Another month, another big discovery in Luxor—this time of a tomb with preserved interior frescoes dating back around 3,200 years.
The T-shaped tomb was discovered by a team of Dutch-Egypt archaeologists in the middle of a long-term project to combine proactive conservation strategies with archaeological excavations at the Theban Necropolis.
Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that inscriptions inside the tomb identify its owner as a man named Paser. Decorative frescoes lining the walls of the tomb indicate it may have been made and occupied during the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom—the Ramesside period, that included who is arguably Ancient Egypt’s greatest-ever ruler, Ramesses II.
Research into the site is ongoing. Its open forecourt leading to an inverted T-shape layout is typical of New Kingdom tombs in the necropolis, and may contain a number of people beyond this mysterious Paser, located in a series of presumed underground burial chambers.
Interior elements include a well-preserved mudbrick bench meant to support stone funerary stelae, though these are missing, if ever they sat atop it.
Frescoes depict the tomb’s owner performing various religious rites in the New Kingdom style, as well as another panel with him seated beside his wife at an offerings table.
The discovery of the tomb was made by Carina van den Hoven, who has directed excavations in the sector since 2018, and was documented while establishing the first comprehensive archaeological survey of Lower Sheikh Abd El-Qurna area, one of the most important burial areas of the Theban Necropolis.
A study being prepared documenting the tomb’s discovery is expected to shed new light on the Lower Sheikh Abd El-Qurna and the relationships between its neighboring tombs, as well as the development of funerary culture there.
The discovery follows up major funerary finds in Luxor, including the tomb of a group of so-described “singing priests,” including 22 priests and priestesses in May, and a trio of official tombs in May of last year.
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