Exclusive photos: Recently discovered antiquities exhibited for the first time at Luxor museum

Instead of storing the recently discovered antiquities as it would usually happen, the ministry of antiquities decided to temporary exhibit a collection of the antiquities discovered in Userhat tomb at Luxor museum.

Dr. Khalid El-Enany inaugurated the exhibition at Luxor museum on “International Museum Day 2017”

The exhibition features a large number of objects were discovered in the tomb of Userhat including ushabtis figures, pottery, wooden masks and papyri.  

The tomb of Userhat (-157- Kampp) is located in Dra Abu El-Naga on the west bank of the Nile as a part of the Theban necropolis. On April 18, 2017, Minister of Antiquities, Dr. Khalid El-Enany made a special announcement on the re-discovery of the tomb. You can check the details HERE 

Also watch the exclusive interview with the minister on that day HERE

Ancient Egyptian noblemen were buried at Dra Abu El-Naga from as early as the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030-1660 BC). The tomb was discovered last century and its location was known but it was buried under the rubble. It was not excavated till 2017.

The tomb was numbered -157- in the 1990s by German Egyptologists Friederike Kampp-Seyfried. This numbering system picks up where Bertha Porter and Rosalind Moss left off in 1920s.

Userhat was a counsellor of the city of Thebes and he lived during the 18^th Dynasty. The tomb was reused during the 21^st and 22^nd Dynasties.

The discovered wooden coffins are made of wooden planks of doum or tamarisk trees. The planks were connected using small pieces of dowel pegs made of acacia wood. The spaces between the wooden planks in some coffins were filled with filler substance made of silt and organic materials to ensure their strength, while remaining lightweight. A white wash later of gypsum was added, followed by the colours and then finally a sort of varnish was placed as protection.

It is worth mentioning that the tomb walls are not inscribed, except for the walls’ upper parts, where a decorative frieze is pained. The ceiling is vividly painted with geometrical patters. The second hall also has faded remnants of a painted scene featuring different deities.

Hundreds of pottery vessels were found in the tomb of Userhat. The collection from his tomb is especially interesting because of how they are painted; some of them are patterned in a way to emulate hard stones like alabaster.

Most of these vessels were made of Nile clay. They clay would have been coiled and pinched into shape with the aid of a slow turning wheel. The colours and glazes were made of different materials such as copper oxides or ochre. 

(1)  Linen fragments with funerary scenes, as well as mourners.

(2)  Two linen fragments depict men.

(3)  Basket made of palm leaves.

(4)  Papyrus with hieratic – a cursive form of hieroglyphs with red and black ink.

Funerary stelae typically show the deceased and his family, often being presented with offerings. They are usually carved with the titles of the deceased, and texts related to the offerings and the gifts bestowed upon the deceased by royalty. From the left, you can see the legs of the chair the deceased is sitting on, following by his wife. At the right side, you can see the stand of the offering table.

Video of the exhibition at Luxor Museum

Please note that the descriptions of the artefacts exhibited are taken from the labels and catalog produced by the Ministry of Antiquities.  

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The burial chamber of 13th Dynasty pyramid revealed

The Egyptian archaeological mission from the ministry of antiquities uncovered the burial chamber of a 13th Dynasty Pyramid discovered last month in Dahshur archaeological site.

Adel Okasha the head of the Mission and the General Director of the Dahshur site explained that after removing the stones that covered the burial chamber, the mission discovered a wooden box (canopic jars box) engraved with three lines of hieroglyphics. These lines are rituals to protect the deceased and the name of its owner.

Dr. Sherif Abdel Moneim, Assistant of the minister of antiquities, reveals that the box was used to store the four canopic jars of the deceased and the name engraved on it would be for the daughter of the 13th Dynasty king Ameny Qemau whose pyramid is located 600 meters away.

Dr. Sherif also said that the mission also discovered last month a relief with 10 lines of hieroglyphics bearing the Cartouche of King Ameny Qemau. Hence the box may belong to the King’s daughter or one of his family.

Inside the box, the mission has found wrappings of the deceased's liver, intestine, stomach and lungs. Remains of an anthropoid sarcophagus has been found but in a very bas conservation condition. Excavation works would continue to uncover more of the pyramid's secrets.

Dr. Khaled El Enany, Minister of Antiquities visited the site this morning to inspect the excavation works accompanied by Dr. Mahmoud Afifi, Head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities sector and Alaa Al-Shahat, head of the central administration of Antiquities of Cairo and Giza.

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Egyptian archaeologists discovered a 5000+ years settlement in Upper Egypt

Predynastic cemetery and settlement discovered in Abydos. According to Dr. Mahmoud Affifi, a team of Egyptian archaeologists discovered a predynastic cemetery dated to 4^th millennium B.C (3316 B.C) located 400 meters to the south of Seti I temple in Abydos.

The team are all Egyptian archaeologists who are working for the ministry of antiquities and this mission also included training a number of Egyptian archaeologists on documentation as a part of the ministry’s plan to encourage qualified Egyptian teams to do digs and train new generations.

Dr. Affifi said “It is probably the cemetery and the settlements belong to high officials and the overseers of royal tombs and mortuary structures of the kings of the first dynasty in Abydos.”

The team also discovered a number of huts and daily life tools including pottery which could refer to a workers village for the workers who were responsible for building the royal tombs.

Dr. Hany Abo ELAzm said “The Egyptian team managed to unearth 15 large mud brick tombs so far, some measures up to 14 meters x 5 meters. The discovered tombs are different in design and architectural styles. Some of the tombs are even bigger than the royal tombs in Abydos of 1^st Dynasty which shows the importance of the owners and their positions in this early period of the Egyptian history.

Yasser Mahmoud Hussein, head of the Egyptian archaeologists’ team, said “Some of the tombs are unique as they have more than one Mastaba up to 4 mastabas. Mastabas were used in tombs of 1^st Dynasty in Sakkara then in the time of 3^rd Dynasty so in this case it is the first to discover Mastaba tombs dated to the 1^st Dynasty in Abydos.  

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Photos are courtesy of Ministry of Antiquities