Tomb Layouts of Kings at Thebes with Path to Chamber X, Egypt Engraving, 1776

Title: Tomb Layouts of Kings at Thebes with Path to Chamber X, Egypt Engraving, 1776

Description:

This architectural engraving from 1776 shows detailed floor plans of several royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings near Thebes, with special attention to the route leading to a tomb labeled Chamber X. Numbered Plate XXXII, the engraving is from the Dutch edition of Richard Pococke’s important travel work, which documented ancient Egyptian architecture with rare precision for its time.

The print features multiple tomb layouts, each identified with letters such as K, L, G, N, and M. These tombs follow the classic New Kingdom structure: a long central corridor flanked by subsidiary rooms or side chambers, ending in a main burial hall. Some include pillared halls, multiple entry sequences, and complex internal arrangements that reflect the grandeur of royal funerary design.

In the lower right, a winding pathway leads to an isolated tomb labeled X. This area is drawn as a naturalistic cave system or rock-cut complex with multiple irregular chambers labeled A through G, possibly depicting a less formal or unfinished burial site. The inclusion of this remote chamber adds a layer of topographical context and shows Pococke’s effort to document not only major tombs but also lesser-known or exploratory features of the necropolis.

The Dutch caption reads, "Grondteekeningen van de Begraafplaatsen der Koningen te Thebe, en van den Weg derwaart X," meaning "Ground plans of the burial places of the kings at Thebes, and the way leading to site X."

This engraving is part of *Beschryving van het Oosten en van eenige andere landen* (Description of the East and Some Other Lands), translated and annotated by Ernst Willem Cramerus and published in 1776 in Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. Pococke’s early documentation of Theban tomb architecture helped shape later European archaeological interest in the Valley of the Kings.

Condition report:

Good condition. Light age toning and a faint central crease from original binding. A few minor edge spots. Strong plate impression with wide margins. Verso blank.

Framing tips:

Frame in dark oak or black wood with an ivory mat to highlight the linear geometry. A strong companion to other Pococke prints, particularly for collectors of early Egyptian archaeology or cartographic tomb studies.

Technique: Engraving

Maker: Unknown engraver after Richard Pococke, Netherlands, 1776