[1] Excavation of the tombs at the Valley of the Queens was pioneered by Ernesto Schiaparelli and Francesco Ballerini in the early 1900s.

Rockslides resulting from shrunk clay deposits and tectonic events have damaged not only the tombs of the valley but also the wall paintings within them.

[5] The current landscape of the Valley of the Queens was built through faulting and subsequent slumping during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs.

[3] The tombs from this time period are generally simple in form and consist of a chamber and a shaft for burial.

[3] It has long been thought that that finds located in museums which include fragments of burial equipment for several members of the royal family were from the Valley of the Queens.

[3] Queens in ancient Egypt played significant religious roles, often considered semi-divine figures who performed rituals, offered sacrifices, and maintained temples.

They were closely associated with goddesses such as Hathor, Isis, and Neith, frequently depicted wearing their crowns and garments, and sometimes represented as these deities in art and literature.

Records show that the workers went on strike during the reign of Ramesses III, and towards the end of the dynasty there are reports of tomb robberies.

Some large concerns for the site include protection against mass tourism and a concoction of other natural risks.

With the rise of the tourism industry, effects humans have on archaeological sites is becoming a topic of interest for preservation teams.

Due to their relatively small size and delicate ecosystem, many of the Valley of the Queens tombs are threatened by human interaction.

Other factors that lead to tomb deterioration are graffiti, touching, and head bumping due to small spaces.

Large amounts of lint from visitors' clothes stays in the air and settles on tomb floors and other fixtures, creating an increased fire hazard.

As for other tombs, plexiglass shields and wooden floors have been installed to protect the entombed and their resting places.

[1] Commonly located in open tombs in the Valley of the Queens are small to large bat colonies.

Although beneficial for the natural ecosystem, bats are detrimental to the tombs, the wall paintings, and the health of tourists in the valley.

Urine and feces from bats damages the rocks, plasters, and paints used for tomb construction and decoration.