Egypt discovers nearly 60 New Kingdom mummies

A team of archaeologists from the University of Basel in Switzerland has discovered a large tomb containing nearly 60 mummies dating back to the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period (1590-1078 BC).

A giant tomb was excavated on the West Bank of the Nile in the Valley of the Kings. (Source: Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities)

In a press release on April 27, Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said the royal mummies were excavated in a tomb carved deep into the rock in the Valley of the Kings, about 700km south of Cairo.

In addition to the mummies, the mausoleum also contains wooden sarcophagi and plaster-covered linen skeleton masks depicting the facial features of the deceased.

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic texts carved on several clay pots found inside the tomb revealed the names and titles of 30 princesses associated with the New Kingdom kings Tuthmosis IV and Amenhotep III. Among them, the first mentions of two princesses are Ta-Im-Wag-Is and Neferonebo.

The head of the Swiss archaeology team, Egyptologist Helena Ballin, said the tomb contained the mummies of infants and a large collection of burial objects.

According to Ms. Ballin, initial research results show that this tomb was dug up many times by robbers since ancient times, and was also reused as a burial place by priests.

Mr. Ali El-Asfar, head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities research department at the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, said that after the excavation work is completed, scientists will conduct anthropological research and analyze clay fragments to determine the identity and mummy of the owner of this tomb.

Located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor on the east bank, the Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.

During the 500 years from the 16th to the 11th century BC, the Egyptians built many tombs here for the Pharaohs and powerful officials of the New Kingdom.

As of 2008, archaeologists have found 63 tombs, the largest of which has 120 rooms.

After archaeologists discovered the tomb of the legendary Pharaoh Tutankhamun in November 1922, the city of Luxor and its surrounding area became one of the most popular tourist attractions in Egypt./.

According to VNA