This week, we talked about the findings of 27 regal statues of ancient Egyptian goddess Sekhmet at Luxor. Well, as it turns out, the veritable site corresponding to the ancient city of Thebes, also boasts its legacy when it comes to hidden mummies. To that end, archaeologists, under the auspices of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, recently excavated two previously unexplored tombs in the Draa Abul Naga necropolis (on Luxor’s west bank). And to their surprise, the researchers came across a linen-wrapped mummy, complemented by other precious artifacts, vivacious wall paintings, and a wooden mask.
While these tombs were known to Egyptologists since the 90s, with numbered-monikers of Kampp 150 and Kampp 161, both of the 3,500-year old tombs were probably not explored before. In any case, the Kampp 150 revealed its incredible content in the form of a linen-wrapped mummy that was accompanied by a range of other objects. Possibly pertaining to the remains of a high-ranking official, who lived during the timeframe of 17th dynasty or 18th dynasty (circa 16th century BC), the mummy was laid to rest in a long chamber. Archaeologists are still not sure of his identity, with their hypotheses relating to two particular names – Djehuty Mes, a name found engraved on the wall, or Maati, another name inscribed alongside Mehi, likely the occupant’s wife.
Interestingly enough, this linen-wrapped mummy was not the only human occupant found in the Kampp 150 tomb. Researchers also came across the burial of a woman named Isis Nefret inside the chamber, who was likely the main occupant’s mother. Her remains were interred in a yellow-painted coffin and were accompanied by multifariously colored 36 funerary ushabtis (figurines that were intended to act as servants or minions of the deceased in their afterlife). Other funerary objects found in the tomb include a stash of 100 cones, over 450 statuettes carved from various materials (like clay, wood, and glazed pottery) and a collection of painted wooden masks. The tomb also flaunts a mural depicting the scene of a seated man feeding his four oxen.
The Kampp 161 tomb also revealed its fair share of artifacts and paintings, with the latter scope covering two feast scenes. One of these poignant murals depicts a man (possibly the deceased’s brother) endowing offerings and flowers to the deceased and his wife. A second scene, painted below the first, showcases a number of attending guests standing in four rows. Unfortunately, the archaeologists didn’t identify any particular name that can be associated with the original occupant. However, like in the case of the Kampp 150, it can be assumed that the deceased was an influential man (or a noble) during his time, as could be judged by the depictions of the impressive funerary feasts.
Lastly, in terms of objects found in Kampp 161, the researchers were greeted with various types of masks in the 20-ft deep burial shaft, including wooden varieties and a fragment of a gilded specimen. Additionally, the archaeologists also discovered a segment of an Osiris-shaped coffin that was embellished with a familiar motif of the goddess Isis lifting up her hands (in a bid to resurrect her dead husband Osiris).
Source / Images Credit (except featured image): Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities / Via: LiveScience
