsequent tomb constructions. However, this location makes the tomb particularly vulnerable to geostatic loading due to the overlying rock layers and contact with the Esna shale layers below, a material that swells and shrinks considerably in response to changes in moisture. The adverse conditions of the surrounding environment, including extensive erosion from water and flash floods (such as the notable one in 1994), the impact of a major fault intersecting the antechamber and burial chamber, and the total absence of protection, contribute to a geotechnically and seismically challenging environment.
To fully understand the engineering and environmental challenges, a geotechnical and geo-environmental analysis was undertaken to explore the static stability, safety margins, and failure modes of the tomb in its current condition. The tomb is in fact excavated in the Esna Shale Formation, a material known to be extremely brittle and unstable. The interaction of this shale with moisture causes swelling that can essentially fracture the hillside.
Stability modeling was done using the high-performance software PLAXIS 3D with a jointed rock model. To support this numerical modeling, experimental studies, particularly uniaxial and triaxial compression tests, were conducted on shale samples taken from deteriorated areas outside the tomb so as not to damage the site. Petrographic examination revealed that the Esna schist exhibits a very fine- to fine-grained texture composed mainly of quartz and feldspar cemented with traces of iron oxides, clay minerals, and calcite. Mechanical test results showed that the strength and stiffness of this shale are drastically reduced under saturated or wet conditions compared to dry conditions. It was noted that shale in wet conditions has low strength, suggesting that chamber ceiling failure, due to overburden and swelling pressure released by the shale, is a real risk when the rock has high moisture content due to alluvial infiltration.
Historically, the hydrogeology of the Valley of the Kings is characterized by episodic rainfall and rare, albeit potentially catastrophic, floods, such as those recorded between 1941 and 2000. More recent events, such as the November 1994 floods, caused by heavy rains and thunderstorms, damaged and flooded many tombs, including that of Tutankhamun. Flash floods, exacerbated by climate change, contribute significantly to the activation of movements along faults present in the Valley of the Kings. In particular, a prominent fault has been identified running through Tutankhamun’s tomb, clearly visible in the ceilings of the antechamber and burial chamber. This fault intersects both main chambers in a longitudinal direction. Severe cracks in the ceilings around this fault allow rainwater to infiltrate, compromising the structural integrity of the tomb and, consequently, damaging the wall frescoes. Water infiltration also causes higher humidity levels inside the tomb and increased fungal infections on the wall paintings, problems that have plagued restorers since the tomb’s discovery.
At the structural level, infiltrating water decreases the load-bearing capacity and strength of the rock layers that make up the ceiling, reducing their ability to withstand the stresses and weights imposed by the mountains above. This only accelerates the phenomena of detachment of crusts and surface layers from the ceilings of the antechamber and burial chamber. The combined effect of flooding and faulting has been recognized as causing significant damage to this underground heritage.
The failure mechanism identified by the models is complex. The flaking phenomenon observed in the ceilings of the antechamber and burial chamber is the combined result of the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the surface rock due to flooding and the uneven stress at the base of the ceiling. When water infiltrates, the moisture content of the rock increases, further reducing its mechanical properties. Since the bottom surface of ceilings is under tensile stress, when the tensile stress in certain areas exceeds the tensile strength of the surface rock, laminar deformation occurs due to its own weight. The deformation and failure pattern of the ceilings was found to be a combination of bending and torsion. It was found that the impact of heavy rainfall from flash floods on the stability of the ceilings is much more significant than overburden loads alone. The rock overlying the ceilings continues to settle, causing an overall deformation of the ceiling with a forward tilt. The central part of the ceiling, around the main fault, settles faster than the rear parts, creating flexural deformation leading to compressive fractures.
The study concludes by deeming a targeted strengthening and upgrading program essential. A key element suggested for conservation is the reduction of moisture fluctuations, which could be achieved by limiting air circulation in and around the tomb. The knowledge gained from this research provides valuable suggestions for future strengthening measures and offers a reference for stability analysis of other underground structures of similar complexity.
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| Tutankhamun's Tomb threatens to collapse: study reveals worrying subsidence |
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