EGYPTOLOGISTS and archaeologists from Spain have discovered two hitherto concealed tombs in Luxor, filled with gold and silver jewellery.
Excavation leader Myriam Seco says the findings date back to the Middle Empire, which lasted from 2050 BC to 1750 BC, and that they sit beneath the temple of the Pharaoh Tutmosis III.
The temple, dedicated to the Pharaoh who reigned from 1490 BC to 1436 BC, is based in Luxor, on the west bank of the river Nile close to the Valley of the Kings, and already famous in its own right for the iconic temple there of the same name.
Sra Seco says one of the tombs carried the mummified body of an upper-class lady wearing two gold bracelets and a necklace in a cylinder shape, studded with semi-precious stones, and several silver ankle bracelets.
The gold items are in perfect condition, although the silver pieces were heavily deteriorated, say the archaeologists.
They have excavated 14 tombs to date, all of which were pillaged in ancient times, but the two found under the Tutmosis III temple – one of which was empty – had been buried for thousands of years after the ceiling caved in, crushing part of the body of the woman, meaning grave-robbers were unable to get to the valuables inside.
Myriam Seco said the collection discovered is ‘valuable, beautiful and very impressive’, as well as being extremely unique and important historical findings given that there are very few items of jewellery from the Middle Empire left to give experts an insight into what life was like during this era.
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