Latest news with #SupremeCourtofAntiquities
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists unearth 3,200-year-old tomb linked to ancient Egypt's military elite
A team of Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a 3,200-year-old tomb believed to belong to a high-ranking military commander from the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses III, often considered the last great pharaoh of ancient Egypt. The remarkable discovery, made at the Tell el-Maschuta site in northeastern Egypt, sheds light on the region's strategic role in defending the nation's eastern borders during the New Kingdom (spanning roughly 1550-1070 BCE). The tomb itself, constructed from mud bricks, consists of a main burial chamber and three adjoining rooms, their walls coated in white mortar. Inside, archaeologists uncovered a trove of artefacts indicating the high status of the man buried. Related British-Egyptian archaeologists reveal pharaoh's tomb after nearly a century in 'significant find' The Bashiri mystery: A 2,300-year-old Egyptian mummy that no archaeologist dares to open Among the most significant finds was a gold ring bearing a name inscription of Ramesses III, along with bronze arrowheads and a small ivory box - clear evidence to suggest that the tomb belonged to someone of high military importance. Another particularly intriguing discovery was a collection of inscribed pottery vessels bearing the name of Pharaoh Horemheb, who reigned over a century before Ramesses III. Once a military leader himself before ascending to the throne (1323–1295 BCE), Horemheb's name appearing within the tomb suggests that the site may have been repurposed over time. Archaeologists also found alabaster vessels, semi-precious stones, and amulets depicting protective deities Taweret and Bes, as well as the Eye of Udjat, a symbol of healing and well-being in Egyptian mythology. The discovery of the military commander's tomb adds to a series of major Egyptian archaeological finds this year. Just last month, archaeologists unearthed the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II - the first pharaonic burial site found since Tutankhamun's in 1922. Discovered by a joint British-Egyptian team led by Dr Piers Litherland, the tomb was hidden away in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis, near Luxor. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Court of Antiquities, said in a statement that the discovery was 'one of the most significant archeological breakthroughs in recent years.' Days later, the same team announced they may have located a second tomb belonging to Thutmose II, buried 23 metres beneath a carefully disguised mound of rubble, limestone, ash, and mud plaster. Litherland believes the tomb could contain the pharaoh's mummified remains and grave goods. 'The best candidate for what is hidden underneath this enormously expensive, in terms of effort, pile is the second tomb of Thutmose II,' he told The Observer. And earlier this year, a French-Swiss archaeological team in Egypt made another remarkable discovery - the tomb of a high-ranking wizard-doctor who served the pharaohs some 4,000 years ago. Inscriptions identify the tomb's owner as Tetinebefou, a celebrated doctor during the reign of King Pepi II (circa 2305–2118 BC).
Euronews
24-02-2025
- General
- Euronews
Second Egyptian tomb may hold mummy of pharaoh who died 3,500 years ago
The stuff of dreams for any archaeologist, Piers Litherland and his team, working on a British-Egyptian excavation, might have stumbled upon the second tomb of King Thutmose II in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis near Luxor, Egypt. This comes only days after the team's landmark discovery of the pharaoh's first tomb. Litherland suspects the tomb may hold Thutmose II's mummified remains, alongside grave goods, and says it is located 23 metres below a man-made pile of rubble, limestone, ash, and mud plaster designed to blend into the landscape. 'The best candidate for what is hidden underneath this enormously expensive, in terms of effort, pile is the second tomb of Thutmose II,' he told The Observer. The discovery of the first tomb was nothing short of groundbreaking – the first such find since the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb over a century ago. Initially thought to be the tomb of a royal woman, Litherland's team uncovered a decorated burial chamber with a blue-painted ceiling featuring yellow stars, which was a clear marker of a royal tomb. Thutmose II, who reigned from 1493 to 1479 BC, is most famously known as the husband of Queen Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's few female pharaohs. Archaeologists believe the first tomb was emptied six years after burial due to a flood, with the pharaoh's body then relocated to the second tomb. Litherland and his team are now working meticulously to uncover the second tomb by hand, after previous attempts to tunnel in proved too dangerous. "This tomb has been hiding in plain sight for 3,500 years," Litherland added. "You dream about such things. But like winning the lottery, you never believe it will happen to you." With their excavation ongoing, the team hopes to reach the tomb in about a month. Until now, the whereabouts of Thutmose II's original burial site had remained a mystery. While his mummified remains were uncovered 200 years ago in the Deir el-Bahri Cache above the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the location of his tomb had been lost to history. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Court of Antiquities, said in a statement that the initial discovery was 'one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in recent years'.
Euronews
20-02-2025
- General
- Euronews
British-Egyptian archaeologists reveal pharaoh's tomb after nearly a century in 'significant find'
More than a century after the world was captivated by Howard Carter's discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb, archaeologists have uncovered another remarkable find - the final resting place of King Thutmose II, one of ancient Egypt's elusive 18th Dynasty rulers. Discovered by a joint British-Egyptian team led by Dr Piers Litherland, the tomb was hidden away in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis, near Luxor. Until now, the whereabouts of Thutmose II's original burial site had remained a mystery. While his mummified remains were uncovered two hundred years ago in the Deir el-Bahri Cache above the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the location of his tomb had been lost to history. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Court of Antiquities, said in a statement that the discovery was 'one of the most significant archeological breakthroughs in recent years.' First discovered in 2022, the tomb was originally thought to belong to one of the royal wives of the so-called Thutmosid kings, a succession of pharaohs named Thutmose who once ruled Ancient Egypt. However, archaeological evidence eventually proved that the tomb was the resting place for Thutmose II, who died around 1479 B.C. after a relatively short reign, explained Khaled. Studies suggest that Thutmose II died around the age of 30, after which his wife (and half-sister) Hatshepsut assumed the throne, where she ruled for about 21 years, from around 1479 B.C. to 1458 B.C. What was discovered inside the tomb? Inside, the archaeological team were met with the unmistakable signs of a royal tomb: inscriptions from the "Amduat", an ancient funerary text reserved for pharaohs, fragments of alabaster jars bearing the names of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut, and a blue-painted ceiling complete with yellow stars. However, the tomb itself was completely empty and in very poor condition. Unlike many ancient tombs that were plundered by grave robbers, this one had been deliberately cleared. Researchers believe this was done after the tomb was hit by severe flooding, as it had been built beneath a waterfall. 'Preliminary studies suggest that the tomb's original contents were relocated to another site during ancient times after the flooding,' Mohamed Abdel-Badii, the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a statement. Dr Piers Litherland said the team will 'continue its work to uncover more secrets of the area and locate the final resting place of the tomb's original contents.'
