Archaeologists identify owner of 3,000-year-old Luxor tomb
CAIRO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian-Canadian archaeological team has identified the owner of a 3,000-year-old tomb in Luxor, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Thursday.
The tomb, known as Kampp 23 and first discovered in the 1970s in the Asasif area, belonged to Amun-Mes, who served as mayor of Thebes during the Ramesside period, the ministry said in a statement.
The joint mission, a collaboration between Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and the University of Ontario, also identified several of Amun-Mes's titles during their excavations.
Abdel-Ghaffar Wagdy, head of the Egyptian team, said evidence suggests the tomb was reused at a later time. His team uncovered remnants of colored plaster over inscriptions on limestone walls, parts of the main entrance, and fragments of artifacts like ushabti statues.
Kampp 23 is a rock-cut tomb with an open courtyard. It features a large mudbrick structure on its eastern side and two carved niches flanking the entrance. The tomb's architecture, including its T-shape with a corridor leading to a burial chamber and rock-cut statues, reflects typical Ramesside-era designs.
The Ramesside period, part of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom, covers the 19th and 20th dynasties. It lasted 225 years, from the reign of Ramesses I in 1292 BC to Ramesses XI in 1077 BC.
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