Valley of the Kings

Natural History, Nov, 2002 by Robert (American businessman and engineer) Anderson

When I visited the Theban Mapping Project's new Web site, launched this year on the Internet (www.thebanmappingproject.com), it wasn't long before I had the odd sensation of really being in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. I explored dozens of decorated royal tombs carved into the cool limestone. As I descended stairways and navigated funereal corridors, I felt a bit of the excitement that must have gripped Howard Carter in 1922, when he broke into Tutankhamen's burial chamber.

The creators of the site claim that it sets "a new standard for archaeological publications, one that is informative, innovative, and interactive." They are right. The design goes well beyond anything else I have seen, and the content is equally impressive.

The underlying goal here is to heighten public interest in conserving the sixty-two tombs at ancient Thebes. Time, grave robbers, and now heavy tourist traffic have not been kind to the tombs. Some of them, such as the ones in the largest complex (excavations have so far uncovered 121 corridors and chambers), built for the sons of Rameses II, are still being cleared and explored by archaeologists. In their dedication to preserving these ancient sites, the Theban Mapping Project has produced a Web site that is a monument in its own right. For immortality, it's the next best thing to a royal tomb.

Robert Anderson is a freelance science writer living in Los Angeles.