Necropolis inside the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut excavated

Archaeologists from Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw summed up 10 years of excavation at a necropolis dated to 8th-7th cent. BC, that is located within the Mortuary Temple complex of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt. The temple was destroyed before the year 900 BC, possibly by an earthquake, which resulted in covering the area with tons of stone rubble. The nobles of Egypt’s 23rd and 25th dynasty decided to form a graveyard within upper terraces of the ruins of the temple.

Grave shafts at the temple's courtyard (by Zbigniew E. Szafrański)
Grave shafts at the temple’s courtyard (by Zbigniew E. Szafrański)

The archaeologists discovered almost 20 graves to which the entrance had a form of a shaft with an non-decorated burial chamber. According to the experts noble people, such as member of the royal families and high ranking priests were buried here, including two viziers. The tombs were robed in antiquity but the archaeologists managed to find figurines, parts of mummies’ bandages, clay jewellery and a wooden figurine covered with golden alloy.

Grave shafts (by Maciej Jawornicki)
Grave shafts (by Maciej Jawornicki)

(after Nauka w Polsce, Zbigniew E. Szafrański & Maciej Jawornicki)

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