Dimensions and slope in the nineteenth and twentieth dynasty royal tombs

After the work carried out by the Theban Mapping Project in the Valley of the Kings, it is finally possible to compare the ancient texts and drawings that refer to the quarrying of the Theban royal tombs with accurate and reliable surveys of these monuments. Two issues in particular are discussed here: the degree of correspondence between written records and actual tombs, and the way in which the slope of the descending corridors was established and measured. The available evidence suggests that the dimensions of the initial plan may have been significantly modified during the work, and that the ancient architects might have measured the length of the sloping passages in a way that does not correspond to our modern graphic conventions.