6th Grade Social Studies March 2014 | Page 24

the book, 1001 Ancient Egypt. Facts about How the tombs were set up in the valley, is also very interesting. In fact, the cemetery, which had 64 tombs, was set up in 2 columns, each with 32 tombs. The set up was very specific. The tombs were not scattered all around, like cemeteries today. This information can also be found in the Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Another interesting fact about the tombs was that they were always being broken into, and the king’s riches were being stolen. The people stealing were lower class people known as peasants. If they were caught stealing, they were executed. This is according to the book, 1001 Facts about Ancient Egypt. All of the tombs were centrally located at the Southwest bank of the Nile River. This was an abandoned section of the river that was used only for these tombs. Because they were in an abandoned section, it made it easier for people to break in and steal personal belongings. This fact was noted in the Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Did you also know that kings were not chosen, and they followed generation after generation? Whether they liked it or not, they had to follow in their parent’s footsteps. This was mentioned in 1001 facts about Ancient Egypt. Written by Ben Iervolino As you can see the Valley of the Kings was a place where the kings of Ancient Egypt were buried. The tombs’ decorating, the problems with thieves, the location and setup of the cemetery, are just some of the many interesting facts on this topic. I hope you enjoyed learning about the Valley of Kings!