On October 2, an archaeological delegation from Egypt and Germany announced a remarkable discovery in Assuit province, located in Upper Egypt.
The coffin of Edi, daughter of Governor Jifai-Hapi. (Illustrative photo).
According to reporters in Egypt, during the search for artifacts, archaeologists discovered the burial chamber of a high-class woman named Edi, daughter of Jifai-Hapi, the Governor of Assuit during the reign of Pharaoh Senusret I of the 12th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (circa 1991 – 1778 BC). This burial chamber was found during the excavation of Jifai-Hapi’s tomb in the western mountain area of Assuit, which is considered the largest non-royal burial site of that period in Ancient Egypt.
According to Mohamed Ismail, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt (SCA), preliminary studies indicate that the woman named Edi died before the age of 40 and had a congenital foot disability. The tomb contains two intricately painted wooden coffins nested within each other. Both coffins are fully carved with depictions of the journey to the afterlife. These coffins also contained jars for internal organs and several wooden figurines.
The mummy found in this burial chamber was discovered in a dismembered state, and the jars containing internal organs were broken, indicating that the site had been looted since ancient times.
Archaeologists will continue to excavate within the tomb and conduct further studies on the artifacts to shed light on the story of Governor Jifai-Hapi and his daughter, as well as to “unveil the mystery” of the historical era in which they lived.
