Ancient tomb with jewelry and copper mirrors unearthed in Egypt
The joint Egyptian-American mission excavating the necropolis found coffins for five women, two men and three children.
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Archeologists from Egypt and the United States unearthed an ancient tomb with 11 sealed burials near the famed city of Luxor, Egyptian authorities said. The discovery included a trove of exquisitely crafted jewelry as well as a figurine that was described as an "important find."
Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said in a statement Friday the tomb, which dates back to the Middle Kingdom (1938 B.C.-1630 B.C.), was found in the South Asasif necropolis, next to the Temple of Hatshepsut on the Nile's West Bank in Luxor.
The joint Egyptian-American mission excavating the necropolis found coffins for five women, two men and three children, suggesting that it was a family tomb used for generations during the 12th Dynasty and the beginning of the 13th Dynasty, said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt.
He said ancient floods destroyed most of the burials' wooden coffins and linen wrappings.
However, some items such as jewelry in women's burials were found intact, including a finely crafted necklace with 30 amethyst beads and two cylindrical agate beads framing a hippo-head amulet, according to the statement.
Catherine Blakeney, chief American archeologist with the mission, said they found two copper mirrors, one with a lotus-shaped handle, and the second with a unique design of Hathor, goddess of the sky, women, fertility and love in ancient Egypt.
The South Asasif Conservation Project, which led the dig, said in a news release that a green-blue glazed faience fertility figurine was also an "important find."
