Several tombs discovered in ruins of Tell Al-Deir Necropolis in New Damietta

CAIRO – 20 December 2022: The Egyptian archaeological mission, affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities working at Tell Al-Deir ruins in New Damietta, succeeded in discovering 20 tombs dating back to the Late Kingdom, while completing the excavation work at the site.

Part of the discovery - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of a previous discovery in the same location - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

This was stated by Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri, who pointed out the importance of this discovery, as an significant scientific and archaeological addition to rewriting the history of Damietta Governorate.

Waziri added that the discovered tombs varied, from tombs made of mud bricks to simple pits.

For his part, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities Ayman Ashmawy indicated that the mud brick tombs may date back to the El-Sawy Era, specifically the 26th Dynasty, as their architectural planning model, artistic features, and the pottery vessels discovered inside them were well-known in the Late Kingdom.

Professor Qutb Fawzi, head of the Central Department of Antiquities of Lower Egypt and Sinai and head of the archaeological mission, stated that the mission also succeeded in discovering golden chips that covered the remains of human burials. He noted that miniature models of canopic vessels for preserving the viscera of the deceased, and statues of the four sons of Horus were also found.

Part of the discovery - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of the discovery - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

Part of a previous discovery in the same location - Min. of Tourism & Antiquities 

In a similar context, Director of the Damietta Antiquities District Reda Saleh indicated that the mission is continuing its excavation work at the site in order to uncover the secrets of the Tell Al-Deir necropolis, stressing that the site still carries many secrets within its layers of sand. 

He added that the mission succeeded in the previous seasons in revealing many of the customs and burial methods of the successive civilizations that once lived on the land of Egypt in the Greco-Roman times, to which Tell Al-Deir was a witness.