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Recently discovered tomb. (Photo: AP) |
American researchers have found a site that could be an intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings – the first of its kind discovered here since the Tutankhamun find in 1922.
The tomb contains 5 or 6 mummies housed in pristine sarcophagi dating back to the end of the 18th Dynasty, around the same time as Tutankhamun. However, archaeologists have yet to determine the exact age of the tomb.
The 18th Dynasty ruled Egypt from 1576 to 1320 BC, a period during which the nation reached the height of its power.
The Valley of the Kings in southern Egypt holds the tombs of most pharaohs, but archaeologists report that the mummies in the newly discovered tomb do not belong to royalty.
“There are many non-royal tombs in the valley. This recent tomb is not unique,” a member of the excavation team stated. However, the team has not fully explored the inside yet. “It is very small and cramped,” she added.
The 5 sarcophagi, carved in the shape of humans, feature colorful masks and the tomb contains several large jars. “For some unknown reason, they were hastily buried in this tiny tomb,” the research team from the University of Memphis in the United States said.
The tomb is located 5 kilometers from where Tutankhamun was found, covered by piles of rubble that once housed construction workers at the end of the 19th Dynasty, which is over 100 years after the tomb was sealed.
T. An
