Intact Egyptian Tomb Found in Luxor is 4,000 Years Old

A new and unknown Egyptian tomb has been found in Luxor in Egypt. What makes this discovery so exciting is that, while most tombs are empty or partially destroyed, this one contains intact burials.

The Egyptians viewed the afterlife as the start of a journey for which life was only the prelude. As a result Egyptian tombs are often packed with treasures, and while this certainly made them appealing to tomb raiders it also means that finding an intact one can be very special indeed.

The tomb contains as many as 11 sealed burials, according to the South Asasif Conservation Project which announced the discovery. This is the first time that a tomb from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom has been found in the area.

Egypt’s Middle Kingdom is the second of three periods of Egyptian dominance in the region. Where a single pharaoh ruled both the lower and upper Nile. Running from 2000 to 1700 BC, this was a golden age for Egypt, and the treasures found in the intact tomb certainly reflect this. The tomb was uncovered while clearing detritus from the tomb of a much later 25th dynasty pharaoh, Karabasken.

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Jewelry made from Egyptian faience and precious stones such as amethyst were found intermingled with the bodies. While many of the more perishable items had been destroyed by flooding the jewels are as bright as the day they were sealed up.

Scarab rings, hippo and snake heads and hawk statues were also found, similarly made of precious metals and gems. There are also two copper mirrors with delicately carved ivory handles, but the greatest find has to be the fertility goddess.

Fashioned from blue green faience and richly decorated with geometric designs, this bejeweled figure has some interesting features. Her legs are unusually shortened and her head is covered in shallow impressions, which would once have held her hair. More than 4,000 mud beads surrounding the figure are all that remains of this hair.

The jewelry is largely associated with the adult females buried in the chambers.; so far five women, two men and three children have been identified in the tomb. It is believed that the tomb for used for several generations of a single family, spanning the Egyptian 12th and 13th dynasties.

Header Image: Finds from the tomb include jewelry, two intact copper mirrors and (inset) a fertility idol in blue green faience. Source: South Asasif Conservation Project / Egyptian Ministry of Tourism.