Ancient Egypt’s King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings has experienced instability and damage from flash floods and major faults, and the situation has become more severe over time. An expert outlines ways to use innovative technology to strengthen underground tombs.
A study published earlier this year in the journal natureSayed Hemeda, a researcher at Cairo University’s Department of Architectural Conservation, calculated the stress and deformation patterns in the tomb using geotechnical modeling and PLAXIS 3D software.
The tomb consists of four main chambers with entrance ramps and stairs, and is located in a low-lying position at the bottom of the valley. This makes its entrance hidden by debris from flooding and tomb construction, but also makes it more susceptible to geological loads from high-altitude rocks and rockbursts. A prominent fault line also runs through the tomb, along which earthquakes can reach magnitude 6 on the Richter scale. Water damage from recent flash floods caused by climate change has caused further damage to the tomb’s support columns and walls, while moisture levels in the nearby Eisner Shale have also changed.
Hemeda noted that there are severe cracks in the antechamber and burial chamber ceilings around the main fault, and rainwater inflow has compromised the tomb’s structural integrity and murals.
The study explored the static stability, safety margins and engineering failures of the tomb in three phases, taking into account the adverse environmental factors mentioned above.
The first involves a comprehensive examination of the Esna Shale using experimental compression testing and Rocklab software to better understand strength and deformation modulus. The second involved an assessment of the stability of the tomb, focusing on geostatic loading, as well as the effects of flooding and fault lines in the 3D model using the 3D PLAXIS code. The third incorporates geotechnical models of the tomb’s surroundings into advanced programs such as PLAXIS 3D.
Shale samples were found to be brittle and humidity fluctuations reduced their strength. Rock destruction of the antechamber and burial chamber‘Its upper limit is caused by the overburden and expansion pressure released by the shale, especially during flash floods.
3D static analysis results show that the ceilings of the antechamber and tomb chamber are subject to high vertical compressive stresses, while the bottom of the ceilings are subject to high tensile stresses.
The results of numerical analyzes using the 3D PLAXIS program mirror these findings, but also indicate that the tomb is relatively stable in dry conditions. “Structural damage to the ceiling may have been more susceptible to large faults and seam sets than to the vertical levels of the tomb,” the study explains.
Ultimately, it recommended “reducing moisture fluctuations throughout the tomb” to further stabilize the structure and reduce further deterioration, “which could be achieved by restricting air circulation in and around the tomb.” It also recommended “a focused program of strengthening and retrofitting” to address further issues.
The results of this research could be used to aid conservation efforts at other notable sites suffering from similar or related problems.
