Hawass announces relevant finds in Luxor: remains of a missing temple of Queen Hatshepsut and tombs of the 17th Dynasty

The findings were announced yesterday by the famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, former Minister of Antiquities and director of excavations at the site from 2022 in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.

Queen Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty), who died around 1458 BC. C., was one of the few women who ruled Egypt. Her Valley Temple, which once served as the main entrance to the queen’s funerary complex at Deir el Bahari (Luxor), was intentionally demolished centuries later.

“This is the first time we discovered 1,500 decorated blocks, the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen with that color» said Hawass. “This is the first time we have a final set of decorations from an 18th Dynasty temple,” he told reporters. Some of the blocks contain representations and cartouches of the queen and her successor, Thutmose III.

A limestone plaque was found at the site with the name of Hatshepsut’s architect, Senmutwho oversaw the construction of the temple, as well as ceremonial tools marked with the queen’s name.

For Tarek El Awady, deputy director of the Egyptian archaeological mission, the discovery of the intact founding remains of the temple, which he described as unparalleled since Herbert L. Winlock’s excavations a century ago, offer invaluable information about the temple’s construction and legacy. of the queen.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, highlighted the relevance of the discovery due to its location in Luxor and its relevance to Queen Hatshepsut, making it the first major archaeological advance of 2025according to the Egyptian press. “These extraordinary blocks retain their vivid colors and offer insight into the art of the period,” Khaled said before announcing that they will be displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.

The liberation of the Hyksos

In the presentation of the findings, Hawass also highlighted the discovery of a collection of arrowheads, probably used in battles against the Hyksos, and numerous tombs from the 17th dynasty. Among them is that of Djehuty Monththe queen’s overseer Teti Sheri, grandmother of King Ahmose, who played a fundamental role in the liberation of the Hyksos who had invaded Egypt.

The simple tomb was carved into the rock and stood at the end of a domed adobe chapel with drawings on the wall painted in red over a layer of white mortar.

“Despite the high status of the owner, the relative modesty of the tomb reflects the economic challenges that Egypt faced at that time due to the prolonged wars against the Hyksos», said Hawass, according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram in its digital version. In the opinion of the famous Egyptologist, the discovery indicates that Queen Teti Sheri remained alive until the ninth year of the reign of Ahmose I and that the tombs of this king and Kamose could be nearby.

According to Al-Ahram, the mission also discovered ancient necropolises buried beneath the temple of Hatshepsut. Although these were looted, the team recovered objects such as ceramics, offering tables and models of bread, wine and meat, which provided information about the funerary practices of the time.

They also found intact wooden coffinsknown as ‘Rishi coffins’, including one that contained the remains of a child tied with ropes. A well-preserved mat and a woven wooden bed dating from the transition between the 17th and 18th dynasties were also discovered nearby, reflecting the life of the necropolis guards and their role during Egypt’s liberation struggles against the Hyksos.

The team also found parts of a Ptolemaic necropolis built on the remains of Hatshepsut’s structures at Assasif. “Among the artifacts from this period are bronze coins depicting Alexander the Great, children’s toys, funerary masks and scarabs», reports the Egyptian newspaper.