KV58

Tomb KV58, also known as the "Chariot Tomb", is located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It was discovered in January 1909 by Harold Jones, excavating on behalf of Theodore M. Davis.¹ The circumstances of the discovery and specifics of the excavation were only given a passing mention in Davis' account,² who attributes the discovery to Edward Ayrton in 1907 instead. The tomb consists of a shaft leading to a single chamber and contained only embossed gold foil, furniture knobs, and a single ushabti. The contents likely originated from the Eighteenth Dynasty tomb of Ay in WV23.¹ Davis considered this tomb to be the burial place of the then little-known pharaoh Tutankhamun.³

Discovery, excavation, and contents

The tomb was discovered on 10 January 1909 and is located between the tomb of Horemheb (KV57) and the "Gold Tomb" (KV56). Harold Jones encountered the top of the shaft over 20 feet (6.1 m) below ground level. Excavation of the shaft yielded box handles and knobs, pieces of gold foil, small uraei, and pieces of faience inlay, concentrated at a depth of 6 feet (1.8 m). The shaft opened to the west onto a single chamber. The room was filled with 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) of water-deposited fill; this contained more gold foil and an alabaster ushabti.⁴ Davis, in his publication, states that the gold foil was found within a broken box, and that the ushabti was "lying on the floor in one corner."³ Comparison with Jones' journal reveals that this "neat picture...is almost certainly incorrect" with the gold found in the fill of both the shaft and chamber.