Archaeologists find a 3

While clearing debris to protect ancient Egyptian tombs from flash floods, researchers near Luxor stumbled upon an unknown 3,000-year-old tomb. Its remarkably preserved paintings depict an official named Paser, his wife, religious scenes, and offerings of food and flowers. The discovery comes as climate-driven flooding poses a growing threat to these fragile remains.

Archaeologists find a 3,000-year-old Egyptian tomb before it’s too late. Archaeologists find a 3,000-year-old Egyptian tomb before it’s too late Science News from research organizations Archaeologists find a 3,000-year-old Egyptian tomb before it’s too late A fight to save ancient Egyptian tombs from flooding has uncovered a vivid 3,000-year-old burial site hidden near Luxor. I was fortunate to experience this recently as director of an international research team carrying out fieldwork in the Theban necropolis, an Unesco world heritage site near the modern Egyptian city of Luxor.

Our project’s primary aim is to implement a conservation and risk management program for the necropolis (burial ground) of Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna. Due to its location at the foothills of the Theban mountain, monuments in this area are extremely vulnerable to flash flooding from intense bursts of rain. To direct this floodwater away from the tombs, we are systematically removing debris and excavating the area, using archaeological techniques that ensure all historical information is preserved.

This is how we came across this previously unknown, roughly 3,000-year-old tomb.