Once again, archaeological wonders emerge beneath the soils of Egypt and with them relevant information about its ancient culture. This is what a joint Egyptian-American archaeological mission announced. They have made an impressive discovery. They managed to find the first tomb from the time of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (1938 BC – 1630 BC). Among other things, it contains the ancient mirrors of Egypt, made of copper.
Not only that. Several artifacts and sealed burials were found. It is estimated that these date back almost 4,000 years. Where did it happen? In the necropolis of South Asasif, near the city of Luxor.
copper mirrors
This discovery includes burials of men, women and minors. The archaeological mission found 11 individual tombs with bone remains inside. The find suggests that it was a family tomb used over generations during the 12th and early 13th dynasties. Archaeologists also found pieces of jewelry buried with women and unique artifacts that probably date back to the early 12th Dynasty.
Due to ancient floods, many of the burial sites show signs of extensive damage. Some of these destroyed the wooden coffins and linen wrappings. On the other hand, the jewelry and pottery were remarkably well preserved.
Among the finds are necklaces, bracelets, scarab rings, belts of amethyst, carnelian, garnet and blue-green glazed earthenware, among other jewelry. Two female burials contained copper mirrors with carved ivory handles, the newspaper writes The History Blog. The ancient mirrors of Egypt attract attention for their particularity and beauty.
Funeral rituals
Another important find is a blue-green glazed clay fertility figurine with truncated legs.
“This discovery will help us better understand the funerary practices and rituals of Thebes in the Middle Kingdom era.” This was stated by Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt. This is what he cited Luxor Times.
