Authorities in Egypt have discovered a 3,500-year-old tomb in Luxor that is thought to contain the bones of an 18th dynasty king. According to Mostafa Waziri, Director of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, the tomb was discovered by Egyptian and British archaeologists on the west bank of the River Nile.
The identity of the figure buried in the tomb is still unknown. "The first elements discovered so far inside the tomb seem to indicate that it dates back to the 18th dynasty of pharaohs Akhenaton and Tutankhamun," Mostafa Waziri said in a statement to news agency AFP.
As per the press release, the cemetery is in "poor condition." This is a result of floods during ancient times which submerged dense forms of sand and limestone and led to the blurring of many landmarks and patterns, archaeologist Mohsen Kamel stated.
"The mission is continuing with the excavation work and the archaeological documentation of the cemetery entirely, which will contribute to unravel the curtain from the architectural planning of the cemetery more clearly," said Dr. Fathi Yassin, Director General of Archeology of Egypt, as per the press release.
The 18th dynasty, which was a part of the New Kingdom period of Egyptian history, came to an end in 1292 BC and is regarded as one of the most successful periods of prehistoric Egypt. The tomb may belong to a princess or royal wife of Thutmosid ancestry, according to the chairman of the British research mission Piers Litherland of the University of Cambridge.
In April 2022, the Egyptian authorities had unearthed the remains of a Zeus-inspired temple in the Sinai Peninsula. The crew identified the Zeus Kasios temple with the help of the remnants of granite pillars that previously served as the temple's entrance gate, Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt's antiquities council, was quoted as saying by Newsweek.
In recent years, Egypt unveiled several major archaeological discoveries which has also helped the country revive its vital tourism industry.
