Situated in the north-eastern part of the Nile Delta, ancient Djanet (Tanis) was the residence and burial place of the kings of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasties. In the late 1930s and early ’40s, a complex of royal tombs was discovered at Tanis, some of which were found to be intact.
The tombs
On 27 February 1939, Pierre Montet, who had been excavating for 11 seasons at Tanis, found the tomb of Osorkon II. Although it had been plundered, the tomb still contained a sarcophagus, shabtis, and other artefacts. Following its clearance, Montet discovered adjoining tombs, three of which were undisturbed: the tomb of Sheshonq II, a previously unknown king, and those of Psusennes I and Amenemope.
The treasures
Nearly 600 objects were unearthed from the tombs, including three remarkable coffins of solid silver, four gold masks, gold and silver vases, superb gold and lapis-lazuli bracelets belonging to Sheshonq II, and a spectacular collection of jewellery. The splendour of these, the Tanis masterpieces, invites comparison with the magnificence of the Tutankhamun collection, yet they remain largely unknown to the general public.
An archaeology of thought