= Jennifer =
Active Member
Valley of the Kings tomb uncovered
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200602/s1567544.htm
Egypt has unveiled the first Pharaonic tomb discovered in the famed Valley of the Kings since that of the boy king Tutankhamun in 1922.
Five mummies were found inside the roughly two-metre by 150-centimetre, held inside painted wooden sarcophagae and surrounded by 20 clay pots.
"This is the first tomb discovered in the Valley of the Kings since that of Tutankhamun 84 years ago," secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawas said at the recently excavated site.
Mr Hawas says the tomb, buried under three metres of limestone and pebbles, had to be cleaned before any attempt was made to open the sarcophagae and identify the mummies, who, he says "were probably royalty".
If the mummies are not royal, they are certainly those of "very rich people close to the king", he said.
The find dates from the 18th dynasty of around 1500 BC to 1300 BC and was made by US archaeologists barely five metres from the tomb of the now world-famous boy king, discovered by Britain's Howard Carter in 1922.
Despite being one of Egypt's least significant kings, Tutankhamun has been surrounded by mystique because of the legend of the curse released when the tomb was opened, supposedly leading to the deaths of Carter and other members of his team.
A team from Memphis University led by Otto Schaden first announced the discovery on Tuesday.
The clay pots, which bear pharaonic seals but whose contents are as yet unknown, were arranged haphazardly, suggesting the burials were made in haste, the US team says.
Archaeologists have yet to actually enter the burial chamber, having until now only slightly opened the ancient entrance to get an idea of what remained inside after 3,000 years of systematic looting.
The Valley of the Kings was used as a burial site for royalty and nobles to the west of present day Luxor, some 700 kilometres south of Cairo.
Millions of foreign tourists come to see Egypt's phraonic treasures each year, including hundreds of thousands making the long journey south from the capital to the Valley of the Kings.
Three dynasties of Sun Kings are buried here along with relatives, members of the court, and the occasional queen. The tomb revealed this week is the 63rd in the area.
Many had thought that the Valley of the Kings had already given up all its treasures to archaeologists and looters, but archaeologists now say this latest discovery is likely to herald more in the years to come.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200602/s1567544.htm
Egypt has unveiled the first Pharaonic tomb discovered in the famed Valley of the Kings since that of the boy king Tutankhamun in 1922.
Five mummies were found inside the roughly two-metre by 150-centimetre, held inside painted wooden sarcophagae and surrounded by 20 clay pots.
"This is the first tomb discovered in the Valley of the Kings since that of Tutankhamun 84 years ago," secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawas said at the recently excavated site.
Mr Hawas says the tomb, buried under three metres of limestone and pebbles, had to be cleaned before any attempt was made to open the sarcophagae and identify the mummies, who, he says "were probably royalty".
If the mummies are not royal, they are certainly those of "very rich people close to the king", he said.
The find dates from the 18th dynasty of around 1500 BC to 1300 BC and was made by US archaeologists barely five metres from the tomb of the now world-famous boy king, discovered by Britain's Howard Carter in 1922.
Despite being one of Egypt's least significant kings, Tutankhamun has been surrounded by mystique because of the legend of the curse released when the tomb was opened, supposedly leading to the deaths of Carter and other members of his team.
A team from Memphis University led by Otto Schaden first announced the discovery on Tuesday.
The clay pots, which bear pharaonic seals but whose contents are as yet unknown, were arranged haphazardly, suggesting the burials were made in haste, the US team says.
Archaeologists have yet to actually enter the burial chamber, having until now only slightly opened the ancient entrance to get an idea of what remained inside after 3,000 years of systematic looting.
The Valley of the Kings was used as a burial site for royalty and nobles to the west of present day Luxor, some 700 kilometres south of Cairo.
Millions of foreign tourists come to see Egypt's phraonic treasures each year, including hundreds of thousands making the long journey south from the capital to the Valley of the Kings.
Three dynasties of Sun Kings are buried here along with relatives, members of the court, and the occasional queen. The tomb revealed this week is the 63rd in the area.
Many had thought that the Valley of the Kings had already given up all its treasures to archaeologists and looters, but archaeologists now say this latest discovery is likely to herald more in the years to come.
