LUXOR, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that a tomb dated to the Middle Kingdom period has been discovered in the Asasif necropolis at Thebes, which is located on the western bank of the Nile River in Upper Egypt. The 4,000-year-old tomb contained the remains of 11 individuals, who are thought to have been family members who lived during the 12th and early 13th Dynasties. Damage to the wooden coffins and linen wrappings in the tomb is thought to have occurred during ancient floods. Jewelry and pottery, however, were found to be well preserved and still in place among the skeletal remains. The jewelry items included a necklace made of 30 amethyst beads and two cylindrical agate beads framing a hippo-head amulet. Rings, bracelets, and chains made of red agate; blue and green faience; stone inlays; and additional animal-shaped amulets were also recovered. Copper mirrors, one with a lotus flower handle and the other with images of the goddess Hathor, were found in two burials. In addition, the tomb yielded copper ingots, a small fertility figurine with black-painted hair and jewelry, and a square offering table decorated with images of a bull’s head, bread, and other offering items. “This discovery will also deepen our understanding of burial practices and rituals in Thebes during this era,” said Mohamed Ismail Khaled of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. To read about a Middle Kingdom stela recovered from the necropolis at Thebes, go to “Ancient Egyptian Caregivers.”
