Egypt unveiled a series of archaeological discoveries near Luxor, including 4,000-year-old tombs of high-ranking officials and intricate artwork dating back to the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. The artifacts were uncovered after a three-year excavation in the Deir al-Bahari area of the Theban necropolis on the western bank of the Nile River, specifically at the causeway of Queen Hatshepsut's funerary temple.
Among the finds is an intact section of the foundations for the Valley Temple of Queen Hatshepsut’s funerary complex, including the foundations of her mortuary temple and portions of the foundation wall. An intact storage room of ceremonial tools that wad found included Queen Hatshepsut’s name.
"This is the first time we have a complete set of the decoration of an 18th Dynasty temple," said Zahi Hawass, the Egyptologist who led the excavation project.
The discoveries include 1,500 decorated blocks depicting Queen Hatshepsut and her successor, Thutmose III, performing sacred rituals.
Archaeologists also uncovered pits containing wooden coffins decorated with the emblem of the 17th Dynasty, along with burial shafts from the same period. Inside the burial shafts dating back to 1580 BCE - 1550 BCE, anthropoid wooden coffins were found, including one that belonged to a young child who remained intact since its burial some 3,600 years ago. Children's graves complete with ancient toys were also discovered.
Among the tombs discovered was that of Djehuti-Mes, the Overseer of the Palace of Queen Tetisheri from the 17th Dynasty. Queen Tetisheri was the grandmother of King Ahmose I, who famously expelled the Hyksos invaders. The date engraved on Djehuti-Mes's funerary stelae indicates that the tomb dates back to the ninth year of King Ahmose I's reign (1550 BCE - 1525 BCE). War archery bows were found inside the burial chamber, indicating that those who owned the tombs had military backgrounds and fought to liberate Egypt from the Hyksos.
The Hyksos were conquerors from Western Asia who took control of the Nile Delta around 1638 BCE and ruled parts of Egypt until their defeat and expulsion by King Ahmose I in 1530 BCE.
The announcement of these discoveries comes as Egypt ramps up efforts to revive its tourism sector, a key source of foreign currency for the country's struggling economy. Last year, Egypt welcomed 15.7 million tourists. The country aims to attract 18 million tourists this year, emphasizing the continued potential of archaeological sites in drawing global attention and boosting tourism.
After suffering setbacks following the political turmoil that ensued after the 2011 uprising, tourism in Egypt began to recover in recent years.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq