Archaeologists have discovered near Luxor the tomb of an important New Kingdom goldsmith, as well as several mummies, masks and statuettes.
An archaeologist restores a sarcophagus in the recently discovered tomb of "the goldsmith of Amun, Amenemhat", near Luxor in southern Egypt.
The necropolis of Draa Aboul Naga, near Luxor in southern Egypt, has not finished revealing its secrets. Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities has announced the recent discovery of a goldsmith's tomb along with the mummies of a woman and her two children alongside her. This necropolis, renowned for its ancient tombs and temples, belongs to the Valley of the Nobles, where the notables close to the pharaohs were buried.
The goldsmith of the god Amon
The silversmith Amenemhat (whose name, worn by several pharaohs, literally means "under the responsibility of Amun") dedicated his work to Amun, a major god of Egyptian mythology, particularly in the city of Thebes. The tomb discovered dates according to archaeologists from the New Kingdom period (between the 16th and 11th centuries BC). According to the statement from the Egyptian authorities, inside the tomb was a statue of the goldsmith seated on a chair and accompanied by his wife wearing a dress and wearing a wig. Between the two, the portrait of their son was painted.
It was in a room at the end of a corridor that archaeologists discovered the mummy of the woman and her two children. According to the ministry quoting Chérine Ahmed Chawqi, a bone Egyptologist, the woman appears to have died at the age of 50 and tests show she suffered from "a bacterial disease in the bones" . Another burial passage led archaeologists to a room containing several mummies, masks as well as funerary statues. Other such statues carved from wood, earth or limestone rock have been discovered, 150 in total.