Archaeologists uncovered a 3,000-year-old tomb near the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, authorities said Sunday, the latest in a series of discoveries that officials hope will boost tourism.
The tomb, identified as belonging to a man named Paser, was found by a Dutch archaeological mission from Leiden University in the Sheikh Abd el-Qurna necropolis on Luxor’s West Bank, according to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Specialists believe the tomb dates to the Ramesside period, which spans Egypt’s 19th and 20th dynasties, based on its artistic style of inscriptions.
Located to the east of a previously known burial site, the tomb follows the traditional layout of private Theban tombs from the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BC), they added.
It consists of an open courtyard leading to a rock-cut chapel shaped like an inverted “T”, with burial chambers carved below ground level.
Archaeologists found several well-preserved architectural elements in the courtyard, including a mudstone bench designed to hold a funerary stela and a staircase flanked by sloping ramps leading to the entrance.
Inside, inscriptions bearing Paser’s name show him worshiping various deities inside shrines, as well as seated with his wife in front of a sacrificial table.
The excavation team said further documentation and investigation will continue to determine who was buried in the tomb and to better understand its historical and archaeological context.
The discovery comes as Egypt seeks to promote new archaeological finds to support tourism, a key source of foreign exchange for the country.
Luxor is home to some of the world’s most significant ancient monuments and archaeological sites.
