The joint archaeological mission from the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology and the University of Strasbourg, working in the area surrounding the "Beta Minob" tomb in the northern area of El-Assasif Necropolis in Luxor, has discovered a sandstone panel and a wooden coffin dating back to the 18th Pharaonic Dynasty in Egypt.
Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said in a press statement Thursday that the 1.70 cm coffin was discovered next to the panel in good condition, but, missing a part of its leg, and covered with a layer of masonry. The coffin features the word "Boya", its owner's name.
Head of the mission Frederick Cullen said that the found panel misses a part of its left side, and features three engraved texts on rituals and names of two senior statesmen, Titi Ankh and Ineni of the Theban Tomb TT81.
The Al-Assasif cemetery in Luxor includes a group of individual tombs dating back to the 18th, as well as the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth dynasties. Some tombs dating back to the 5th Dynasty were discovered as well. The area was also used as a royal cemetery during the second half of the 11th Dynasty.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities website, those cemetery walls feature many scenes highlighting some religious beliefs such as the pilgrimage to Abydos. They also display many scenes highlighting daily life, such as agriculture and hunting in bushes, fun and dancing. Remarkably, these scenes have maintained their bright colors.
The most important among these tombs is the tomb of "Papassa," which dates back to the time of King Bassmatik I of the 26th Dynasty. He was appointed in important posts including the chief priest of Amun, the priest of Thoth, the king's adviser and many others.
The cemetery is located inside the mountain, and features a variety of daily life scenes, including an engraving for beekeeping, as well as some scenes depicting "Papassa" with his family in worship or funerary occasions with a group of goddesses associated with the other world.
