Egypt dig unearths goldsmith's tomb, mummies

An Egyptian archaeologist inspects three mummies uncovered in an ancient tomb in the Draa Abul Naga necropolis in Luxor in a han
An Egyptian archaeologist inspects three mummies uncovered in an ancient tomb in the Draa Abul Naga necropolis in Luxor in a handout picture released by the Egyptian antiquities ministry on September 9, 2017

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of a goldsmith dedicated to the god Amun and the mummies of a woman and her two children, the antiquities ministry said on Saturday.

The finds, dating back to the New Kingdom (16th to 11th centuries BC), were made in the Draa Abul Naga necropolis on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, famed for its temples and burial grounds.

The tomb of "Amun's Goldsmith, Amenemhat" contained a sculpture carved into a recess of him seated beside his wife, the ministry said.

A portrait of their son was painted between them.

A burial shaft in the tomb led to a chamber where the archaeologists discovered mummies, funerary statues and masks, the ministry said.

Another shaft led to a chamber where the team found the mummies of a and her two children.

The woman appears to have died at the age of 50 and tests showed she had suffered from a bacterial bone disease, the ministry quoted bone specialist Sherine Ahmed Shawqi as saying.

The team also discovered 150 small funerary statues carved in wood, clay and limestone.

The tomb of a goldsmith dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Amun unearthed by archaeologists in Luxor boasts a sculpture of hi
The tomb of a goldsmith dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Amun unearthed by archaeologists in Luxor boasts a sculpture of him seated beside his wife

© 2017 AFP

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