There were several kings and queens placed in their final resting places during the Meroitic period. Forty generations of the Nubian royal family live in Meroe. Every Nubian who was part of the ruling family has their tomb erected here. Six queens and thirty queens are buried in the South cemetery. Some of these kings are Arikakaman, Kaltaly and Yesruwaman. As with the ancient Egyptian pyramids, the Nubian tombs were looted long before modern thieves could get hold of most of the items. Modern archaeologists know the contents of the tombs in ancient times, thanks to the paintings and frescoes on the walls. Fortunately, the larger tombs still contain the ancient remains of the mummified