In a significant archaeological breakthrough, Egypt announced the discovery of several ancient tombs and burial shafts dating back 3,600 years, found near the famous city of Luxor. The unearthed relics, which include rock-cut tombs and burial shafts, were located along the causeway of Queen Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Deir al-Bahri, on the West Bank of the Nile. The discoveries were revealed on Wednesday in a statement from the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities & Heritage, which has been working alongside Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities since September 2022.
These newly uncovered tombs offer invaluable insights into the burial practices and cultural life of ancient Egypt, as well as contributing to the broader understanding of its history. The finds include a range of artifacts, such as bronze coins depicting Alexander the Great, dating to the reign of Ptolemy I (367-283 B.C.). Other items include children’s clay toys, cartonnage and funerary masks that once covered mummies, winged scarabs, beads, and funerary amulets—all shedding light on daily life and ancient Egyptian spiritual practices.
Renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass emphasized that these discoveries could “reconstruct history” by revealing the types of rituals and activities carried out within temples and tombs during Egypt’s ancient dynasties.
The excavation also unearthed the remains of Queen Hatshepsut’s Valley Temple, as well as rock-cut tombs from the Middle Kingdom (1938-1630 B.C.) and burial shafts from the 17th Dynasty. Among the most notable findings is the tomb of Djehuti-Mes, a royal official who supervised the palace of Queen Teti Sheri. The tomb, dating to the 9th year of King Ahmose I’s reign (1550-1525 B.C.), offers new insights into the figure of Djehuti-Mes, although few artifacts were discovered inside it.
In addition to the royal tombs, the excavation team uncovered part of the Assassif Ptolemaic Necropolis, situated along the causeway and close to Hatshepsut’s Valley Temple. These tombs were constructed from mud bricks, built atop the remains of the older temple, and largely date back to the Ptolemaic period.
Despite evidence of tomb robberies during the Ptolemaic period and later centuries, the team uncovered significant artifacts, including pottery tables once used for ritual offerings of bread, wine, and meat. In the burial shafts, which date to around 1580–1550 B.C., archaeologists also found anthropoid wooden coffins, one of which contained the remains of a young child. Notably, the coffins remained largely intact since their burial over three millennia ago. Weapons, including war archery bows, were also discovered in the tombs, suggesting that the deceased may have had military backgrounds, potentially linked to Egypt’s struggle against the Hyksos invaders during the Second Intermediate Period.
The excavation team also noted the significance of the Ptolemaic necropolis, which had been partially uncovered earlier in the 20th century but was not properly documented at the time. This new discovery further enriches the historical narrative of Egypt’s rich cultural heritage, particularly in the period that bridged Egypt’s ancient pharaonic civilization and the later Ptolemaic dynasty.
In a related discovery, a joint Egyptian-American team uncovered an ancient tomb with 11 sealed burials in November 2024, located in the South Asasif necropolis near Hatshepsut’s Temple. This tomb, which dates to the Middle Kingdom, adds to the growing body of evidence of Egypt’s ongoing role as a focal point of ancient history and archaeological exploration.
