Recent archaeological findings near Luxor, Egypt, have unveiled significant discoveries, including ancient rock-cut tombs and burial shafts dating back 3,600 years. These artifacts were uncovered along the causeway of the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir al-Bahari, as reported by the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage.
The excavation, which has been ongoing since September 2022 in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Antiquities, revealed a variety of artifacts. Among them are bronze coins depicting Alexander the Great from the Ptolemaic era, clay toys, funerary masks covering mummies, scarabs, beads, and other funerary amulets.
Zahi Hawass stated that these discoveries could help "reconstruct history" and provide insights into the programs the ancient Egyptians developed within the temple complex.
Additionally, the remains of Hatshepsut's Valley Temple were found, along with Middle Kingdom rock-cut tombs (1938-1630 BCE), burial shafts from the 17th Dynasty, and the tomb of Djehuti-Mes, part of the Ptolemaic necropolis at Assassif.
While many rock-cut tombs were plundered during the Ptolemaic period, some artifacts were recovered, including ceramic tables used for offerings of bread, wine, and meat.
In the burial shafts, dating from 1580-1550 BCE, anthropoid wooden coffins were discovered, including one belonging to a child, which remained intact since its burial approximately 3,600 years ago. War bows found in the burial chamber suggest that the tomb's occupants had military backgrounds and fought to liberate Egypt from the Hyksos.
Although few artifacts were found in Djehuti Mes's burial, the tomb itself provides more information about him, as he oversaw the palace of Queen Teti Sheri. Inscriptions on his funerary stelae indicate that the tomb dates back to the ninth year of Ahmose I's reign (1550-1525 BCE).
Furthermore, part of the extended Ptolemaic necropolis was discovered, which occupied the site of the causeway and Hatshepsut's Valley Temple. These tombs were constructed with mud bricks over the remnants of Hatshepsut's temple. Much of the necropolis was unearthed in the early 20th century, but it was not properly documented.
In November, a team of Egyptian and American archaeologists excavated an ancient tomb containing 11 sealed burials near Luxor, dating back to the Middle Kingdom, found in the southern Asasif necropolis adjacent to Hatshepsut's Temple.