Archaeologists have been digging forever in the necropolis of Assiut on the Nile. Now they have achieved an extraordinary coup. The head of the excavation explains what’s behind it.
It is an extraordinary find: German researchers, together with colleagues from Egypt, Japan and Poland, have uncovered the grave of a priestess in the necropolis of Assiut on the Nile. It was hidden in the grave of a former governor. But what makes the find so special? Professor Jochem Kahl from the Free University of Berlin, who conducts the excavation, provides answers to important questions.
What makes the gravesite so special?
The entire necropolis is about a kilometer long and 200 meters high. There are thousands of graves in it. One of the largest is the tomb of the regional governor Djefai-Hapi I from around 1880 BC. It has a monumental rock architecture with rooms over 11 meters high, up to 28 meters deep and 70 meters wide, carved into the rock, which are decorated with paintings and inscriptions. Djefai-Hapi I was deified in antiquity and his tomb was an integral part of ancient Egypt’s cultural memory for more than 2,000 years.
Expert Jochem Kahl
What is known about the governor?
Djefai-Hapi I was married twice and had an only daughter named Idy. The international team of scientists has now uncovered their grave after exactly 20 years of field work. Idy was a priestess of the goddess Hathor and bore the title “Mistress of the House,” identifying her as a woman from a wealthy family.
Why has Idy’s grave only been uncovered now?
The necropolis of Assiut has been in a restricted military area since the 1960s. Some of the larger graves were used by the military as accommodation and to store items. This also included the grave of Governor General Djefai-Hapi I. Its original floor was covered with a layer of concrete.
How then did Idy’s grave come to be discovered?
The British travel writer and journalist Bayle St. John reported on an opening in her father’s grave as early as 1851. During literature research, these notes were found and the concrete floor was removed. Two shafts were found, one of which led to Idy’s grave. It is 14 meters long and leads vertically down to a side chamber closed with rubble stones. Work began on excavating this shaft in 2022. After three excavation campaigns, a sensational discovery was made this year.
PAID Tutankhamun_Curse of the Pharaoh 20.30
What finds came to light in addition to the mummy discovery?
Idy was buried in two wooden coffins nested inside each other. Although grave robbers had already stolen all the jewelry and metal objects from it in ancient times, all other grave goods seem to have been of no interest to the ancient looters. The discovery is aesthetically and scientifically extraordinary. The coffins, each weighing around 200 to 300 kilograms, are made from foreign wood and are perfectly crafted and preserved. With a length of 2.62 and 2.03 meters, they are larger than average and completely decorated with wonderful images and texts for the afterlife. They tie in seamlessly with the outstanding quality of the texts and images in the tomb of their father Djefai-Hapi I.
How important are the finds for science?
In particular, the abundance of texts – religious texts (so-called coffin texts), lists of victims and titles – will make it possible to make new and far-reaching statements about the position of women and the transfer of knowledge in ancient Egypt. Images show objects that were part of the burial ritual. Other additions such as statues, a dagger, royal insignia or food items, which can be assigned to the vessels in which they were presented to the deceased, contribute to a better understanding of the burial rituals.
What do the finds tell us about Idy as a person?
Next to the two wooden coffins, the researchers discovered a box containing the Idy canopics, which was also labeled. These are the liver, spleen, lungs and intestines removed during mummification. Remains of Idy’s clothing and her bones, which were completely tattered by the ancient looters, provide information about her person: According to an initial assessment, the woman was probably around 40 years old and was suffering from a foot problem.
Where will the finds stay?
After an initial conservation of the wooden objects in the burial chamber and the subsequent laborious recovery from the narrow shaft, the finds are handed over to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.
Are there more such potential sites in the necropolis?
There are. But many of the objects found there end up illegally on the antique goods market. The researchers themselves are only there for six to eight weeks to dig. To do this, they need approval from the military and the environmental agency every year.