Dr. Mahmoud Afify, Head of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities has announced the discovery of a group of 18th Dynasty tombs and a small chapel on the East Bank within Gebel el- Silsila, Aswan.
The discovery was made during excavations conducted by the Lund University Mission (Sweden) within a research area directed by Dr. Maria Nilsson and Dr. John Ward.
Afify said – that the tombs were most probably reused during the 19th Dynasty as rock cut crypts. Some of the tombs contained stairs leading to a square room with an entrance sealed by a huge stone.
General Director of Aswan and Nubia Areas, Nasr Salama stated that this is the first time that tombs with stairs had been discovered in the region, with such a discovery emphasising the importance of the tombs. However, the site is in a badly preserved state due to erosion and high groundwater levels.
Salama also clarified that a small rock cut chapel containing two well preserved rooms and an entrance decorated with the winged sun disk was also uncovered on site.
Ministry of Antiquities
