Egyptian archaeologists discovered a pharaonic tomb belonging to a royal goldsmith who lived more than 3,500 years ago during the reign of the 18th dynasty.
The discovery was made in the southern city of Luxor.
The exact location of the tomb is on the west bank of the river Nile in a cemetery where noblemen and top government officials are buried.
Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany made the announcement during a press conference on Saturday that was attended by Luxor Governor Mohammed Badr and Director of Luxor antiquities Dr. Mustafa Waziri and a number of local and foreign media, as well as the Cypriot ambassador to Egypt and several MPs.
The tomb is not in good condition, but it contains a statue of the goldsmith and his wife as well as a funerary mask, said Anany.
A shaft in the tomb contained mummies belonging to ancient Egyptian people who lived during the 21st and 22nd dynasties.
The fanfare surrounding Saturday’s announcement is designed to boost Egypt’s slowly recovering tourism industry.
Waziri revealed that the discovery of the tomb led archaeologists to new tombs that will be explored in the future, reported local media.
The most recent archaeological find in western Luxor dates back to April with the discovery of a tomb of a local judge who lived during the 18th dynasty.
Asharq Al-Awsat English
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