Egypt Reveals New Pharaonic Royal Tomb in the West Bank of Luxor

An Egyptian-English mission announced the discovery of a Pharaonic royal tomb in the city of Luxor, southern Egypt, dating back 3500 years. The tomb likely belongs to the 18th dynasty that ruled the country during that era. The discovery was made during excavations by the joint mission in the West Bank of Luxor.

In recent years, Egypt has unveiled several archaeological treasures across the country, especially in the Saqqara area west of Cairo, where more than 150 ancient coffins dating back over 2500 years were discovered.

A statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Saturday stated that “the joint Egyptian-English mission between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Modern State Research Foundation at the University of Cambridge succeeded in uncovering a royal tomb that was previously unknown.”

According to the statement, this was “during the excavations carried out by the mission in the western valleys of the West Bank of Luxor.”

The statement quoted Mustafa Waziri, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, as saying that the tomb “may date back to the reign of Thutmose (18th Dynasty),” and this will be confirmed in the coming period.

Perdita D’Athlan, the head of the mission from the English side, explained that “the discovered tomb may belong to one of the royal wives or princesses during the reign of Thutmose (18th Dynasty), many of whom have not been revealed so far,” according to the statement.

Thutmose was one of the most prominent kings of the 18th Dynasty (1550 BC-1069 BC) in the history of ancient Egypt, and he began his reign as Pharaoh Thutmose I (1504-1492 BC).

Mohsen Kamel, a government official overseeing the archaeological area where the discovery was made, pointed out that “the discovered tomb is in poor condition due to the floods that occurred during ancient times, which submerged its chambers with dense deposits of sand and limestone, leading to the obliteration of many of its features and inscriptions.”

On his part, Fathi Yassin, the head of the mission from the Egyptian side, affirmed that “the mission continues its excavation and archaeological documentation of the tomb in its entirety, which will help reveal the architectural layout of the tomb more clearly, along with its artistic elements.”

The 18th Pharaonic Dynasty included a group of the most prominent rulers of ancient Egypt, including kings and queens, headed by King Ahmose, King Thutmose I, King Tutankhamun, Queen Hatshepsut, and Queen Nefertiti.