Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has just announced a new discovery on Luxor's West Bank. A Dutch archaeological mission working in the Theban necropolis, led by Dr. Carina van den Hoven of Leiden University, has uncovered a tomb in the Sheikh Abd al-Qurna al-Sufla area, within Theban Tomb 45, where the team has carried out research and fieldwork since 2018 in cooperation with the ministry.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said the ongoing efforts of archaeological missions working across Egypt continue to reveal further secrets of ancient Egyptian civilization, reinforcing the country’s standing as a global tourism destination.
The mudbrick entrance structure with its central niche, designed to hold a funerary stela, uncovered at the tomb of Sheikh Abd al-Qurna al-Sufla. Photo Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
An inscription names the owner
Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the mission has been carrying out preventive conservation and risk management work in the area, alongside preparing the tomb’s first comprehensive archaeological study, part of the ministry’s broader mandate to preserve Egyptian antiquities for future generations.
Study of the tomb’s inscriptions identified its owner as a man named Paser. Based on the artistic style of the decoration, researchers believe the tomb most likely dates to the Ramesside period.
Faded wall paintings inside the newly announced tomb at Sheikh Abd al-Qurna al-Sufla, Luxor. Photo Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Documenting who lies within
The research team is continuing its study and documentation work, aiming to identify the individuals buried in the tomb and reconstruct their personal histories, while placing the tomb within its wider historical and archaeological context. That work is expected to sharpen understanding of the relationship between the tombs of the area and their surrounding environment, and to shed new light on the historical and cultural development of the Sheikh Abd al-Qurna al-Sufla district.
A further section of painted wall decoration inside the newly announced tomb at Sheikh Abd al-Qurna al-Sufla, Luxor. Photo Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
A layout typical of the New Kingdom
Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the tomb’s architectural plan follows the standard layout for private tombs of the New Kingdom period, comprising an outer courtyard, a rock-cut chapel in the shape of the letter T, and underground burial chambers.
He added that the courtyard preserves a number of well-preserved architectural elements, including a mudbrick entrance structure with a central niche designed to hold a funerary stela, along with a staircase leading down to the tomb’s entrance.
The courtyard also contains several scenes bearing the name of the tomb’s owner, Paser, alongside painted wall decoration, including depictions before the tomb owner and his wife in the form of an offering table scene.
More seasons to come
Dr. Carina van den Hoven, head of the mission, confirmed that the team will begin survey work in coming seasons to carry out structural support, maintenance, and restoration of the tomb’s painted decoration, and expressed her hope for further archaeological discoveries in the seasons ahead.
Source. Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, announcement.
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