Burial site revealing ancient Egyptian funerary rites uncovered

Nevine El-Aref, ahram online, 30-05-2012

The well preserved coffin of an unidentified Middle Kingdom provincial governor was found in the Deir Al-Barsha necropolis near the upper Egyptian city of Minya. In the course of routine excavation work at the tomb of the first Middle Kingdom governor of the Hare Nome or province, the nomarch Ahanakht I at the Deir Al-Barsha site in Minya, Belgian archaeologists from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven stumbled on what is believed to be an important burial going back to the beginning of the Middle Kingdom.

“It is for the first time in over a century that a relatively well preserved burial of this kind has been found,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of State for Antiquities. He went on to explain that, although the burial was robbed at least twice in antiquity and has suffered extensive damage since, a large part of the funerary collection was found well preserved at its original position. Early studies suggest that the burial must belong to one of the governor or a member of his family. Mohamed Ismail, the director of Foreign Missions Affairs at the Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA), pointed out that a collection of ritual objects in alabaster, faience, copper and pottery was found in its original position – embedded in the dried lime crust. It includes many alabaster model vessels, offering table head rests, faience libation vases, copper vases and dishes.

Περισσότερα: http://ahram.org.eg