Archaeologists have discovered a 3,000-year-old tomb near the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, authorities said Sunday, the latest in a series of discoveries that authorities hope will boost tourism.
The tomb, identified as belonging to a man named Paser, was discovered by a Dutch archaeological mission from Leiden University in the Sheikh Abd el-Gourna necropolis in the West Bank of Luxor, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Scholars believe the tomb dates from the Ramesside period, which spans the 19th and 20th dynasties of Egypt, based on the artistic style of its inscriptions.
Located east of a previously known burial site, the tomb follows the traditional layout of private Theban tombs of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BC), they added.
It consists of an open courtyard leading to a rock-cut chapel in the shape of an inverted “T”, with burial chambers dug below ground level.
Archaeologists discovered several well-preserved architectural features in the courtyard, including a mudbrick bench intended to hold a funerary stele and a staircase flanked by inclined ramps leading to the entrance.
Inside, inscriptions bearing Paser’s name depict him worshiping various deities at shrines, as well as seated with his wife at a table of offerings.
The excavation team said further documentation and study 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 discoveries to support tourism, a key source of foreign exchange for the country.
Luxor is home to some of the most important ancient monuments and archaeological sites in the world.
