The excavation work, which began in November 2025 and marks the eighth season of the mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), has focused on the southeastern sector of the tomb of “Roy” (TT255), which had remained buried under debris left by earlier excavations for more than 150 years.
SCA's Secretary-General Hisham el Leithy said that among the most notable discoveries is a collection of ten well-preserved wooden coffins found inside a burial shaft in the courtyard of the tomb of “Baki.”
The coffins, decorated with scenes and inscriptions, date to different historical periods. Preliminary studies indicate that four belong to the 18th Dynasty, including one bearing the name of “Merit,” a chantress of the god Amun.
Another coffin dates to the Ramesside period and bears the name “Padi-Amun,” identified as a priest in the Temple of Amun, while the remaining coffins date to the Late Period.
Archaeologists believe the burial shaft was reused in antiquity as a cache to safeguard the coffins after they were moved from their original burial sites, likely due to the poor preservation of the mummies they contained.
The mission also uncovered a previously unknown tomb belonging to “Aa-Shefi-Nakhtou,” a purification priest in the Temple of Amun.
The tomb consists of a small courtyard, a rectangular shaft, and an entrance decorated with offering scenes and funerary texts leading to a hall that ends in a burial chamber.
Inscriptions also mention his father and two wives, all of whom held religious titles linked to the cult of Amun.
In another discovery, a sandstone pyramidion was found inside a small tomb (DP91), engraved with repeated scenes of its owner in a devotional pose.
The pyramidion bears the name “Benji,” described as a “scribe and noble,” although his original tomb has not yet been identified.
The mission also uncovered a burial of more than 30 mummified cats—both wild and domestic—wrapped in linen and tied with strips.
This find, located in the lower layers of debris south of the tomb of “Baki,” is believed to date to the Ptolemaic period, when animal mummies were commonly used as votive offerings in religious practices.
El Leithy highlighted that these discoveries are particularly important as they shed light on previously unknown individuals not recorded in historical sources.
The inscriptions have also revealed new titles and roles documented for the first time, offering valuable insights into the administrative and social structure of ancient Egypt.
Work is ongoing to document, conserve, and study the discoveries, to publish comprehensive scientific results in the near future.
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