Alex Carson
Egypt
The oldest known civilizations were in Egypt. This is why archaeologists are often making new discoveries in this country. Over the years, experts have found hidden tombs, ancient cemeteries, and lost cities. Over the decades, plenty of discoveries have been made. In November 21018, another important discovery was made. Archaeologists have unearthed a tomb containing 3, 500-year-old mummies in perfect condition.
The Discovery
The discovery was made in the Egyptian Assasseef valley close to Luxor. They uncovered two sarcophagi in the depths of the tomb. The archaeologists believe that the tomb is around 3,500 years old. When they opened the coffin, they discovered that the remains were shockingly preserved. It was no surprise that the discovery was made there. Luxor has been called the world’s greatest open-air museum. This is because of the many objects that have been discovered there. This is because the ruins of the Ancient Egyptian city that once was known as Waset is located.
Waset
Outside of Egypt, Waset is referred to as Thebes. It was once the capital of Egypt. This city was incredibly significant during the Middle Kingdom Era. It spanned from 2050 BC to 1710 BC. It was also significant curing the New Kingdom, which is believed to have lasted from 1570 BC to 1069 BC.
The Most Populated City
A British historian named Ian Morris believes that Thebes was once the most populated city on Earth. He believes that around 1500 BC, there were 75,000 people living there. It wasn’t until 600 years later that the Assyrian city of Nimrud took over the title of the most populated city. Today, this city is located mainly in modern-day Iraq. It is also spread around the surrounding cities.
A Prosperous Place
In Ancient Egypt, Thebes was a prosperous place. Riches flowed through the city which allowed a number of religious monuments to be built there. This is also the reasons that so many archaeological ruins and treasures have been found in the area over the years. In present day Luxor, the remnants of the Karnak and Luxor temple complexes were found. The remnants of Luxor are made up of a variety of structures that were built during the Middle Kingdom period. Karnak and the surrounding areas were important religious location and were dedicated to the God Amun.
Complicated Investigations
Investigations of the Luxor temple have been complicated due to the population that settled in the area after the Ancient Egyptians. Locals began to construct structures on and around the temple. Over the years, debris began to pile up. Eventually, a mound close to 50-feet tall grew. This covered most of the temple. Excavations of the area were led by Professor Gaston Maspero in 1884 and they continued until 1960.
The Latest Find
In 2018, two ancient sarcophagi were uncovered in a tomb. While this find is amazing on its own, it is even more impressive because the team found 1,000 funerary statutes at the site. The bomb where the sarcophagi were found is located in a necropolis known as El-Assasif. It is on the west bank of Thebes. Considering that they archaeologists had to dig through 1,000-feet of debris, it was hard work to reach the vault. It was not an easy job. It took almost six months to do this, and a team of several experts and excavators.
The Tomb Dedication
Experts believe that the tomb was dedicated to someone named Thaw-Irkhet-if. He is believed to be the person who was in charge of supervising mummification at a temple called Mut. The vault also contained close to 1,000 miniature figurines known as ushabti. These were said to be servants for the dead. There are also five colored masks within the tomb and a number of skelatons andskulls. The experts believe that the vault is thousands of years old.
The Sarcophagi
The sarcophagi has incredible historical value. They were also very well preserved. This meant that they were in pristine state for investigation and each one held something significant. One dated back to the 17th dynasty and the other dated back to the 18th century. The mummies inside were in pristine condition. The experts learned from the condition of the two mummies that the wealthier members of Egyptian society were prepared for the afterlife differently than those who were poor. One of the mummies is a priest responsible for overseeing the mummification process and the other was his wife, Thuya. This was an exceptional find and it created quite a buzz in the archaeological world. This find gave the archeological community something to search. The more we are able to learn about Ancient Egypt, the more we can understand about what life was like back then.
