Coffin cache at Qurna

A cache of 22 Third Intermediate Period painted coffins containing mummies has been discovered by an Egyptian mission at Qurna, on Luxor’s West Bank. During excavation work in the courtyard of the Tomb of Seneb, a rectangular rock-cut chamber was uncovered, containing coffins stacked in several layers, with lids and boxes separated to make best use of the small space. While there are no names inscribed on the coffins, many carry the title ‘Singer of Amun’. Due to the poor condition of the wood, the team had to carry out urgent conservation work to strengthen the wood fibres and remove deposits covering the vibrant colours. The team also found a number of pots, one of which contained a rare cache of eight papyri documents.