Egyptian Middle Kingdom nonroyal burials and impressive ancient objects have been discovered at a tomb in Al-Asasif, on the Nile’s West Bank opposite Luxor. The tomb was located during by a joint Egyptian-American archaeological mission restoring a wall at the tomb ascribed to the 25th Dynasty elite Karabasken (Theban Tomb 391).

Dr. Muhammad Ismail Khalid, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized on the importance of this discovery, as it contributes to the understanding of burial practices and rituals in the Middle Kingdom.

The tomb was found to contain 11 skeletons of men, women and children. It is then identified as a family tomb that was used for several generations during the 12th and the beginning of the 13th Dynasty. Some of the burials were undisturbed.

Dr. Ayman Ashmawi, the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department, added that flooding in the tomb had destroyed the oak and coated linen fabrics of the burial equipment in it. At the same time, objects made of materials less susceptible to damage, were preserved and found in their original location among the remains of the skeletons.

The head of the Central Department of Antiquities of Upper Egypt explained that one of the most prominent archaeological finds is a unique necklace consisting of 30 cylindrical beads of amethyst stone with two cylindrical beads of agate surrounded by an amulet in the shape of a hippo’s head. Other finds include necklaces, bracelets, chains, and belts, made of red agate, blue and green faience, decorated with stone inlays, and with statuettes in the shape of hippo heads, hawks, and other animals, all of which are in good condition.

Dr. Elena Pischikova, director of the American–Egyptian South Asasif Conservation Project, pointed out that inside two of these burials were found copper mirrors. The handle of the first mirror has the shape of a lotus flower, while the second mirror’s handle features a four-faced image of goddess Hathor. The tomb also contained a number of copper ingots, and a small fertility statuette made of blue -green faience, painted with details indicating a female with short black hair and jewellery around the arms, chest, ribs and thighs. Next to the statuette the team found approximately 4000 clay beads that made up her original hair, once attached to the statue through a large number of holes that cover the top of its head. Finally, the team found a square-shaped offering table with a low edge and a water channel in the middle surrounded by relief depictions of a bull’s head, a loaf of bread and other sacrificial offerings.

The excavators will continue to discover more about the secrets of this cemetery.