A team of Dutch archaeologists has discovered a 3,000-year-old tomb near the Egyptian city of Luxor. The find was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and confirmed by the Dutch archaeological expedition.

The tomb belonged to someone named Paser, which was a common name at that time. It is still unclear who exactly he was, the researchers could only determine his name from the texts they found. The painted wall decoration in the grave monument shows how the grave owner worships various gods. His wife can also be seen sitting in front of an offering table.

“With our research into the painted wall decoration of the tomb and the archaeological finds, we hope to learn more about Paser and others who were buried in this grave monument,” says Egyptologist Carina van den Hoven, who is in charge of the research team.

Millions of tourists

The characteristic drawings on the walls of the tomb allowed the Dutch researchers to deduce that it was a grave from the Ramessid period (circa 1292 to 1069 BC). The inscriptions established that it was Paser’s burial chapel.

The tomb is located in the so-called Valley of the Nobles near the famous Theban Tombs in Luxor. This is located near the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, which are visited by millions of tourists every year.

At the moment there is still a thin layer of dirt on the murals. During the archaeologists’ next fieldwork seasons, the tomb structure and painted wall decoration will be cleaned and reinforced. This means it can be opened to visitors in the future.

The architecture of the funerary monument is characteristic of Theban elite tombs of that time. It consists of a courtyard, a chapel carved into the rock and underground burial chambers. Well-preserved architectural elements have been found in the forecourt, such as a staircase leading to the burial chapel.

Dutch team

The Dutch archaeological expedition(opens in new window) in the Theban tomb complex is led by Egyptologist Van den Hoven. She is affiliated with the Netherlands Institute for the Near East at Leiden University.

Since 2018, the team has been conducting a research and fieldwork project in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, on the west bank of the Nile near present-day Luxor. This is done in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.