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An Egyptian mission working at Tuna el-Gebel, the ancient site of Hermopolis Magna, has discovered an elite New Kingdom cemetery containing intact burials of senior officials and priests. The team uncovered rock-cut tombs containing painted wooden coffins, mummies, and a range of funerary goods, including canopic jars, amulets, jewellery, shabtis, pottery, and a large number of deity statues. One of the deceased has been named as Djehutymes, ‘Supervisor of the Temple of Amun’, while another coffin is inscribed for a ‘Singer of Amun’. The team also uncovered an intact Book of the Dead – the first complete papyrus to be discovered at the site – which measures approximately 13 to 15 metres in length. Following restoration, the papyrus will be put on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Text: Sarah Griffiths / All images: © Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities
