An ancient Egyptian tomb with 11 sealed burials was excavated by archaeologists in Luxor, the country’s tourism and antiquities ministry announced on Friday.
The tomb was found in the South Asasif necropolis, next to the Temple of Hatshepsut, along the west bank of the Nile River. There, the joint Egyptian-American team found coffins for men, women and children dating back to the Middle Kingdom (1938 BCE–1630 BCE). Experts believe it was used as a family tomb for multiple generations from the 12th through the beginning of the 13th Dynasty.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the secretary-general of the supreme council of antiquities in Egypt, told ABC News that most of the wooden coffins and linen wraps that would have been customary for these kinds of burials were destroyed by ancient floods.
Jewelry from the women’s burials, however, were recovered, with one well-crafted necklace containing 30 amethyst and two agate beads around a hippo-head amulet. Two copper mirrors were also identified; one featured a lotus-shaped handle, while the other boasted the design of Hathor, the goddess of the sky, women, fertility, and love among the ancient Egyptians.
This latest discovery comes on the heals of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids last month. Prior to an official opening, the massive project opened 12 halls of Pharaonic artifacts. This is just one of many efforts to bolster tourism in the country.
