Hawass announces 2 remarkable archaeological discoveries in Luxor

CAIRO – 12 October 2019: Renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass said that the Egyptian expedition which he is heading in Luxor managed to discover two new archaeological discoveries.

The first discovery as recounted by Hawass was in the West Valley, also known as the Valley of the Monkeys, and the second one was in the East Valley, which houses the famed pharaonic tombs.

Hawass said that the Egyptian expedition has uncovered “an industrial area” for the first time ever in the location. The Expedition has been working in the Valley of the Monkeys since December 2017.

He further added that the area houses an oven tailor made for making clay products, and a water storage tank used by workmen.

The findings discovered at the site include: a scarab ring and hundreds of inlay beads and golden objects which were used to decorate royal coffins. Some of thediscovered inlays are decorated with the wings of Horus.

Hawass announced that the excavation in the West Valley is searching for the tombs of Nefertiti and Ankhsenamun, her daughter and the widow of Tutankhamun.

He said that he thinks that the wide valley between the tomb of Amenhotep III and Ay could be the place that houses the tombs of the Amarna family.

Hawss announced as well that the discovery of 30 workshops is very important. They are comprised of storage buildings and buildings for the cleaning of the funerary furniture, and contained many pottery finds dated to the eighteenth dynasty.



The Egyptian expedition has also discovered a royal tomb, labelled KV 65. They found inside it tools used for tomb construction.

Hawass said that the expedition that is working in the East Valley is the largest excavation which has taken place since the time of Howard Carter.

It is searching for tombs that have never been found before, as well as those of the wives and sons of the kings of the eighteenth dynasty buried in the Valley of the Kings, since the Valley of the Queens did not start taking on burials until the beginning of that dynasty.

The expedition is working near the tomb of Ramses VII, the tomb of Hatshepsut, the tomb of Ramses III and behind the tomb of Merenptah, the son of Ramses II.

The expedition also excavated the surroundings of Tutankhamun tomb. It found many important objects.

Hawass announced all the details pertaining to these important discoveries during a press conference on Luxor’s West Bank on Thursday which was attended by Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri.