Tomb of Tausert and Setnakht in the Valley of the Kings Luxor

One of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of the Kings is the Shared Tomb, that of Twasette and Setnapt. Twasette was the wife of Seti II. On his death, the role of Pharaoh was taken by his son, Siptah. However, being in his early teens, it was really his stepmother, Twasette, who controlled the country and formally ascended to the throne six years later, on the death of Siptah. In Twasette's burial chamber, we get a fantastic insight into how the hieroglyphs and reliefs were created. First, a rough drawing in red was produced. Then, after it was verified, it was overdrawn in black, as occasionally the scribes would miss out a line of text or the positions were incorrect. Then the engraving and painting occurred, all to produce these masterpieces, or drawn by the light of a candle. Setnapt usurped the throne from Twasette, but already an old man, he only reigned for around two to three years. He would have been buried in another tomb, but that was abandoned when the tomb builders brought him to another tomb by accident. On his death, his son, Ramses III, buried him in the tomb of Twasette, extending the tomb from the original burial chamber to create a second corridor and burial chamber for Setnapt.