New Kingdom
Ancient Mayor's 'Lost Tomb' Found in Saqqara
Posted: May 30th, 2010Archaeologists have discovered the 3,300-year-old tomb of the ancient Egyptian capital's mayor, whose resting place had been lost under the desert sand since 19th century treasure hunters first carted off some of its decorative wall panels. Ptahmes, the mayor of Memphis, also served as army chief, overseer of the treasury and royal scribe under Seti I and his son and successor, Ramses II.
Red granite colossus of Thot unearthed
Posted: May 16th, 2010A red granite colossus of Thoth was unearthed at the northwestern side of King Amenhotep III’s funerary temple on the west bank of Luxor. Afifi Rohayem, the assistant of the mission’s director, said that the site could contain an avenue of Thoth statues that once outlined the original path leading to the temple.
Massive head of Amenhotep III. unearthed in Egypt
Posted: February 28th, 2010Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a colossal statue head of Amenhotep III. The red granite head, part of a larger 3,000 year-old statue, was discovered at the site of the pharaoh's funerary temple in Luxor, Egypt's culture ministry said in a statement.
Restauration of avenue of the sphinxes on its way
Posted: January 30th, 2010Excavations on part of an ancient 2.7km avenue of sphinxes that once linked temples in Luxor and Karnak should be completed in March, Egypt's antiquities chief said. Archaeologists have so far uncovered 65 of the 1 350 sphinxes that lined a path between temples during the time of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
Update on recently found tombs at Dra Abu el-Naga
Posted: September 27th, 2009Article about three New Kingdom tombs (although one may date from the Late Period) belonging to Theban officials. The first is the tomb of Amen-Em-Opet, an official bearing the title of Supervisor of Hunters, two other tombs which had previously only been described as “two undecorated tombs [that were] found to the north-west of Amen-Em-Opet's.”
The Tomb of Haremhab Re-opens
Posted: August 5th, 2009Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, announced today that the tomb of Haremhab, in the Valley of the King’s on Luxor’s West Bank, has been reopened following the installation of state-of-the-art equipment to control the rate of humidity within. He added that this tomb is the first to have such technology installed in an attempt to reduce and control the rate of humidity and heat, which has affected the tomb’s wall paintings in the past, leading to its original closure.
Egypt unveils pharaonic embalming bed
Posted: March 19th, 2009Egyptian antiquities authorities revealed an ancient pharaonic embalming bed unearthed from a tomb near Luxor used to prepare bodies for mummification more than 3,000 years ago. The wooden bed was painstakingly restored after being discovered in pieces in the KV-63 tomb in southern Egypt's famous Valley of the Kings, next to Tutankhamun's tomb, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said in a statement.
Talatat Block Bearing a Possible Image of Nefertiti Discovered
Posted: March 13th, 2009Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni announced today that an archaeological team from the Vitelli Papyrological Institute of the University of Florence has discovered a talatat block from an Amarna Period monument reused in the construction of a Christian church at the site of Sheikh ‘Ibada (Antinoopolis). The block is carved in sunk relief with the image of a queen of the Amarna Period wearing the vulture headdress. Dr. Rosario Pintaudi, the mission’s director, believes that the queen depicted could be Nefertiti.
Golden jewelry found in New Kingdom tomb of Djehuti (TT11)
Posted: March 10th, 2009A Spanish mission working at Dra Abu El-Naga on the West Bank at Luxor has discovered a second, painted burial chamber in the tomb of Djehuty (TT11). The Supreme Council of Antiquities says five golden earrings and two rings were found in the tomb of Djehuty, the head of the treasury under Hatshepsut. See also: http://www.drhawass.com/blog/press-release-new-discovery-tomb-djehuty-tt...
More about the Isisnofret tomb
Posted: March 8th, 2009The tomb complex includes the base of a pyramid, a monumental gateway, a colonnaded courtyard, and an antechamber with three cult chapels, according to the team from Japan's Waseda University that has been excavating the site since 1991. Hieroglyphics on a sarcophagus in the tomb identify Isisnofret as a spst, or noblewoman—an honorific reserved for women of the royal family or of otherwise exceptional status.