Six tombs dating back to the Old Kingdom uncovered in Aswan

CAIRO – 21 January 2019: The English Archaeological Mission of the University of Birmingham working on Hawa Dome project in Aswan uncovered six tombs of different sizes dating back to the Old Kingdom.

Head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziry explained that the discovered tombs range in dimensions between 190 x285 cm and 352 x 635 cm.

Two of the tombs have entrances carved into the rock, while the third one has a complete entrance that is closed with stones; the entrance to its burial chamber is carefully closed by a brick wall. Despite all of the previous, it has been looted in ancient times by thieves who broke into the tomb through the back wall.


FILE - Six tombs dating back to the Old Kingdom uncovered in Aswan

Head of Hawa Dome project, professor Marten Bomas, announced that a fragment of a funerary mask and a small metal amulet depicting god Khnum were found inside a tomb.

The Archaeological Mission of Alexandria Antiquities, which works at the site of Tuba Metwah in Al-Amriyah, uncovered a collection of artifacts dating back to the Greek and Roman eras on Thursday, January 17.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Waziry, confirmed that this is a unique discovery, as the site is an industrial and commercial area.

Waziry clarified that one of the most important elements of the archaeological finds is a set of interconnected walls with clear construction and designing methods. Some walls were built with non symmetrical stones, while others were built with carefully cut stones.

Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector Ayman Ashmawy stated that a large number of ovens were also discovered as separate units inside the walls, which have been rebuilt and renovated more than once. Most of these ovens were used to prepare food, as bird and fish bones were found inside.

Ashmawi pointed out that the existence of such a large number of ovens indicates that this place was used as a service unit for militants or camps.

In the same context, Head of the Central Department of the Effects of the Sea, Nadia Khedr, stated that cooking utensils of different sizes, as well as large quantities of pottery vessels were also uncovered.

Director General of Alexandria Antiquities and Head of the mission, Khaled Abul Hamd, referred to the discovery of two corpses, one of which was for a middle-aged woman wearing a copper ring.

The bodies were found next to a wall and close to a used oven. The place might have been used by the poor to bury their dead after it had been abandoned.





FILE - Six tombs dating back to the Old Kingdom uncovered in Aswan