Cairo (AP) Egypt revealed three new graves of prominent statesman in the DRA Abu Al-Naga Necropolis in Luxor, officials said Monday.
Egyptian archaeologists have discovered graves that date from the New Kingdom period (1550-1070 BC) and the names and titles of their owners Identified by inscriptions found inside, according to a statement from the Ministry of Tourism and the Antiquities.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the statement that further study of the inscriptions of other graves is needed to gain a deeper insight into the owners of the graves.
The ministry released photos of items discovered in the graves, including artifacts and images. The discovery comes in the run -up to the long -awaited full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected this summer, although a definitive official date has yet to be confirmed. The museum will present more than 100,000 artifacts of the rich old heritage of Egypt.
One of the graves discovered in Luxor on Monday belonged to Amum-EM-Iipet, from the Ramesside period, which worked on Amun's estate. His grave was usually destroyed and what remained were images of the implementers of the funeral furniture and a pastry.
The grave of Amum-EM-Iipet starts with a small courtyard that leads to an entrance and then a square hall ending with a niche, whose western wall was destroyed.
The other graves date from the 18th dynasty and include one of a man named Baki, who served as a supervisor of the grain silo. Another grave contains the funeral of a person called “S”, who had several roles – he was a supervisor in the temple of Amun in the Oasis, a writer and the mayor of the Northern Oases.
Baki's grave has a courtyard that leads to the main entrance of the grave and a long gangy courtyard. It also has a transverse hall that leads to another longitudinal hall that leads to an unfinished room that contains a funeral put.
In the meantime, the other grave that belongs to “s” has a small courtyard with a well, the main entrance of the grave and a transverse hall that leads to an incomplete longitudinal hall.
Tourism Minister and the Antiques Sherif Fathi described the discovery as an important scientific and archaeological performance, and noted that it is one of the areas that is ready to stimulate cultural tourism considerably and attract more visitors with an interest in the rich heritage of Egypt.
In January, Egypt made various discoveries near the famous city of Luxor, including old rock-cut graves and funeral shafts from 3,600 years. They were dug up in the raised path of the funeral stamp of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir Al-Bahri on the West Bank of the Nile.
At the end of last year, the Egyptian and American archaeologists dug up an old grave with 11 sealed funerals near Luxor. The grave, which dates from the middle kingdom, was found in southern Asasif Necropolis, next to the temple of Hatshepsut.
