Subscribe now for full access and no adverts
An Egyptian mission has discovered a new mud-brick tomb at the site of Tell el-Maskhuta, in the eastern Nile Delta (about 16km west of Ismailia). The tomb, consisting of a burial chamber linked to three other rooms, contained a skeleton, bronze arrowheads, and a gold ring with the name of Ramesses III (c.1184-1153 BC). This led the team to suggest the tomb belonged to one of the king’s military commanders, particularly as this was a strategically important site on Egypt’s eastern border. However, no inscriptions were found to confirm this, and the cartonnage found covering the body was from a later period. Also, the tomb contained a pottery vessel bearing the cartouches of Horemheb (c.1323-1295 BC), which may have been reused from an older burial. Other finds include a small ivory box and an assortment of beads.
Text: Sarah Griffiths / All images: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
