Egyptian
and foreign Egyptologists excavating at archaeological sites across Egypt have
made more than 30 discoveries this year, reports Nevine El-Aref.
Coincidence
has always played a major role in making new discoveries. Among the most famous
examples are the uncovering of the tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamun on the west
bank of the Nile at Luxor, the funerary collection of the Pharaoh Khufu’s
mother Hetepheres, the Pyramids Builders’ Cemetery on the Giza Plateau, and the
Valley of the Golden Mummies in the Bahareya Oasis.
This
year, coincidence led to the discovery of more than 30 treasures, something
which made the Ministry of Antiquities describe 2017 as “the year of
discoveries”.
“It
seems that our ancient Egyptian ancestors are bestowing their blessings on
Egypt’s economy, as these discoveries are good for the country and its tourism
industry,” Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany told Al-Ahram Weekly.
He
said that many new discoveries had been made. In the Gabal Al-Selsela area in
Aswan, 20 tombs were discovered by a team from Lund University in Sweden, for
example, while in Luxor an Egyptian-Japanese mission discovered the tomb of a
royal scribe.
An Egyptian-German
mission in Matareya outside Cairo made international headlines when it
discovered fragments of a colossal statue of the Pharaoh Psamtick I.
An
Egyptian mission from the Ministry of Antiquities discovered the inner parts of
a pyramid from the 13th Dynasty, as well as the remains of a burial that would
once have been inside the pyramid.
At
the Tuna Al-Gabal archaeological site in Minya, a mission from Cairo University
stumbled upon a cachette of non-royal mummies of men, women and children buried
in catacombs eight metres below ground level in the desert neighbouring the
local bird and animal necropolis.
“This
discovery has changed our understanding of the Tuna Al-Gabal site,” El-Enany
told the Weekly, adding that in Luxor several other important discoveries had
been made. An Egyptian-European mission working at the Colossi of Memnon and
the funerary temple of Amenhotep III had uncovered 136 statues of the goddess
Sekhmet, most of which are life-size, as well as a beautiful alabaster statue of
queen Tiye, wife of Amenhotep, carved on the side of a colossal statue of the
king.
A
team from Jaen University in Spain also discovered the tomb of an official in
Aswan. A Spanish mission in western Thebes discovered the remains of a funerary
garden, a first in the area’s history.
A
mission from the Ministry of Antiquities stumbled upon the almost-intact
funerary collections of Amenemhat, the goldsmith of the god Amun-Re, and of
Userhat, chancellor of Thebes during the 18th Dynasty, in the Draa Abul-Naga
Necropolis at Luxor. The mission also uncovered two yet-unidentified tombs that
are particularly rich in their funerary collections.
“These
finds are not only a matter of luck, but are the result of the hard work of
archaeologists across the country working in sometimes very difficult
conditions,” El-Enany said. “Antiquities are the soft power that distinguishes
Egypt,” he added, remarking that news of new discoveries always catches the
headlines and the attention of the whole world.
TOMB
DISCOVERIES: Among these discoveries were the three major ones made by the
Egyptian mission in the Draa Abul-Nagaa Necropolis on Luxor’s west bank, which
provide a better understanding of the history of the Necropolis and the lives
of the tomb-owners.
The
tomb of Userhat housed a collection of ten well-preserved painted wooden
coffins and eight mummies in various states of preservation, for example. A
collection of more than 1,000 ushabti figurines and wooden masks were also
uncovered alongside with skeletons, wooden anthropoid masks, figurines in
faience, terracotta and wood and various clay pots.
Archaeologist
Sherine Shawki, a specialist in osteology, told the Weekly that early studies
carried out on the mummies and skulls had revealed that one of the individuals
had been anaemic and probably suffered severe toothache while a second had
undergone primitive surgery.
The
tomb of the goldsmith houses a collection of stone-and-wood ushabti figurines
of different types and sizes, mummies, painted and anthropoid wooden
sarcophagi, and jewellery made of precious and semi-precious stones.....READ MORE.
At
least one of the pieces uncovered in Kafr El-Sheikh dates to the reign of King
Psamtik I. Written By/ Nevine El-Aref.
A
part of a yet unidentified royal statue has also been found but preliminary
examination suggests that it too could belong to King Psamtik I. The
statue is skillfully carved in black granite. It is missing the head, neck, and
a segment below the knee, as well as the base and parts of the arms. It depicts
the king wearing the Shendit (royal kilt). Both statues and their fragments
were transferred to the stores of the ministry for conservation and
restoration.
