Ancient tombs containing the colorful mummified bodies of high priests and officials from 3,400 years ago have been unearthed in Egypt

Ancient stone and wooden tombs have been unearthed in Egypt containing the mummified bodies of high priests and officials from 3,400 years ago.

There are coffins with the names of two women in the cemetery. A papyrus with the Book of the Dead as well as a number of amulets and jewelry were also discovered.

It was discovered in the Al-Ghuraifa area of ​​the Tuna El-Gebel necropolis in Minya, 136 miles (220 km) south of the national capital Cairo.

The tomb dates to the New Kingdom period, a period in which Egypt was occupied between the 16th and 11th centuries BC. became a world power.

This period of ancient Egyptian history includes the Eighteenth Dynasty, the Nineteenth Dynasty and the Twentieth Dynasty from 1549 BC. to 1069 BC BC

Unearthed: Ancient stone and wooden tombs containing the mummified bodies of high priests and officials from 3,400 years ago have been discovered in Egypt

Colorful: There are wooden coffins with the names of two women in the cemetery

Among the new finds was an engraved, colored wooden coffin belonging to a daughter of a high priest of Djehuti, an ancient Egyptian god also known as Thoth.

He was the god of the moon, sacred texts, mathematics, science, magic, messenger and recorder of deities, and was often depicted as an ibis bird or baboon.

Archaeologists also announced that they had found a papyrus about 15 meters long that was in good condition, “as if it had been colored yesterday.”

It is now displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum.

According to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the cemetery contains a large number of rock-cut tombs and hundreds of other archaeological finds.

“We have been searching for this New Kingdom cemetery for seven years and finally found it this excavation season,” said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the SCA.

Discovered in 1925, the Al-Ghuraifa area of ​​Minya is known for its archaeological finds, including 35 tombs, 90 coffins and 10,000 statues.

MailOnline has contacted the Ministry of Antiquities for further information on the latest find.

Egypt has made several significant archaeological discoveries in recent years, most notably at the Saqqara necropolis south of the capital Cairo.

Text: A papyrus containing the Book of the Dead (pictured) was also discovered. It is about 15 meters long

Tiny: Archaeologists have recovered a number of amulets and jewelry from the burial site

Discovered in 1925, the Al-Ghuraifa area of ​​Minya is known for its archaeological finds, including 35 tombs, 90 coffins and 10,000 statues

Among the new finds was an engraved, colored wooden coffin belonging to a daughter of a high priest of Djehuti, an ancient Egyptian god also known as Thoth

Last year, a pink granite sarcophagus of Ptah-em-wia, a high-ranking Egyptian noble who served as treasurer under Ramesses the Great, was found in the necropolis.

Dating back up to 3,300 years, the stone coffin, inscribed on all sides with emblems, hieroglyphs and titles, was found in pristine condition and in its original grave 23 feet underground.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also announced last year the discovery of mummies in the Qewaisna necropolis that had golden tongues in their mouths.

It is believed that their real tongues were removed during embalming and replaced with the gold item so that the deceased could speak to Osiris in the afterlife.

In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is the “Lord of the Underworld” and judge of the dead and one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt.

But perhaps the biggest discovery of 2022 was an underground tunnel beneath the Taposiris Magna Temple that experts say could lead to the long-lost tomb of Cleopatra, one of history’s most famous queens.

According to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the cemetery contains a large number of rock-cut tombs and hundreds of other archaeological finds.

Sculptures and ornaments from the New Kingdom period were discovered

These are just some of the artifacts discovered at the cemetery in Minya, Egypt

Carved: Tiny figures were also unearthed by archaeologists during excavations at the site in Minya

Where the cemetery is located: Minya is 136 miles (220 km) south of the national capital, Cairo

Cleopatra was Egypt’s last pharaoh and ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 BC. until her death in 30 BC. BC at the age of only 39 years.

Famous for her seductive personality, she is said to have been buried alongside her lover Mark Antony.

Experts believe that Cleopatra planned to have herself and Antony buried in Taposiris Magna to emulate the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris.

According to the myth, Osiris was chopped into pieces that were scattered all over Egypt before Isis was able to find all the pieces and revive him.

Recent discoveries have been a key part of Egypt’s attempts to revive its vital tourism industry, the crowning jewel of which is the long-delayed inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum at the foot of the pyramids.

The archaeological museum in Giza, which is under construction, is scheduled to open this year.

HAS Cleopatra’s Tomb FOUND? A tunnel carved into the rock has been discovered 43 feet beneath an ancient temple that could lead to her long-lost burial site

A tunnel carved through layers of rock has been discovered beneath the ancient Taposiris Magna temple in Egypt, which may lead to the long-lost tomb of Cleopatra.

Hailed as a “geometric wonder,” the tunnel stretches more than 4,800 feet and is approximately six feet high.

Archaeologist Kathleen Martinez of the University of San Domingo has been convinced for more than a decade that Egypt’s last pharaoh Cleopatra and her lover Mark Antony were buried in the temple and is certain that the tunnel could be the route to this discovery.

Cleopatra reigned from 51 to 30 BC. BC – until her death. She was the queen of Egypt and the last and most famous of the Ptolemaic dynasty

The Taposiris Magna Temple, whose name means “great tomb of Osiris,” is located near the Egyptian city of Alexandria, the country’s former capital.

Martinez said there was a good chance the queen was buried there, and if so, the discovery of the remains of Egypt’s last pharaoh would be “the most important discovery of the 21st century.”

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