10 February 2026 The Future is the Product of the Past

A burial complex dating to the Second Intermediate Period has been discovered at the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis at Luxor

At the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis in Luxor, a family burial complex from the Second Intermediate Period has been found.

The necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga’ is located on the West Bank of the Nile in Thebes, Egypt, just north of the necropolis of el-Assasif and near the dry bay entrance leading up to Deir el-Bahari. The necropolis is located near the Valley of the Kings.

The finds date to the Thirteenth Dynasty, a group of pharaohs that reigned at the beginning of Egyptian history’s Second Intermediate Period (c. 1700–1550 BCE).

Dr. Mostafa Waziri explained that this discovery is the first of its kind in that cemetery. It includes a place designated for burials measuring about 50 meters in width, and 70 meters in length.

The Egyptian mission discovered 30 burial shafts with similar architectural designs, as well as a mud-brick offering chapel containing a collection of ushabtis and amulets.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Stele, ushabtis and fragment of papyrus found in Dra Abu El Naga  Photo: MoTA Egypt.
Stele, ushabtis and fragment of papyrus found in Dra Abu El Naga Photo: MoTA Egypt.

A minister by the name of Ankhu who served under King Sobekhotep II (13th Dynasty) was interred in one of these wells. The burial contained a pink granite sarcophagus with the deceased’s name engraved on it. The sarcophagus weighs about 10 tons.

Another well contained a small funerary stele, decorated with a scene depicting the stele’s owner bringing offerings to King Sobekhotep II. According to the inscription, the man held the position of a deputy minister.

Other finds included canopic jar stoppers, cartonnage fragments, and several woven baskets. Images released by the Ministry also show an inscribed papyrus fragment among the finds.

A small stela discovered at the Dra Abu el-Naga family burial complex. Photo: MoTA Egypt.
A small stela was discovered at the Dra Abu el-Naga family burial complex. Photo: MoTA Egypt.

The Director General of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, Dr. Fathi Yassin stated that inside the adobe building, there was a group of white-painted ushabti statues with inscriptions in black ink in hieratic script.

There were also hundreds of funerary seals without inscription, which are typical of the time before the New Kingdom, as well as a sizable group of faience amulets shaped like scarabs and the Sons of Horus, a sizable number of beads.

MOTA

Related Articles

A submerged stone bridge constructed 5600 years ago shed light on the human colonization of the western Mediterranean

31 August 2024

31 August 2024

An interdisciplinary research team, led by University of South Florida (USF) geology Professor Bogdan Onac, has examined an ancient submerged...

Will new Technology be able to Solve the Mystery in Masovia?

14 May 2021

14 May 2021

Although there are about 500 medieval tombs found in today’s Masovia and Podlasie cities, the question of who these tombs...

Archaeologists in Israel are restoring the largest Roman Basilica in the country

6 June 2021

6 June 2021

Archaeologists in Israel are trying to rebuild a 2,000-year-old Roman-era basilica that is thought to be the country’s biggest. A...

Olmec reliefs show Ancient Olmec Leaders In Trance-Like State Roaring Like Jaguars

14 August 2022

14 August 2022

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered two carved reliefs from the late Olmec period (900-400 B.C.) in Villahermosa, Tabasco, southeastern Mexico...

A unique find in the Middle Don: Scythian gods on a silver plate

19 November 2021

19 November 2021

Archaeologists of the Archaeological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, during their excavations at the Devitsa V cemetery in...

Archaeologists Unearthed Third Greatest Fire Temple Existing in Ancient Iran’s Sassanid Era

11 July 2022

11 July 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed ruins of what they believe to be the third-greatest fire temple in ancient Iran during the Sassanid...

Urartian King Argishti’s shield reveals the name of an unknown country

30 January 2023

30 January 2023

The inscription on a bronze shield purchased by the Rezan Has Museum revealed the name of an unknown country. It...

Evidence of Rare Romano-Celtic Temple Near Lancaster Castle -may be only the second of its type –

10 March 2023

10 March 2023

A study exercise for students from Lancaster University has uncovered a Romano-Celtic temple, only the second of its type in...

Hebrew University Archaeologists have Unveiled 7,000-year-old Seal İmpressions

10 June 2021

10 June 2021

Israeli archaeologists unveiled a 7,000-year-old clay seal impression used for commerce and protection of property, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem...

Unprecedented 3,200-Year-Old Fortress Discovered at 611 Meters Above Sea Level in Croatia

16 November 2025

16 November 2025

A monumental Bronze Age fortress has been uncovered at the summit of Papuk Mountain in northeastern Croatia, reshaping our understanding...

Opulent Bronze Age Girl’s Tomb Discovered in Iran’s Greater Khorasan Civilization

1 August 2025

1 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably rich Bronze Age burial of a young woman at the site of Tepe Chalow in...

Rare Gold Coin from Reign of Byzantine Emperor Justin II Unearthed at Tuida Fortress in Sliven, Bulgaria

25 June 2025

25 June 2025

A rare gold coin dating back to the reign of Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor Justin II (r. 565–578 CE) has...

Earliest evidence for intestinal parasites in the UK came from Stonehenge

20 May 2022

20 May 2022

Researchers think they have discovered the earliest evidence for intestinal parasites in the UK. Ancient poop found at the site...

Grain Barns dating back 6,000 years unearthed in China

15 December 2022

15 December 2022

Chinese archaeologists have revealed a cluster of 16 ancient granaries that traced back to the mid-late period of the Yangshao...

2,600-Year-Old Lost Temple Built of Green Tuff Stone Unearthed at Oluz Höyük, Northern Türkiye

22 September 2025

22 September 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,600-year-old temple in northern Türkiye, a monumental sanctuary built from striking greenish volcanic tuff. Discovered at...