KV42: Tomb of Hatshepsut‑Meryetre in the Valley of the Kings

KV42 is an 18th Dynasty tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, built for Queen Hatshepsut‑Meryetre, wife of Thutmose III. Unused by her, it was later reused by the official Sennefer; it illustrates tomb reuse and funerary practice.

Overview

KV42 is an ancient rock‑cut tomb in the Valley of the Kings, located in Egypt. It is conventionally attributed to the mid‑18th Dynasty and is notable for having been planned for a royal woman rather than a reigning pharaoh. The tomb's remains show a fairly standard sequence of descending corridors and chambers characteristic of the period, though its decoration and contents are limited compared with major royal burials.

Owner and reuse

The tomb was constructed for Hatshepsut‑Meryetre, who is known as the principal wife of the pharaoh Thutmose III. Surviving archaeological evidence indicates that she was not finally interred in KV42. In a later phase the tomb was adapted and reused by the Theban official Sennefer, illustrating a common practice in which non‑royal elites made use of previously prepared royal tombs. Such reuse altered the original layout and reduced the quantity of intact funerary goods.

Architecture and decoration

KV42 follows a utilitarian plan with an access stair or corridor, sloping passages and inner rooms that open into a burial chamber. Traces of plaster and painted scenes survive in places, but large sections were left unfinished or later removed. Architectural fittings reveal places intended for a sarcophagus and canopic equipment, and the arrangement shows how tombs for royal women could adopt elements of contemporary royal tomb architecture while remaining smaller in scale.

Finds and archaeological history

Excavations and surveys have recovered fragments of funerary equipment, pottery, and inscriptions that reflect both the original royal provisioning and later secondary occupation. The material culture found in KV42 is modest compared with fully furnished royal tombs, partly because of antiquity looting and partly because of the secondary reuse by officials. Archaeological stratigraphy and fragmentary inscriptions help scholars trace the sequence of use, disturbance and repair.

Significance

KV42 is important for several reasons: it demonstrates that tombs prepared for royal women were not always used as intended; it provides evidence of how elite non‑royals could appropriate royal spaces; and it contributes to the broader study of 18th Dynasty funerary practice and tomb reuse in the Valley. The tomb also offers a cautionary example for interpreting fragmentary decoration and displaced objects, and highlights continuing conservation and research challenges in the valley.

Location and numbering: part of the numbered KV sequence in the Valley of the Kings.
Original intended owner: Hatshepsut‑Meryetre, principal wife of Thutmose III.
Later reuse: occupation and adaptation by the official Sennefer.
Research value: illustrates patterns of tomb reuse, looting, and architectural adaptation.

For further context, general studies of the Valley of the Kings and of 18th Dynasty funerary customs provide comparative material that helps place KV42 within the range of royal and non‑royal mortuary practices of the time. Additional information and cataloguing references can be consulted through site reports and museum documentation that record finds and conservation work related to KV42.

More on KV42 | Egyptian context | Valley of the Kings overview | Thutmose III | Sennefer