An unknown tomb containing 3,000-year-old murals has been discovered in Egypt
Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown tomb, dating back some 3,000 years, in the Theban Necropolis near modern-day Luxor. When the researchers first entered the tomb, they did not know whether the chamber had survived the collapses and looting. However, vibrant murals have survived on the walls of the rock-cut chapel: the tomb’s owner is depicted standing before the gods and, together with his wife, seated at a table laden with bread, beer, fruit, meat and flowers.
An unexpected discovery has been made at Lower Sheikh Abd el-Kurna — part of the vast Theban Necropolis on the west bank of the Nile.
An international team is working here not only to make archaeological discoveries. One of the project’s main objectives is to protect the ancient monuments from sudden flash floods.
The necropolis is situated at the foot of the Theban Mountains, so during heavy rainfall, torrents of water can rush straight towards the ancient tombs.
To divert the flow, the researchers systematically cleared away sediment and surveyed the site using archaeological methods.
It was during this work that they stumbled upon a previously unknown tomb.
Details
Before entering the chamber for the first time, many questions remained unanswered.
The researchers did not know whether the ceiling had collapsed over the millennia, whether the tomb had been plundered in ancient times, or whether anything at all had survived inside.
The layout proved to be characteristic of elite Theban burials from the New Kingdom.
The complex comprises an outer courtyard, a chapel carved into the rock and underground burial chambers. In the courtyard, a platform made of mud-brick with a niche for a stele has been preserved, and a staircase with ramps on either side leads to the tomb.
But the main surprise was the walls of the chapel.
Inside, archaeologists discovered coloured depictions of the tomb’s owner.
In some scenes, the man is worshipping various deities in sanctuaries. In another, he is sitting next to his wife in front of a table laden with funeral offerings.
The table is depicted as bearing bread, beer, fruit, meat and flowers — items intended to provide the deceased with the necessities of the afterlife.
The style of the paintings has enabled researchers to date the tomb to the Ramesside period — approximately 1292–1069 BC.
In other words, the paintings are around three thousand years old.
A preliminary study of the images and inscriptions has made it possible to establish the name of the tomb’s principal occupant.
His name was Paser.
However, scientists are still far from knowing everything about him. The paintings are covered with a layer of grime, so the next stage will involve the work of conservators.
After careful cleaning, additional inscriptions and details may come to light, which will help to determine Passer’s social status, identify the members of his family and understand who else subsequently used this tomb.
Researchers also wish to find out why this particular site was chosen for the burial.
For centuries, the Theban necropolis remained the principal burial site for pharaohs and members of the Egyptian elite.
However, as available space and prestigious plots became scarcer, subsequent generations were forced to either alter existing structures or construct new tombs alongside older ones.
Paser’s tomb may help explain why officials of the Ramesside period chose plots near the monuments of the elite of the preceding 18th Dynasty.
Researchers wish to determine how important proximity to processional routes, the tombs of relatives and religiously significant structures was in the choice of location.
It is possible that the prestige of a particular plot within the necropolis was no less important to the ancient Egyptians than the architecture of the tomb itself.
Paradoxically, the tomb was discovered thanks to a project designed to save other monuments from destruction.
And now this new discovery has itself become part of this race against time.
Severe, sudden floods can penetrate ancient structures. Water increases humidity, activates salts in the stone and plaster, and can cause the paint layer to flake off.
If the damage is severe, it is not only the murals that suffer, but the structures themselves.
Therefore, archaeologists are simultaneously studying the tomb and devising ways to reduce the risk of future damage.
Why this is important
The Theban Necropolis covers a vast area and includes the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, mortuary temples and hundreds of private tombs.
However, Lower Sheikh Abd el-Kurna has been far less thoroughly studied than the famous neighbouring monuments.
The new tomb suggests that unknown structures with well-preserved wall paintings may still lie hidden beneath the layer of soil here.
The paintings themselves are particularly valuable. They provide insights not only into funerary beliefs, but also into the daily life, diet, family ties and social status of the people who lived in Egypt around three thousand years ago.
And the story behind the discovery makes the find even more extraordinary: archaeologists were trying to save the ancient necropolis from flooding — and in the process discovered a tomb they didn’t know existed.
Source
Period: Ramesside period, around 3,000 years ago.
Location: Lower Sheikh Abd el-Kurna, Theban Necropolis, Luxor, Egypt.