CAIRO, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that mudbrick walls unearthed on Luxor’s West Bank have been identified by a team led by Egyptologist Zahi Hawass as the remains of a 3,400-year-old city built by Amenhotep III (r. ca. 1390–1352 B.C.). Historical references to the city suggest it was home to three of the pharaoh’s palaces and served as his administrative and industrial center. Rings, scarabs, colorful pottery, and tools for spinning and weaving were found within the well-preserved buildings lining the ancient streets, where some of the walls stand more than nine feet tall, Hawass said. The excavation also revealed a large bakery and food preparation area thought to have fed a large number of workers, an industrial area with ovens for making glass and faience, a production area for mudbricks bearing Amenhotep’s cartouche, and molds for making amulets and delicate decorations for temples and tombs. The administrative and residential district is thought to have been fenced off with a zig-zag wall controlled by one entry point. The excavation team also found two gallons of meat in a vessel bearing the inscription, “Year 37, dressed meat for the third Heb Sed festival from the slaughterhouse of the stockyard of Kha, made by the butcher Iuwy.” Further investigation of the city may reveal why the capital was moved to Amarna in the year 38, Hawass explained. To read about a recent reinvestigation of an underground mausoleum at Luxor, go to "Reburial in Luxor."
