CAIRO: An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered an 18th Dynasty (1570-1315 BC) tomb in a necropolis in Luxor’s west bank beside an array of ancient artifacts and remains of unidentified mummies, the Ministry of Culture announced Wednesday.
The tomb belongs to Amun-em-Opet, an official who served as the Supervisor of Hunters. He died shortly before the reign of King Akhenaten (1372-1355 BC), according to Zahi Hawass, director of the mission and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The tomb was not the only new find in the necropolis of Dra Abu El-Naga. In the courtyard of Amun-em-Opet’s tomb, the team discovered funerary seals bearing the name of another official, Amenhotep-Ben-Nefer, the Supervisor of the Cattle of Amun.
The team also found the undecorated entrances of two other tombs in a separate courtyard, the ministry press release said. The mission was also able to gather a collection of Ushabti clay funerary figurines, but fragmentary remains of mummies found during the excavation could not be identified.
The recent discoveries add to the list of major tomb finds in Dra Abu El-Naga in western Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt. The necropolis served as a burial ground for that city and was used for nearly 2,500 years between the Middle Kingdom and the Coptic period. -Daily News Egypt
