Cleaning project at ancient Egyptian tomb uncovers hidden burial chamber. Look inside
Cleaning work at a 3,900-year-old tomb in Egypt turned into a much larger project when archaeologists followed a shaft deeper underground and found a hidden burial chamber. Photos show the artifacts inside.
A joint team of Egyptian and German archaeologists were cleaning a well inside the ancient tomb of Djefai-Hapi in Asyut when they made the exciting discovery, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in an Oct. 2 news release.
About 50 feet down the shaft sat a small rectangular chamber. Inside, archaeologists found two richly decorated wooden coffins nested together. A photo shows the colorful and well-preserved sarcophagus.
The ancient burial chamber belonged to “a woman named ‘Edi,’” the only daughter of Djefai-Hapi, officials said.
Djefai-Hapi, whose name varies in spelling, was the primary governor or nomarch of Asyut province around 1900 B.C., according to a 2020 news release from the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. He lived during the reign of Pharaoh Sesostris I, also known as Senusret I.
Edi’s burial chamber showed signs of ancient looting and destruction, archaeologists said. The mummy was torn apart and jars used in the mummification process were destroyed.
Even still, archaeologists found a pair of carved figures, the coffin lid and some of the woman’s remains in the chamber. A photo shows some of these finds.
Based on a preliminary analysis of Edi’s remains, archaeologists believe she died young, likely before the age of 40, and suffered from a congenital foot issue. Experts plan to continue studying the ancient bones.
Djefai-Hapi tomb, also known as Tomb 1, is the “largest preserved rock cut tomb belonging to a private person of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt,” according to an article about the site. Carved into a mountain, the tomb was originally about 400 feet long and over 30 feet tall inside. It had several rooms, an entry hall and a garden.
Asyut, or Assiut, is a region of central Egypt and a roughly 200-mile drive south of Cairo.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.