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VALLEY OF THE KINGS, Egypt
(Reuters) -
A newly found tomb containing five
mummies was officially opened in the
Valley of the Kings on Friday, the first
such discovery since the grave of
Pharaoh Tutankhamun was uncovered
in 1922.
The mummies were in sarcophagi dating
from the 18th dynasty and were
surrounded by pots holding food
which ancient Egyptians believed
would be used in the afterlife,
archaeologists said.
The 18th dynasty ruled Egypt from
1567 BC to 1320 BC, a period during
which the country's power reached a
peak. The tomb was found by a U.S.
team from the University of Memphis.
"Since the tomb of King Tut was found in
1922, no major discovery happened in
the valley," Egypt's chief archaeologist
Zahi Hawass told Reuters Television from
the tomb during a media visit to mark the official opening.
The mummies, placed in a chamber at the bottom of a 5 meter (16 foot) shaft, might be royals or nobles moved
from their original graves to protect them from grave robbers, he said.
"This is a cachet (of mummies), which
means that the ancient Egyptians since
the end of the New Kingdom began to
take the mummies out of the tombs and
hide them," Hawass said.
"We don't really know what kind of people
are inside but I do believe they look royal. Maybe they are kings or queens or nobles."
The tomb did not contain the treasures of
Tutankhamun's grave, which included
items such as the gold death mask of the
young Egyptian pharaoh.
The tomb had been covered with the
rubble of workmen's huts dating from the
latter part of the 19th dynasty, more than
100 years after the tomb was sealed. The
U.S. team found the top of the new tomb's shaft while working on those huts. "When we were about ready to close
up that work we just happened upon the top of this tomb," said U.S archaeologist Otto Schaden.
Once the work of conservation and restoration was completed, the mummies and pottery would be moved to the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Hawass said.
(Reuters) -
A newly found tomb containing five
mummies was officially opened in the
Valley of the Kings on Friday, the first
such discovery since the grave of
Pharaoh Tutankhamun was uncovered
in 1922.
The mummies were in sarcophagi dating
from the 18th dynasty and were
surrounded by pots holding food
which ancient Egyptians believed
would be used in the afterlife,
archaeologists said.
The 18th dynasty ruled Egypt from
1567 BC to 1320 BC, a period during
which the country's power reached a
peak. The tomb was found by a U.S.
team from the University of Memphis.
"Since the tomb of King Tut was found in
1922, no major discovery happened in
the valley," Egypt's chief archaeologist
Zahi Hawass told Reuters Television from
the tomb during a media visit to mark the official opening.
The mummies, placed in a chamber at the bottom of a 5 meter (16 foot) shaft, might be royals or nobles moved
from their original graves to protect them from grave robbers, he said.
"This is a cachet (of mummies), which
means that the ancient Egyptians since
the end of the New Kingdom began to
take the mummies out of the tombs and
hide them," Hawass said.
"We don't really know what kind of people
are inside but I do believe they look royal. Maybe they are kings or queens or nobles."
The tomb did not contain the treasures of
Tutankhamun's grave, which included
items such as the gold death mask of the
young Egyptian pharaoh.
The tomb had been covered with the
rubble of workmen's huts dating from the
latter part of the 19th dynasty, more than
100 years after the tomb was sealed. The
U.S. team found the top of the new tomb's shaft while working on those huts. "When we were about ready to close
up that work we just happened upon the top of this tomb," said U.S archaeologist Otto Schaden.
Once the work of conservation and restoration was completed, the mummies and pottery would be moved to the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Hawass said.
| New Egyptian Tomb Found, 2/10/2006. |
A 3,000-year-old Pharaonic coffin lies in a newly discovered tomb at the valley of
the Kings in Luxor, Egypt February 10, 2006. The tomb, discovered this week by a
U.S. team from the University of Memphis, contains coffins and mummies and
clay containers all yet to be analysed by experts. REUTERS/Aladin Abdel Naby
the Kings in Luxor, Egypt February 10, 2006. The tomb, discovered this week by a
U.S. team from the University of Memphis, contains coffins and mummies and
clay containers all yet to be analysed by experts. REUTERS/Aladin Abdel Naby
Another view of the newly discovered 3,000-year-old tomb at the valley of the Kings
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