24 June 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

Lost 4,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Settlement Uncovered at Khaybar Oasis in Northern Saudi Arabia

31 October 2024

31 October 2024

A team of archaeologists led by Guillaume Charloux of France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) announced Wednesday the discovery...

‘Nano lime’ protects Nemrut: Throne of the Gods

24 October 2023

24 October 2023

Last year, “nano lime” was filled with syringes to protect the tiny cracks on the large stone statues on Mount...

2,700-Year-Old Luwian Stele Reveals Ancient Name of İvriz Spring and New Details on King Warpalawa

18 November 2025

18 November 2025

A newly published study has brought surprising clarity to one of Anatolia’s most iconic sacred landscapes. An untranslated Late Iron...

Temple and Warrior’s Armor from the 5th–7th Centuries Unearthed in Uzbekistan’s Kanka Settlement

1 November 2025

1 November 2025

Archaeologists in Uzbekistan have uncovered the remains of a temple and fragments of early medieval armor within the Kanka settlement,...

Silver Necklace with Eight-Pointed Star and Ishtar Symbol Discovered at Amos Ancient City in Türkiye

31 December 2025

31 December 2025

A striking archaeological discovery has been made in Türkiye’s southwestern Muğla province, where excavations at the Amos Ancient City in...

A 42,000-year-old pendant found in northern Mongolia may be the earliest known phallic art

20 June 2023

20 June 2023

An international team of researchers has found a pendant in northern Mongolia that may be the earliest known example of...

Madagascar’s Enigmatic Rock-Cut Architecture may have been of Zoroastrian origin

13 September 2024

13 September 2024

An international team of researchers found an enigmatic rock-cut architecture at Teniky, a site in the remote Isalo Massif in...

Saudi Arabia Uncovers 1,774 Archaeological Finds in Madinah, Including Inscriptions Bearing Caliph Umar’s Name

11 June 2026

11 June 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has documented 1,774 archaeological finds in Al Mahd Governorate, including inscriptions bearing the name of Umar...

Offerings to goddess Demeter uncovered in archaic temple on Crete island, Greek

17 November 2022

17 November 2022

Nestled between two mountain peaks overlooking the harbor, excavations in the ancient city of Phalasarna revealed hundreds of offerings to...

Winter Solstice Solar Alignment in Kastas Monument: Alexander the Great’s Tribute to Hephaestion

27 May 2025

27 May 2025

A revolutionary study combining archaeology and solar modeling has revealed that the Kastas Monument—the largest funerary structure of ancient Greece—was...

Rare Sassanid-era Inscription on Loyalty and Justice Unearthed in Marvdasht, Southern Iran

11 June 2025

11 June 2025

A rare Sassanid-era inscription has been unearthed in the historic region of Marvdasht, located in Iran’s Fars province, revealing deep...

5500-year-old city gate unearthed in Israel -the earliest known in the Land of Israel-

15 August 2023

15 August 2023

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Tuesday that archaeologists have discovered the earliest known ancient gate in the land of...

Researchers solve the mystery of Mayan 819-day calendar

24 April 2023

24 April 2023

Researchers at Tulane University in Louisiana have solved the mystery of the 819-day ancient Mesoamerican calendar used by ancient Mayans....

5,000-year-old Settlement Unearthed in Al Mudhaibi, Oman

3 January 2023

3 January 2023

The Oman News Agency announced that a 5,000-year-old settlement was discovered during archaeological excavations at the Al Gharyein archaeological site...

Unique and very well-preserved prehistoric engravings found in southwestern Catalonia

23 March 2023

23 March 2023

Significant prehistoric rock art has been discovered in La Febro, in southwestern Catalonia. The team that discovered the art inside...