Egypt tomb with ‘household of coffins’ found – some objects are in excellent situation

An incredible discovery of a Middle Kingdom tomb with several intact burials has been made by archaeologists, including a “family of coffins”.

The tomb was unearthed near Luxor, an area renowned for its significant ancient Egyptian monuments, temples, and tombs, and contained 11 sealed burials. The South Asasif Conservation Project, an Egyptian-American mission, is credited with the find, marking the first Middle Kingdom tomb discovered in the region. The Middle Kingdom refers to a period of ancient Egyptian civilisation spanning from roughly 2030 to 1650 B.C.

Among the treasures found by the American and Egyptian archaeologists were necklaces, armlets, bracelets, scarab rings and girdles crafted from amethyst.

However, floods had caused considerable damage to these burials, particularly affecting the wood of the coffins and the linen wrappings. The joint mission also uncovered coffins for men, women and children, suggesting it was a “family tomb” potentially used over generations during the 12th Dynasty and the start of the 13th Dynasty, according to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt.

Despite the flood damage, some items remained almost perfectly preserved, including a finely-crafted women’s necklace. This necklace comprised around 30 amethyst beads with a girdle of carnelian ball beads connected by double strings of blue faience ring beads framing a hippo-head amulet, as per the statement, reports the Express.

A total of 11 burials have been unearthed alongside other significant artefacts such as a green-blue glazed faience fertility figurine with truncated legs. The figurine is adorned with various pieces of jewellery designed with holes in three sections for the attachment of “hair”.

All this bling was found among the female graves, bar one. A standout necklace was discovered in the men’s burial site, Burial 9, which has now piqued the interest of archaeologists due to the deceased man’s apparent high status.

Experts reckon this family tomb might have been in use across several generations during the 12th and early 13th Dynasties. This find also cements South Asasif’s place within the Theban Middle Kingdom necropolis, with its earliest tombs now coming to light, sparking a flurry of new questions.

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