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Egyptian authorities unveiled the mummy of a well-preserved woman in an unopened coffin in Luxor, southern Egypt, dating back over 3,000 years.
Three hundred cubic meters of rubble were removed in five months to discover the tomb.
Photo: AFP
The sarcophagus, an ancient coffin, was one of two discovered earlier this month by a French-led mission in the northern region of El-Asasif, a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile. The first had been opened earlier and examined by Egyptian antiquities officials.
"One of the sarcophagi was rishi style, dating back to the seventeenth dynasty, while the other sarcophagus was from the eighteenth dynasty," said Minister of Antiquities, Khaled Al Anani.
"Both graves were present with their mummies inside."
An open and intact sarcophagus containing the mummy of a woman named Thuya, wrapped in linen.
Photo: AFP
The 18th Dynasty dates back to the 13th century BC, a period known to some of the most famous pharaohs, including Tutankhamen and Ramses II0.
It was the first time the authorities had opened an unopened sarcophagus for international media.
Earlier in the day, the authorities also revealed in the same area the grave of the supervisor of the mummification sanctuary identified as Thaw-Irkhet-if.
Ushabti carved wooden statues.
Photo: AFP
The tomb contained five colorful masks and about 1,000 Ushabti statutes – the miniature figurine of servants serving the dead in the afterlife.
Three hundred cubic meters of rubble were removed in five months to discover the tomb, which contained colorful ceiling paintings depicting the owner and his family.
The tomb, which also contains mummies, skeletons and skulls, dates back to the Middle Kingdom nearly 4,000 years ago, but was reused at the end of the period.
An Egyptian archaeologist brushes a mummy into a carved black wooden sarcophagus inlaid with gilded leaves.
Photo: AFP
The ancient Egyptians mummified humans to preserve their bodies beyond, while animal mummies were used as religious offerings.
Egypt has revealed more than a dozen ancient discoveries since the beginning of this year.
The country hopes that these discoveries will illuminate its image abroad and revive the interest of travelers who once gathered in its pharaonic temples and iconic pyramids, but who had fled the country since its political uprising. 2011.
– Reuters
