Archaeologists have made a major discovery in the region of Egypt where King Tutankhamun was discovered, which they say ‘reconstructs history’.
They discovered eleven wooden coffins, including one for a child, in rock-cut tombs and burial shafts hundreds of meters below the surface of the city of Luxor.
The wealth of artifacts found during the excavation may provide clues about the lives of the ancient Egyptians 3,600 years ago.
The discoveries, experts say, provide clues to ancient Egyptian symbols, layout, rituals and practices in their temples.
The hoard of goods included bronze coins depicting Alexander the Great from the time of Ptolemy I (367-283 BC), children’s toys made of clay and funerary masks covering mummies, winged scarabs, beads and amulets.
It is believed that looters ransacked the tombs in recent centuries but left behind pottery tables that were used to offer bread, wine, meat and archer’s bows that could connect the tomb’s owners to the Egyptian army.
The remains of Queen Hatshepsut’s Valley Temple were also uncovered for the first time.
She was Egypt’s first female pharaoh and reigned from approximately 1479 to 1458 BC.
Burial chamber with several adjacent coffins showing some of the 11 burials discovered in the rock-cut tombs
Luxor is known for its oldest and oldest Egyptian sites and for being home to the Valley of the Kings where King Tut was discovered
The Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities & Heritage, an organization that aims to preserve Egypt’s heritage and antiquities, announced the discovery on Wednesday.
Luxor is known as the home of the Valley of the Kings where King Tut was discovered. It is located approximately 340 miles from the Great Pyramids.
This area was once called the ‘Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of the Pharaoh’ as several mummies and massive structures have been discovered there since the 19th century.
Unlike the pyramid that contained the remains of King Tut, the newly found tombs were carved into rocks that the civilization believed protected the body and soul as they journeyed to the afterlife.
In these unique tombs, archaeologists also found burial shafts from the 17th Dynasty, the tomb of Djehuti-Mes and part of the Assassif Ptolemaic Necropolis.
Djehuti-Mes was the overseer of the palace of an ancient Egyptian queen.
And a cemetery known as the Assassif Ptolemaic Necropolis is a cemetery where only high-ranking officials were buried.
War archery bows were also found in the burial chambers, indicating that those who owned the graves had a military background.
Head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohammad Ismail, shows and discusses fragments of stones depicting scenes of rituals during an indoor media event to announce new discoveries at the Valley Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Exhibition of children’s dolls and toys made of clay (back left corner), bronze coins engraved with images of Alexander the Great (center front) and winged scarabs (center front) found in the rock-cut tombs.
Today, the city of Luxor is called the ‘largest open-air museum’ in the world and is both a residential city with approximately 422,407 inhabitants and a major tourist destination in the world.
Following Egypt’s recent political unrest, officials are trying to lure tourists to popular ancient sights such as the Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and many other historic structures.
On November 4, 1922, archaeologists Carter and his team found steps leading to Tutankhamun’s tomb and spent several months sifting through the treasures.
The treasure of grave goods included 5,000 objects, including solid gold funeral shoes, statues, games and strange animals. It took ten years to empty the tomb.
The Boy King was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty who reigned between 1332 BC and 1323 BC.
He was the son of Akhenaten and came to the throne at the age of nine or ten.
When Tut became king, he married his half-sister Ankhesenpaaten.
He died around the age of 18 and his cause of death is unknown.
However, the young king was plagued with health problems because his parents were brother and sister.