An
Egyptian archaeological mission in Luxor has announced the discovery of a major
tomb in the city's west bank area dating back to the 18th Dynasty and
containing priceless artifacts. Written By/ Ahram Online
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The tomb of Judge Ou Sarhat of the 18th Dynasty in west Luxor
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Mostafa
Waziry, Director General of Luxor Antiquities, told reporters on Tuesday that
the tomb, which was unearthed in the Zeraa Abu El-Nagaa necropolis, most likely
belonged to the city's magistrate Ou Sarhat.
The
New Kingdom funerary collection includes dozens of statues, coffins and
mummies.
Minister
of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany told Ahram Online that, despite the tomb's small
size, it represents an important discovery due to the funery collection being
largely in tact.
Waziry,
who heads the Luxor archaeological mission, told Ahram Online that the tomb was
first mentioned in the early 20th century but it had never been excavated
before because its entrance was only located in March.
He
said that, despite having been reused in the Late Period, the tomb still
contains most of its original funery collection.
The
contents include well-preserved wooden coffins decorated with coloured scenes,
as well as wooden funerary masks and almost 1,000 ushabti figurines carved in
faience, terra-cotta and wood. Also found was a collection of clay pots of
different shapes and sizes.
The
tomb is a typical example of a nobleman's resting place, Waziry said, with a
t-shaped structure consisting of an open court leading into a rectangular hall,
a corridor and an inner chamber.
Excavations
continue to reveal the tomb's secrets, with an inner chamber containing a
cachette of sarcophagi from the 21st Dynasty with mummies wrapped in linen.
Experts are examining the mummies to discover the identities of the dead and
the reasons for their deaths.
A
nine-metre-deep shaft was also uncovered, connected to two rooms.
