A failing attempt to steal Hathor Statue from Serabit Khadim Temple in Sinai

On Thursday 23^rd of September, the guards and inspectors of Serabit Khadim temple in South Sinai, discovered that the lower part of Hathor statue was missing and immediately the tourism and antiquities police was informed. Searching for the missing object took place since then till it was found on 28^th of September in a nearby area.

There are no strangers can get to the temple area without the Bedouin in the area knows plus the 24 guards and 10 inspectors who are doing regular check which helped to find out about the missing object. It seems like the attempt happened due to an arguments between some of the Bedouins individuals in the area although thanks to the Bedouins and their co-operation with the police that helped to find the missing object.

As a result of this incident so the Supreme council of Antiquities decided to move 6 statues from the temple to Sharm El sheikh to be display at Sharm El sheikh Museum.

More details about the temple and the restoration work with Luxor Times tomorrow...!!!

45 Tombs discovered

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A collection of 45 ancient Egyptian tombs was discovered last week by an Egyptian mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) at the site of Lahoun, in the Fayoum.

Culture minister, Farouk Hosni, announced today that each tomb contains a painted wooden sarcophagus with the mummy of the deceased still inside it.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA, explained that during the excavation work, the mission unearthed an 18th dynasty tomb (1550-1295 BC) containing 12 wooden sarcophagi stacked on top of each other. Each sarcophagus contains a well-preserved mummy. The mummies are covered in cartonnage, which is decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead and scenes featuring different ancient Egyptian deities.

The mission also discovered four cemeteries; the first is dated to the first and second dynasties (ca. 2750-2649 BC), the second belongs to the Middle Kingdom (2030-1660 BC) while the third and fourth are dated to the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) and The Late Period (724-343 BC).

Dr. Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, head of the archaeological mission, pointed out that the first and second dynasties cemeteries are composed of 14 tombs. One of the tombs is almost completely intact, including all of its funerary equipment and a wooden sarcophagus with a mummy wrapped with linen.

The Middle New Kingdoms cemetery contains 31 tombs most of which are dated to the 11^th and 12^th dynasties (2030-1840 BC). Each tomb includes a painted wooden sarcophagus bearing a mummy covered with cartonnage, decorated with religious texts that help the deceased to cross through the underworld, as well as scenes of different ancient Egyptian deities, such as Horus, Hathor, Khnum and Amun.

Also, at the four corners of king Senwosret II’s temple, the mission has located four shafts filled with a large collection of clay vessels.

Last year, the mission found 53 stone tombs from the Middle and New Kingdom, as well as the Late Period and the Roman era.

Second Dynasty

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  High Priest mummy ( New Kingdom )

Mummy of Nefer ( New Kingdom )