It has remained hidden in its sarcophagus for over 3000 years. A mummified young woman was found in El-Asasef, not far from the famous Valley of the Kings, in southeastern Egypt
TikTok's viral trick to preserve avocado is dangerousSarcophagus opened for the first time live reveals a young mummy from 3 thousand years ago
It has remained hidden in its sarcophagus for over 3000 years. A mummified young woman was found in El-Asasef, not far from the famous Valley of the Kings, in southeastern Egypt.
Archaeologists on Saturday opened the sarcophagus in Luxor live on video. The latter was one of two discovered earlier this month by a French-led mission in the Al-Assasif necropolis.
The former had been opened previously, but the latter was the first to be revealed and scrutinized in front of the world's media.
It most likely contained the mummified and well-preserved remains of a young woman named Thuya, the Antiquities Ministry revealed, although spokeswoman Nevine Aref said archaeologists are still working to confirm the identity of the woman with certainty. mummy.
Workers removed 300 meters of rubble for 5 months before reaching the tomb which also contained ceiling frescoes depicting the owner and family members.
"One sarcophagus was in the rishi style, which dates back to the XNUMXth dynasty, while the other was from the XNUMXth dynasty", he said the minister of antiquities, Khaled al-Anani. "The two tombs were present with their mummies inside."
The 13th dynasty dates back to the XNUMXth century BC, the period that gave away some of the most famous pharaohs, including Tutankhamun and Ramses II.
Located between the royal tombs of the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, the Al-Assasif necropolis is the burial place of nobles and high officials close to the pharaohs.
Among the finds in the tomb were sarcophagi, statues, 5 masks and about 1.000 funerary figurines called ushabtis, made of wood, pottery and clay.
The tomb belonged to Thaw-Irkhet-If, the mummification supervisor of the Temple of Mut in Karnak, according to the ministry. Inside were found other artifacts dating back to almost 4.000 years ago but according to scientists it was also reused later.
Another good news for Egypt that since the beginning of 2018 has given one discovery after another. The country hopes that the finds will revive the interest of travelers, once numerous but now drastically declining due to the effects of the political upheaval in 2011.
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Francesca Mancuso
Photo: Ministry of Antiquities
