Archaeologists from Egypt and the US find ancient tomb in Luxor

Cairo. Archaeologists from Egypt and the United States unearthed an ancient tomb with 11 sealed coffins near the famous city of Luxor, authorities in the African country reported.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement on Friday that the tomb, which dates back to the Middle Kingdom (1938 BC-1630 BC), was found in the South Asasif necropolis, next to the Temple of Hatshepsut, on the shore west of the Nile in Luxor.

The joint mission found coffins for men, women and children, suggesting it was a family tomb used for generations in the 12th dynasty and the beginning of the 13th, said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt.

He mentioned that ancient floods destroyed most of the wooden coffins and linen wrappings in the graves.

However, some objects, such as jewelry in women’s coffins, were intact, including a finely crafted necklace with 30 amethyst beads and two cylindrical agate beads framing a hippopotamus head amulet, according to the statement.

Catherine Blakeney, the mission’s lead American archaeologist, said they discovered two copper mirrors, one with a lotus-shaped handle and the second with a unique design of Hathor, goddess of the sky, women, fertility and love in the ancient Egypt.

The find comes as Egypt has redoubled efforts to attract more tourists, a significant source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped North African country.

Tourism, which relies heavily on Egypt’s rich pharaonic artifacts, suffered a long decline after the 2011 political upheaval.

Last month, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a megaproject near the famous pyramids of Giza, test-opened 12 rooms displaying pharaonic artifacts to visitors ahead of the as-yet-unannounced official opening.