During cleaning works at a Middle Kingdom burial site found within the ruins of the temple of New Kingdom King Thutmose III in Al-Gorna area on Luxor’s west bank, a Spanish mission archaeological mission led by Myriam Seco unearthed a mummy of a woman wearing gold jewellery.

The mummy is in poor conservation condition as this burial site, along with others near, were subject to looting before.

Aly El-Asfar, head of the Central Administration of Upper Egypt Antiquities, told Ahram Online that jewellery was found on top of the mummy and includes a gold necklace ornamented with semi-precious stones and gold plates, with a finely wrought golden shell pendant in its middle. The pendant weighs over 20 grams. Two gold bangles attached to silver bracelets were also found on her arms, as well as two silver ankle bracelets.

Seco said that the pendant and the bangles are in perfect condition, but the ankle bracelets are damaged. She explained that early study on the mummy reveal that the woman died in her 30s and was wealthy.

“This spectacular finding confirms that an elite necropolis is located under the mortuary temple of Thutmosis III. Wealthy and important individuals of the Middle Kingdom and their families were buried there,” Seco said.

Excavation, restoration, conservation and site management of the Mortuary Temple of Thutmose III started in 2008 — a collaborative project between the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the Academy of Fine Arts of Seville, Spain.

Thutmose III temple