Egypt unveils ancient tomb and sarcophagi in Luxor

Egypt on Saturday unveiled an ancient tomb, sarcophagi and funerary artifacts discovered in the Theban necropolis of Al-Assasif in the southern city of Luxor. In a ceremony in front of the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani announced that French and Egyptian archaeologists had discovered “a new tomb… with very nice paintings”. Located between the royal tombs at the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, the Al-Assasif necropolis is the burial site of nobles and senior officials close to the pharaohs. Among the finds in the tomb are sarcophagi, statues and some 1,000 funerary figurines called “Ushabtis” made of wood, faience and clay. The tomb dates back to the Middle Kingdom, which spanned the 11th and 12th dynasties, and belonged to “Thaw-Irkhet-If”, mummification supervisor at the Temple of Mut in Karnak, according to the ministry. Separately, archeologists from the French Institute