There can be no doubt that one of the oldest and most thrilling tropes in both the horror and action-adventure genres is the discovery of an ancient tomb.

The works of early Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard are chalk full of lost societies and forgotten burial grounds. As we move into the realms of Epic and High Fantasy we see the tradition cemented into all that would come after by Tolkien’s Barrow-Downs and (arguably) the Mines of Moria.

And of course we cannot discount the entire genre of archeologist-adventurer types which came out of stories like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912), found fertile ground in the mystery genre with characters like Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody, before becoming — by way of successful film characters like Indiana Jones (ok MOSTLY Indiana Jones) — the more action heavy virtuous treasure seekers like Clive Cussler’s Sam and Remi Fargo (in video games, think Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft, and Uncharted‘s Nathan Drake).

Oh and we shouldn’t forget about Michael Chricton’s Easy Go. Because WTF.

In any case, the sheer number of stories listed above suggests there is something inevitably alluring about pushing aside a heavy stone, and dropping a torch or (heaven forbid) our only flashlight into the darkness to see what mysteries it might reveal.

But whether the treasure we seek is a better understanding of those who came before us, or the gleam of gold and the spark of bullets ricocheting off a conveniently placed stone sarcophagus, we know to test the ground in front of us lest it crumble and send us down into a pit of wooden spikes. Or avoid any suspicious looking floor tiles that might be pressure sensitive lest it trigger projectile wooden spikes. Always be on the look out for a switch or crack in the wall which might reveal a hidden passageway. But even then be cautious because behind said door and in said hidden chamber is probably just more wooden spikes.

And ALWAYS heed ANY WRITING on ANY WALL — ANYWHERE — lest it be a Curse of the Pharaohs.

I’m talking traps.

And while there is no shortage of imaginative and extremely ELABORATE traps in fiction (looking at you single-use boulder), it may be somewhat disappointing to find that real tomb defenses were somewhat more mundane.

It turns out, the best way to keep someone out of a tomb is to bury it deeper, under harder materials. Other common defenses included covering everything with mud which when hardened was nearly impregnable, placing tomb entrances up high where there would be significant danger in access, fake burial chambers and labyrinths of store rooms to search through, and more big stone slabs which would block the way.

I base these assertions on the defenses found in many tombs of an ancient civilization famed across the world for the richness of their culture, grandeur of their architecture, and the general mystery of their lives: the tombs of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.

I know there are many other civilizations which went to great lengths to protect their dead (I included a cool ancient Mayan example at the end), but the Ancient Egyptians are — which should be no shock to any long-time readers — the defenses I’m most familiar with.

Let’s (ahem) dig in!

Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom ( – 2200 BCE)

It seems pretty standard across cultures to want to protect the deceased, and memorialize them in some way. Burying them within the ground at least keeps away larger scavengers like dogs or maybe birds.

I’m not sure how common it is across cultures to bury the deceased with gifts, but in Ancient Egypt it was thought that the dead should be buried with items they might need in the afterlife. I’m sure these things were probably quite practical and mundane in the early days, but as their civilization’s wealth grew, and the importance of the individual within that civilization grew, the items they were buried with became more and more extravagant.

As time went on, it became important to protect not only the person’s physical body, but the goods they would take with them.

It seems that in this way, the original ‘pyramids’ began to form as larger and larger mounds were being piled on top of burial sites. Perhaps the Ancient Egyptians reasoned that the more sand, rock, and dirt someone had to clear away to get to the deceased, the more difficult they would be to rob.

It’s also important to note that during these early days, a lot tombs did not quite have the triangular shape we’re familiar with but rather a kind of rectangular shape. These tombs are called mastabas and definitely interesting in their own right.

Ninetjer (~ 2740 BC)

Ninetjer was the 3rd ruler in Egypt’s 2nd dynasty. Some sources say he lead for 96 years, but it seems most likely that he ruled for 43 or 45 years (still an impressive run for the time period).

His tomb is not a mastaba, or a pyramid as we’d expect, but a ‘gallery tomb’ (specifically Gallery Tomb B) which seems to be just a series of passageways built under other tombs in the Saqqara necropolis.

When I say a series I mean 192 passageways. Can you imagine? Try finding the good loot in that labyrinth. Whether intentional or not, I think it’s a great example of complexity as a defense mechanism.

Djoser (sometime between 2686 BC and 2611 BC)

The exact dates of King Djoser’s reign seems to be disputed with enough potential periods to make it cumbersome to list, but it seems he’s generally thought of as the founder of Egypt’s 3rd Dynasty.

Renowned for his infamous ‘step pyramid’, Djoser’s tomb appears to have been a mastaba at first with subsequent layers added on later.

In terms of defense? We have really thick rock (25m), subterranean tunnels for folks to get lost in, and two nearly identical shafts leading into the depths of the pyramid. One was fake and filled with dirt, the other went down to the burial chamber which was surrounded by a granite vault and plugged with a stone seal from above.

Buried Pyramid (2645BC)

Our next example also comes from the 3rd Dynasty, specifically Sekhemkhet Djoserty, who ruled between 2648-2640 BC as the dynasty’s 2nd pharaoh. It is likely that this king was either the brother or potentially the eldest son of the aforementioned Djoser.

His tomb was never finished, but would have been a step pyramid like that of his earlier relation. Sekhemkhet only ranked 132 chambers for grave goods, built in a U shape around his burial chamber (the result looking something like a trident).

For defense we again rely on a massive stone blocking the entrance to the burial chamber. It seems he may have also had a ‘fake tomb’ built to the south to fool grave robbers but in an extra twist, someone was actually buried there, an unidentified two-year-old child.

Sekhemket seems to have never made it to his own grave, as when archaeologist Zakaria Goneim finally breached the blocked wall on May 31st 1954, and opened the lid of the alabaster sarcophagus on June 26 1954, the coffin was empty . . . (dun dun duuunnnn)

Brick Pyramid at Abu Rawash (~ 2575 BC):

The next tomb on our list is that of King Djedefre, the 3rd ruler in Egypt’s 4th Dynasty, and the son of the infamous Khufu, for which the Great Pyramid of Giza was built.

Djedefra ruled for a period of ten to fourteen years sometime around 2575 BC.

His tomb was referred to as “Djedefre’s Starry Sky” and was thought to have been “the most beautiful of pyramids, with an exterior of polished, imported granite, limestone and crowned with a large pyramidion.” (Pyramid of Djedefre – Wikipedia)

It is notable for being the northernmost pyramid in Egypt, and was probably around the same size as Menkaure’s pyramid, which is the third largest of the Giza Pyramids. Of course I say probably because it seems it was never finished, and what was completed, was mostly deconstructed during the Roman occupation of Egypt for use in their own building projects.

The tomb’s notable defenses included disconnecting the burial chamber from the grave good chambers and setting the entrance high up into the face of the pyramid with shaft sloping down into the center. Presumably it was quite dangerous to reach the entrance.

Bent Pyramid at Dashur (~ 2600 BC):

I’ve tried to keep the pyramids on this list in an order which shows increasing sophistication over time; however, such a linear progression does not appear to have existed in reality.

King Sneferu was the founding member of the 4th Dynasty, ruling sometime around 2600 BC (so before the aforementioned Djedefre by at least 25 years). He built three pyramids, two in Meidum (the Red and Meidum pyramids respectively), and one in Dashur.

This pyramid in Dashur is known as the ‘bent’ pyramid as the angle at which its slope ascends changes from 54 degrees to 43 degrees. It is seen by many archaeologists as a kind of transitional phase between the ‘step’ pyramids which came before, and the ‘true’ pyramids which came after.

In terms of defenses, it seems the Bent pyramid was more varied in its approach than the other tombs discussed so far. Like the earlier ‘buried’ pyramid of the 2nd dynasty, Sneferu’s tomb also attempted some trickery in order to fool looters and grave robbers.

The tomb has two entrances, both high up off the ground, requiring people to climb up to them. One is fake and leads below ground and then back up to some ledges about 1 meter above ground. The other goes directly to 1 meter above ground.

The main chamber is blocked by two portcullis systems in which large stone slabs slid in from the side. Red ochre and sand were used to “ward evil” and magically protect the tomb, while thick mud was poured over everything within the grave. When this mud hardened it became nearly impenetrable.

While these defenses seem quite formidable, it would seem that the Bent Pyramid did have one weakness which ultimately rendered them ineffective. The pyramid was built with soft rock which was vulnerable to tunneling.

Amenhotep III (1386 – 1349 or 1388 – 1351 BC)

King Amenhotep III is by far the most recent Egyptian ruler on our list. He reigned as part of the 18th Dynasty between 1386 – 1349 BC, or perhaps 1388 – 1351 BC depending on the source and was buried within the Valley of the Kings.

His time as Pharaoh is thought to be one of “. . . unprecedented prosperity and splendor, when Egypt reached the peak of its artistic and international power.” – Wikipedia: Amenhotep III

Of the tombs we’ve reviewed so far, his tomb (uninspiringly named WV 22) includes perhaps the most cinematic defenses yet.

The main passage of the tomb ended in a plainly adorned room with a collection of various treasures, but it was equipped with a false wall which hid a passage to the heart of the tomb. Protecting said false wall, was a hidden pit which dropped 6 meters (20 feet). Pharaoh is thought to have paid (in perpetuity) people living nearby to replace the false floor after it was activated by looters.

While replacing the false floor in a tomb is not particularly exciting, it isn’t hard to see how tropes like Ancient Order of Protectors or — which I’ve always thought a bit ridiculous — Religion of Evil might have evolved out of this history.

Ancient Maya: Tomb of the Red Queen

The final tomb in our list comes to us circa 600 – 700 AD and does not reside in Egypt, but in Palenque, Southern Mexico. It is the resting place of an ancient Mayan noblewoman. Her tomb was coated with Cinnabar, a naturally occurring neurotoxin . . . Yikes.

So What?

I’m not sure about you, but I’ve had a blast learning about and discussing eight very real tombs, and the very real defenses they used to keep looters and grave robbers away from their dead.

Even though the traps and snares outlined here may not be quite as dramatic as those we’ve seen in Hollywood or our favorite adventure novel (no wooden spikes), I feel they’re quite fascinating in their own right.

When writing my own fiction, I found myself wanting to honor these ‘lame’ defenses in any tomb raiding scenes I came up with and it has often been a unique challenge to do so. Ultimately, the temptation for spectacle was too great and once I did fall back on some of my favorite tropes (a pharaoh’s curse is just too good to pass up lol), but I’m glad I started here first, with the real history.

That’s all I have for you this week, thanks for reading such a long post. What was the most interesting defense we discussed? Were there any I missed that you think should have been on the list? What’s your favorite Hollywood or Adventure Novel trap?

Please leave your thoughts in the comment section. I can’t wait to hear your insights!

See you next time!