This significant find includes numerous burials of men, women, and children that have remained undisturbed for millennia.

The discovery was made during restoration efforts on the southern side of the tomb of Karabasken (TT 391), a 25th Dynasty official, and marks a significant addition to our understanding of the Middle Kingdom’s presence in Thebes.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), highlights the importance of this discovery, as it changes the historical context of the Asasif necropolis, elevating it to the status of one of the significant Middle Kingdom cemeteries.

"This discovery will also deepen our understanding of burial practices and rituals in Thebes during this era," Khaled noted.

Eleven individual burials containing skeletal remains were found inside the tomb, suggesting it was a family tomb used across generations during the 12th and early 13th Dynasties. Among the highlights of this discovery are pieces of jewellery buried with the women and an assortment of unique artefacts likely dating back to the early 12th Dynasty. 

Many of the burials showed signs of extensive damage due to ancient floods, which destroyed wooden coffins and linen wrappings. However, more durable materials, like jewellery and pottery, were remarkably well preserved, maintaining their original placement among the remains.

Hisham El-Leithy, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Preservation and Documentation Sector, explains that the team uncovered an array of finely crafted jewellery, including a unique necklace of 30 amethyst beads and two cylindrical agate beads framing a hippo-head amulet. Other finds include rings, bracelets, and chains made of red agate, blue and green faience, and stone inlays, all adorned with animal-shaped amulets.

Catherine Blakeney, head of the American side of the mission, shared that two of the burials contained rare copper mirrors, one designed with a lotus flower handle and another with the goddess Hathor depicted with four faces in a stern expression. Other unique items include copper ingots, a small fertility figurine with black-painted hair and intricate jewellery, and a square offering table carved with motifs of a bull’s head, bread, and other offerings. 

The mission plans to continue excavations in the area, hoping to reveal further insights into the secrets of this ancient Middle Kingdom tomb.