Archaeologists Unearth an Ancient Egyptian Tomb

Site near Luxor was used for 11 burials
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 4, 2024 10:55 AM CST
Archaeologists Unearth an Ancient Egyptian Tomb
An aerial view shows the Hatshepsut Temple in Deir el-Bahari on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor, 320 miles south of Cairo, Egypt, in this 2017 file photo. A tomb dating to the Middle Kingdom (1938BC to 1630BC), was found in the South Asasif necropolis, next to the Temple of Hatshepsut.   (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Archeologists from Egypt and the United States unearthed an ancient tomb with 11 sealed burials near the famed city of Luxor, Egyptian authorities said. Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said the tomb, which dates back to the Middle Kingdom (1938BC to 1630BC), was found in the South Asasif necropolis, next to the Temple of Hatshepsut on the Nile's West Bank in Luxor. The joint Egyptian-American mission excavating the necropolis found coffins for men, women, and children, suggesting that it was a family tomb used for generations during the 12th Dynasty and the beginning of the 13th Dynasty, said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt.

He said ancient floods destroyed most of the burials' wooden coffins and linen wrappings. However, the AP reports that some items such as jewelry in women's burials were found intact, including a finely crafted necklace with 30 amethyst beads and two cylindrical agate beads framing a hippo-head amulet, according to the statement. Catherine Blakeney, chief American archeologist with the mission, said they found two copper mirrors, one with a lotus-shaped handle, and the second with a unique design of Hathor, goddess of the sky, women, fertility, and love in ancient Egypt.

The discovery came as Egypt has doubled efforts to attract more tourists, a significant source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped North African country. Tourism, which depends heavily on Egypt's rich Pharaonic artifacts, suffered a long downturn after the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising. Last month, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a mega project near the famed Giza Pyramids, opened 12 halls exhibiting Pharaonic artifacts as a trial ahead of the yet-unannounced official opening. (More ancient Egypt stories.)

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