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Luxor, Egypt—A trio of tombs belonging to high-ranking officials from ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom era (1539-1077 BCE) has been unearthed in the Dra’ Abu El Naga necropolis. The discovery, announced Monday by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was made by a team of Egyptian archaeologists.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, hailed the find as a significant addition to Egypt’s archaeological record. Inscriptions within the tombs have revealed the identities and titles of the entombed, according to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Further study of the inscriptions is planned.
One tomb belonged to Amun-em-Ipet, who served in the temple or estate of Amun during the Ramesside period. Sadly, most of the tomb’s artwork has been lost to time, with the exception of depictions of furniture carriers and a banquet scene.
A second tomb, dating to the 18th dynasty, housed the remains of Baki, a granary supervisor. The third tomb, also from the 18th dynasty, belonged to Es, whose inscriptions reveal a multifaceted career as supervisor in the Temple of Amun, mayor of the northern oases, and scribe.
Abdel Ghaffar Wagdy, director-general of Luxor antiquities and leader of the excavation, detailed the layout of each tomb. Amun-em-Ipet’s tomb features a courtyard, entrance, and hall leading to a damaged niche.
Baki’s tomb includes a long courtyard, a second courtyard, an extended hall, another long hall, and an unfinished chamber containing his burial well. Es’s tomb consists of a courtyard with a well, an entrance, a transverse hall, and an incomplete long hall.
This discovery marks the latest in a series of significant archaeological finds in Luxor this year, including the tomb of King Thutmose II unearthed in February.