Victor Loret

His father, Clément Loret, was a professional organist and composer, of Belgian origin, who had been living in Paris since 1855. He stayed in Egypt several times and published his first book, L'Égypte aux temps des pharaons, in 1898.

Loret studied with Gaston Maspero at the École des Hautes Études. In 1897 he became the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. In March 1898, he discovered KV35, the tomb of Amenhotep II in the Valley of the Kings. Amenhotep II's mummy was still located in his royal sarcophagus but the tomb also proved to hold a cache of several of the most important New Kingdom Pharaohs such as Thutmose III, Thutmose IV, Amenhotep III and Ramesses VI. The cache of Royal Mummies had been placed in KV35 to protect them from looting by tomb robbers by the 21st Dynasty High Priest of Amun, Pinedjem.[1]

Loret also discovered tombs KV32, KV33, KV36, KV38, KV40, KV41 and KV42. His claim to have discovered KV34 is disputed by some Egyptologists who believe that honour should instead be awarded to one of his local foremen. He also discovered Thutmose III in the Valley of Kings.

He died in Lyon, France on 3 February 1946, at the age of 86. He donated some of his archives to the University of Lyons, but a majority to his favorite student, Alexandre Varille.[2]

• Victor Loret in the Valley of the Kings