Theodore M. Davis

Theodore M. Davis (New York City, 1837 – Florida, 1915) a wealthy American lawyer, was most famous for his work excavating Egypt's Valley of the Kings between 1889 and 1912.

Excavations

Davis's team (at one time or another) included Edward R. Ayrton, James E. Quibell, Arthur Weigall, Harry Burton, and Howard Carter.

Their most famous discovery was the nearly intact tomb of Yuya and his wife (KV46) as well as the robbed tomb of Horemheb (KV57), but they also uncovered KV54, an early find of Tutankhamun artifacts. The latter two findings are documented in "The Tombs of Harmhabi and Touatânkhamanou." This book closes with Davis' famous comment: "I fear that the Valley of Kings is now exhausted." Carter's 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (KV62) proved Davis's fear wrong.

List of excavations

* 1901: KV44
* 1902: KV45
* 1903: nowrap beginKV20·wrap KV43·wrap KV46·wrap KV60nowrap end
* 1905: nowrap beginKV2·wrap KV19·wrap KV22·wrap KV46·wrap KV47·wrap KV53nowrap end
* 1906: nowrap beginKV48·wrap KV49·wrap KV50·wrap KV51·wrap KV52nowrap end
* 1907: nowrap beginKV10·wrap KV54·wrap KV55nowrap end
* 1908: nowrap beginKV56·wrap KV57nowrap end
* 1909: KV58
* 1910: KV61
* 1912: KV3
* 1913: KV7

In popular culture

Davis was portrayed by William Hope in the 2005 BBC docudrama "Egypt".

Bibliography

*"The Tomb of Thoutmosis IV" (1904)
*"The Tomb of Hatshopsitu" (1906)
*"The Tomb of Iouiya and Touiyou: Notes on Iouiya and Touiyou, description of the objects found in the tomb, and illustrations of the objects" (1907)
*"The Tomb of Siphtah" (1908)
*"The Tomb of Queen Tîyi" (1910)
*"The Tombs of Harmhabi and Touatankhamanou" (1912)

External links

* [http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/ The Theban Mapping Project]
* [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/03/afe/hod_30.8.54.htm Egypt, 2000-1000 B.C.] - Canopic Jar Lid, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, late reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1340–1336 B.C. Egyptian; From KV55, Valley of the Kings, western Thebes. Egyptian alabaster with glass and stone inlays; H. 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm); Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915 (30.8.54) | Object P.