It was not until the Theban Mapping Project, under Kent R. Weeks, decided to clear the tomb that the stage was set for the discovery of its true extent and nature.

Findings so far include thousands of potshards, ushabti, faience beads, hieratic ostraca, glass vials, inlays and a large statue of Osiris, the god of the afterlife. Further excavations have revealed that the tomb is even larger than was first thought, as it contains more corridors, with more rooms, branching off from previously discovered parts of the tomb. At least 130 rooms or chambers have been discovered as of 2006 CE (only about 7% of which have been cleared), and work is still continuing on clearing the rest of the tomb.

KV5 may have originally been a tomb constructed during the Eighteenth Dynasty and later usurped by Rameses II for the burial of his sons. Located in the main wadi of the Valley of the Kings, the tomb has suffered extensive damage over time. At least eleven flash floods have swept through the site, depositing large quantities of debris that accumulated within the chambers and eventually hardened into a concrete-like mass. Additional structural damage occurred in modern times when four buses parked directly above the tomb; the vibrations from their idling engines contributed to the collapse of several ceilings.

circa 1250 BCE

Although the works had begun in 1987, the first substantial finding came in 1995, after extensive clearing in the outer chambers of the tomb: approximately 70 rooms, lined along long corridors, running back into the hillside. The number of rooms corresponds roughly to the number of sons the pharaoh sired.

circa 1250 BCE

Entryway A
The entrance to the tomb measures 2.84 meters in width and 4.17 meters in length. A descending staircase leads from the entrance to Gate 1, which is protected by an overhanging structure designed to shield it from environmental exposure.

Chamber 1
Chamber 1 measures 6.23 meters in width, 3.65 meters in length, and 2.6 meters in height. Traces of painted decoration remain visible on the walls, indicating that the chamber was originally adorned with elaborate artwork. Significant damage occurred as a result of a leaking sewage pipe, which caused deterioration of both the wall surfaces and the surviving decorative elements.

Chamber 2
Chamber 2 measures 5.07 meters in width, 3.62 meters in length, and 2.53 meters in height. The walls preserve fragmentary remains of painted decoration depicting Rameses II with several unidentified sons engaged in acts of worship before various deities. A long, narrow pit has been cut into the floor along one of the walls. Excavation of this feature revealed three human skulls, an almost complete skeleton, and a haunch of beef, suggesting the possibility of a ritual or funerary deposit.

Chamber 3
Chamber 3, the largest in the tomb and possibly the largest in the entire Valley of the Kings, measures approximately 16.44 meters in width, 15.64 meters in length, and 2.63 meters in height, with all dimensions being irregular. The front section of the chamber may have belonged to the original Eighteenth Dynasty tomb before its later expansion. This chamber contains seven exits distributed across three different levels and originally supported sixteen pillars—more than those found in any other known tomb or chamber in the Valley. The floor of the front section was later lowered by approximately 60 centimeters, and two additional gates were subsequently cut into the rock.

Chamber 4
Chamber 4 measures approximately 8.85 meters in width, 12.93 meters in length, and 2 meters in height, with irregular dimensions throughout. Remnants of painted decoration are visible on all four walls as well as on the pillars, indicating that the chamber was once elaborately adorned. Evidence suggests that work had begun on the construction of a niche or subsidiary chamber along the southeastern wall, although this feature appears to have remained unfinished.

Chamber 5
Chamber 5 measures approximately 9.73 meters in width, 10.5 meters in length, and 1.92 meters in height. Recent excavations suggest that this chamber may have been designed to accommodate a chariot; however, the presence of four niches—one in each wall—intended for “magic bricks” typically associated with burial chambers, indicates a possible funerary function. The chamber originally contained six pillars, of which only one remains; this surviving pillar was added after the collapse of the original supports. The ceiling has suffered extensive damage, attributed to vibrations caused by the idling engines of tour buses that once parked directly above the tomb. Faint traces of painted decoration are still visible on all four walls.

Chamber 6
Chamber 6 measures approximately 5.17 meters in width, 3.2 meters in length, and 2.03 meters in height. Excavations revealed fragments of amphorae and meat jars within the chamber, all of which appear to have been deliberately deposited alongside the bones of cows, birds, and donkeys. These finds suggest the placement of food offerings or provisions intended for use in the afterlife.

Corridor 7
Corridor 7 measures approximately 2.5 meters in width, 32.13 meters in length, and 2.34 meters in height. Along both sides of the corridor are eight subsidiary chambers, each measuring between 2.5 and 3.5 meters per side. Notably, two of these chambers feature vaulted ceilings, indicating architectural variation within this section of the tomb.

A cavetto cornice lintel is positioned above the entrance to Chamber 7o, reflecting the characteristic architectural detailing employed in New Kingdom tomb design.

There's a carved relief of an Osirid statue at the south-eastern end of the corridor 7.

Chambers 8 and 9
Chambers 8 and 9 are nearly mirror images of each other. Chamber 8 measures approximately 2.63 meters in width, 2.28 meters in length, and 2.07 meters in height. Its floor is lower than that of Corridor 7 and it contains three subsidiary side rooms, two of which are situated beneath Chamber 3, reflecting a complex, multi-level architectural design. Chamber 9 measures approximately 2.55 meters in width, 7.27 meters in length, and 2.3 meters in height. The ceiling of Chamber 9 remains incomplete, as vaulting work had been initiated but never finished, further distinguishing its construction from that of Chamber 8.

Corridor 10
Corridor 10 measures approximately 2.29 meters in width and 22.63 meters in length, extending southwest from the terminus of Corridor 7. Along its length, there are seven subsidiary chambers on the northwestern side and nine on the southeastern side, reflecting the highly organized and symmetrical spatial planning characteristic of the tomb complex.

Corridor 11
Corridor 11 measures approximately 2.3 meters in width, 22.22 meters in length, and 2.19 meters in height. The corridor closely mirrors the layout of Corridor 10, with the primary distinction being the incorporation of a ramp and step combination. The subsidiary chambers along Corridor 11 vary in size, measuring between 3.5 and 4.85 meters in length and 2 to 2.3 meters in width, demonstrating a similar organizational pattern to that of the preceding corridor.

Corridor 12
Corridor 12 measures approximately 2.02 meters in width, 18.42 meters in length, and 2.53 meters in height. The corridor descends at an angle of approximately 22° and is flanked by six subsidiary chambers on each side. Each of these chambers measures roughly 2.3 meters per side, maintaining the regular spatial arrangement observed in other sections of the tomb complex.

Corridor 13
Corridor 13 measures approximately 1.6 meters in width, 6.2 meters in length, and 2.86 meters in height. Access to this corridor is via Gate 13, which is approached by three steps. The corridor is set at a different angle relative to Corridor 12 and leads onward to another gate, also accessed by a short flight of steps, reflecting a deliberate change in orientation within the tomb’s layout.

Chamber 14
Chamber 14 measures approximately 11.1 meters in width, 6.4 meters in length, and 2.55 meters in height. This rectangular chamber contains three pillars aligned along its longitudinal axis, which is oriented at a right angle to Corridors 12 and 13. The chamber features three gates in its front (southeastern) wall, two in its left (southwestern) wall, and one in the rear (northwestern) wall. Traces of painted plaster remain on both the walls and pillars, and the stonework and craftsmanship in this chamber are of particularly high quality, indicating its architectural significance within the tomb complex.

Chamber 15
Chamber 15 measures approximately 1.99 meters in width, 4.74 meters in length, and 2.2 meters in height, making it lower than the preceding Chamber 14. Access to this chamber is provided via a series of steps, some of which are located within Chamber 14, indicating a deliberate vertical transition between the two spaces.

Corridor 16
According to the Theban Mapping Project (TMP) update of August 2012, Corridor 16 contains six subsidiary chambers on each side. Excavation of this corridor is ongoing, and its full architectural layout has not yet been completely documented.

Chambers 17–19
Three additional sets of chambers extend from Chamber 14, designated as Chambers 17 through 19. These chambers have not yet been fully excavated, and their complete architectural and functional details remain to be documented.

Corridor 20
Corridor 20 measures approximately 19.7 meters in length, with a height ranging from 2 to 2.5 meters. The corridor resembles Corridor 12 in layout and also contains six subsidiary chambers on each side. Excavation of this corridor is ongoing, and precise dimensions for the individual chambers are not yet available.

Corridors 21, 25, and 26
Corridor 21 measures approximately 5.8 meters in length and 2 meters in height. Access is facilitated by two sets of steps, reflecting a deliberate change in elevation within this section of the tomb. Corridor 25 is a descending passage that contains two subsidiary side chambers. A robber’s tunnel connects Chamber 24 to Corridor 25, indicating post-burial intrusion. Corridor 26 contains at least six subsidiary chambers and is currently under excavation; further architectural details remain to be documented.

Chambers 22–24
Chamber 22 measures approximately 6.22 meters in width and 10.73 meters in length. Its orientation is not aligned squarely with the rest of the tomb, and it features three exits, suggesting a complex circulation pattern. Chamber 23 is still under excavation, and its full architectural characteristics have yet to be determined. Chamber 24 measures approximately 2.75 meters in width and 4.2 meters in length. Its functional and structural details are still under investigation.