Join Zahi Hawass Inside the Mysterious Tunnel in the Tomb of Seti I

For the last two years, Zahi Hawass has led an all-Egyptian team that is excavating and restoring the mysterious tunnel leading from the burial chamber of King Seti I deep into the Theban cliffs. No explorer has ever reached its end. The reason for the tunnel's existence is unknown, but Hawass is determined to uncover its mysteries.

As the excavation proceeds, engineers are shoring up the fragile walls and ceiling of the tunnel and adding a wooden stairway that allows the team to move about more easily inside. This work is challenging and dangerous, but it is essential to the preservation of the tomb of Seti I, KV17, widely considered one of the most beautiful in the Valley of the Kings.
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New Tombs Discovered at Dra Abu el Naga (LUXOR)

They have just started excavation in this area, Dra Abu al-Naga, on the west bank of Luxor, which is a known site for tombs of the nobles. Work here has already uncovered some new tombs.

One of these tomb owners was named Amun-em-Opet, which they know as it was written on a seal found in the tomb. The name of Amun was scratched out of the tomb reliefs, probably during the Amarna Period, by people attempting to remove all signs of the god Amun, who was not in favor at that time.Around the beginning of the Third Intermediate Period, the tomb was reused by Ray, as preserved on one shawabti found inside. Shawabtis were objects often placed in tombs, they had the deceased’s name on them and were intended to assist the deceased in the afterlife.

The Egyptian expedition is also working in another area on the west bank of Luxor, which looks very promising.  Two important new tombs have been found here.  One is a Late Period tomb of a high priest of the god Montu whose name is not clear in the inscriptions.  In the scenes decorating the front of the tomb, the deceased is shown with his wife worshipping the god Montu.  Next to this are scenes of other gods, including Isis, Osiris and Nepthys. The team has not excavated the inside of the tomb yet, as there is a lot of stone rubble that needs to be removed.  The second new tomb belongs to a man named Ankh-min, a preliminary look dates it to the reign of Ramses III.  This tomb also has scenes of the deceased on the entrance, including one of the deceased in front of Osiris.  This tomb also looks as though it may have been reused in later times, but further excavation is needed to know for certain.

This expedition will continue the important work of excavating, recording and conserving the tombs of this area.  I think it will be very interesting to follow the work that will tell us much more about this exciting new site.

Beautiful Mummy Found at Saqqara

A few months ago, they went inside a tomb’s burial chamber and came across this beautiful and mysterious mummy.

The tomb we were excavating dates to the Old Kingdom, around 4200 years ago, so it was quite interesting to discover this mummy from the Late Period, 2000 years later, (746-336 BC) inside the tomb.  This is a beautiful example of a typical Late Period mummy, which I was very surprised to find in this Old Kingdom tomb.

Mummification was an important aspect of religion for the ancient Egyptians, because it helped them to have an afterlife, so I feel it is important for people to understand the purpose and methods of the process.

When an individual died, his body was taken to be washed.  After washing, they cut open the abdomen, removed the viscera, and placed them in natron, a salty mineral that removes moisture.  When the organs had dried out, they were placed in canopic jars.  Traditionally there were four canopic jars, each decorated with the head of one of the four sons of Horus and containing a specific organ. The liver was associated with Imsety, who was normally depicted with a human head, while the lungs were placed in a jar with a baboon head representing Hapy. Duamutef was the god who guarded the lungs, and he was typically shown with a jackal’s head.  The hawk-headed Kebehsenuef adorned the canopic jar in which the intestines were placed.

The ancient Egyptians left the heart inside the body of the deceased, because they regarded the heart as the center of knowledge, which would help the deceased in the afterlife.  However, they removed the brain, as it was vulnerable to damage.  To remove the brain, the ancient Egyptians used a thin stick of metal to go up the nasal cavity and draw the brain matter out.  After removing the organs, the body would be cleaned inside and out with date wine.

Why did the ancient Egyptians put so much effort into this process of mummification? They did it because they believed in an afterlife. While the body was in the tomb it needed to be preserved and protected for eternity, and the way they preserved it was through mummification.

The Pyramids of Dashur 3: The Black Pyramid

The pyramid of Amenemhat III at Dashur is known as the Black Pyramid because of its dark colour. The Black Pyramid is not as well known as the Bent or Red Pyramids at Dashur, as it has been closed to tourists due to its collapsed condition.

Amenemhat III was the 6^th king of Dynasty 12, the son of Senusret III. He reigned for 46 years (1859 – 1813 BC), and his reign was known as a very peaceful and prosperous time in Egypt. Amenemhat III built two pyramids during his long reign. He began construction on his first pyramid at Dashur early in his reign. He wanted to be close to the monuments of his forefathers, so he built his pyramid at the south of Dashur, near to the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu.

An aerial view of the Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III at Dashur. Due to structural faults and the removal of the outer limestone casing, the pyramid has fallen into ruin. (photo: SCA)

The Black Pyramid belongs to a different era of pyramid building than Sneferu’s monuments at Dashur, which were built 800 years before. In the Middle Kingdom, there was a resurgence of pyramid building. Middle Kingdom pyramids were much more complex in design than their Old Kingdom counterparts; they incorporated numerous corridors, staircases and chambers in order to deter thieves. Architects at this time also began to construct the pyramid out of mudbrick and then case the outside with white limestone. The Black Pyramid was also built in this way, but the limestone was taken from the site in the Middle Ages. Without the hard outer casing of limestone, the pyramid began to crumble, and today it appears without its original glory.

The design of the Black Pyramid was very ambitious, with several passageways and chambers for two queens in addition to the king. The pyramid has two entrances on the south end of the east and west sides, with staircases leading into the interior. The eastern stairway leads to the king’s burial chamber through a series of corridors, small chambers and anterooms that spread out underneath the entire southeast section. The western stairway divides into two sets of passages and chambers under the southwest section, one set for each queen.

When construction of the pyramid was nearly complete, the architects of Amenemhat III became aware of structural problems. The pyramid was being crushed under its own weight– walls and ceilings were being pushed down and doorframes began to buckle, so the workers quickly reinforced it with mudbrick and cedar beams. While their quick thinking saved the pyramid from immediate collapse, it had to be abandoned as the burial place of the king. Amenemhat III chose the site of Hawara, south of Cairo in the Fayum region, as the location of his new pyramid.

The pyramidion of the Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III, now on display at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Originally intended to sit on top of the pyramid, it fell to the ground in antiquity, and during the Amarna Period, the name of Amun was chiselled out. (photo: SCA)

The site of Dashur gained much attention from Egyptologists during the 19^th century. In 1837, John Shae Perring surveyed both of Sneferu’s pyramids. In 1894 – 1895, Jacques de Morgan explored the Middle Kingdom pyramids, and discovered a cache of beautiful jewellery overlooked by ancient thieves. Modern scientific excavation began in 1951 when Ahmed Fakry investigated the Bent Pyramid. Work at the site continued through the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The interior of the pyramid is complex, and it is very easy to lose your way in the many passages and corridors.  These Middle Kingdom pyramids were so complex in design not only to deter thieves, but perhaps as a reflection of the belief that Osiris resided in the burial chamber. The many chambers and corridors could symbolize an entrance to the other world.