An Egyptian mission working at the site of Dra Abu el-Naga, opposite Luxor, has uncovered a number of elite burials that highlight both the richness and the evolution of burial practices on Luxor’s West Bank. The mission, now in its eighth season, which began in November 2025, presented its latest discoveries to Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, during the Minister’s inspection tour of Luxor to review the progress of several archaeological projects.

According to Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, this eighth season focused on the southeastern part of the tomb of Roy (TT255), an area that had remained completely covered by debris from previous archaeological missions for more than 150 years.

The first discovery was a shaft containing a group of ten wooden coffins dating to different periods, located in the courtyard of the tomb of Baki, which had been discovered in the area last year. The coffins are well preserved and bear a variety of scenes and inscriptions. Preliminary studies indicate that four of the coffins date to the 18th Dynasty; one of these bears the name of Merit, a singer of the god Amun. Another coffin, dating to the Ramesside Period, belongs to Padiamun, a priest of the Temple of Amun. The remaining coffins date to the Late Period. Studies suggest that the shaft was used as a cache to store these coffins after they had been moved from their original burial sites in order to protect them, especially given the poor state of preservation of the mummies inside.

Secondary burial in caches is a well-documented practice applied in many elite burials, including those of pharaohs. It is worth noting that the majority of discoveries involving large numbers of elite coffins represent such cache burials rather than original burials. Most pharaonic tombs had already been found empty because, from antiquity and through organized procedures, the mummies had been transferred to caches (shafts or old tombs) for protection. In one notable case, a pharaonic tomb itself was used as a cache: KV35, the tomb of the 18th Dynasty king Amenhotep II, served as the final ancient burial place not only for the king himself, but also for royals such as Thutmose IV, Amenhotep III, Merenptah, Queen Tiye, the last royals of the 19th Dynasty, and several 20th Dynasty kings named Ramesses.

The mission also uncovered the tomb of the purification priest of the Temple of Amun, Aa-Shafi-Nakhtu. The tomb is located in the southern corner of the courtyard of the tomb of Baki. It consists of a small courtyard preceded by a rectangular shaft and an entrance decorated with offering scenes and funerary texts. The entrance leads to a rectangular hall that opens into the burial chamber. The tomb owner held the title “Purification Priest of the Temple of Amun,” and his father, Padiamun, bore the same title. The inscriptions on the facade also included the names of his two wives, Isis and Ta-Kafet, both of whom held the title “Singer of the Temple of Amun.”

Inside a small tomb, designated DP91, archaeologists discovered a sandstone pyramidion engraved with a recurring scene depicting its owner in a devotional pose. The pyramidion bears the name Benji and the title “Scribe and Nobleman,” although the man’s original tomb has not yet been identified. According to Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, this discovery suggests the possibility that Benji’s tomb may be located near the excavation area. He also confirmed that the tomb was once topped by a mud-brick pyramid, which has since been destroyed over time.

The mission also uncovered a burial of mummified animals in the final layers of debris south of the tomb of Baki. The group includes more than 30 mummified cats—both small and large, wild and domestic. All were wrapped in linen shrouds and tied with linen bandages. The burial dates to the Ptolemaic Period, when animal mummies were offered as symbolic sacrifices for protection before being collected and buried in small pits following the conclusion of religious rituals and ceremonies.

This discovery reflects both the richness of the archaeological site and the diversity of the artifacts and historical periods represented there. Dr. Abdel Ghaffar Wagdy, Director General of Luxor Antiquities, explained that the mission is continuing its scientific study and documentation of the discoveries, alongside meticulous restoration and conservation work on the sarcophagi, artifacts, and tombs, in preparation for presenting the results in a comprehensive scientific publication. He added that the owners of the newly unearthed tombs are individuals not previously mentioned in any known historical sources. Furthermore, the inscriptions discovered within the tombs document new titles and positions mentioned for the first time. These discoveries represent a significant contribution to the study of ancient Egyptian history, shedding light on previously unknown individuals and providing new information about the positions and roles they held, thereby enhancing our understanding of the administrative and social structure of that era.