Discovery of Two Ancient Tombs in Southern Egypt

On Saturday, December 9, Egypt announced the discovery of two small ancient tombs in the city of Luxor, located in the south of the country, dating back approximately 3,500 years. Egypt hopes that the discovery of these artifacts will help revive the country's tourism industry, which has been weakened in recent years. According to the Associated Press, these two tombs, located in the cemetery of nobles and government officials on the west bank of the Nile, are the latest in a series of archaeological discoveries around Luxor, known for its temples and tombs from various ancient Egyptian dynasties. Khaled El-Anani, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities, stated, "This is truly an exceptional day. The private tombs of the Eighteenth Dynasty were previously known, but this is the first time we have entered these two tombs." He added that these discoveries are part of the Ministry of Antiquities' efforts to boost the tourism industry, which significantly relies on visits to ancient Egyptian sites. Egypt's tourism industry has suffered since 2011 due to political turmoil and attacks by extremist armed groups. The Ministry of Antiquities announced that one of these tombs has an inner courtyard made of mud bricks and stone, leading to a six-meter underground corridor that connects to four side chambers. The antiquities discovered inside this tomb are primarily remnants of a wooden coffin. The wall paintings and murals in this tomb indicate that it belongs to the era of Amenhotep II and Thutmose I, pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The second tomb has five entrances leading to a quadrangular hall, with two underground corridors located on the northern and southern sides of the tomb. The antiquities found in this tomb include painted wooden masks used for funerary ceremonies, pottery, a collection of about 450 statues, and a mummified figure likely belonging to a high-ranking official. The figures inscribed on the ceiling of this tomb contain the name of Thutmose I, one of the earliest pharaohs of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Since the beginning of 2017, the Ministry of Antiquities has discovered a series of archaeological artifacts in various parts of the country, including the royal goldsmith's tomb near Luxor, which dates back to the Eighteenth Dynasty and is dedicated to Amun, one of ancient Egypt's gods.