Here’s something you don’t find every day. Egyptian and Swiss archaeologists have discovered a 1,100-year-old tomb of a female singer named Nehmes Bastet in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
This marks the only tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings for a woman not related to the ancient Egyptian royal families, said Mansour Boraiq, the top government official for the Antiquities’ Ministry in Luxor.
The Valley of the Kings is a major tourist attraction there. In 1922, archaeologists unearthed the gold funeral mask of Tutankhamun (King Tut) and other stunning items in the tomb of the king who ruled more than 3,000 years ago, according to estimates.
Boraiq says the coffin of the singer is remarkably intact.
He said that when the coffin is opened later this week, archaeologists will most likely find a mummy and a mask molded to her face.
The name Nehmes Bastet means she was thought to be protected by the feline deity Bastet.
Scientists concluded from artefacts that she sang in Karnak Temple, one of the most famous open-air sites from the pharaonic era.
New finds are still being discovered there. A new chamber was found in 2006, and two new tomb entrances were discovered in 2008.
The valley is known to contain 63 tombs and chambers, ranging in size from a simple pit, to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers.
Related articles
- Rare woman’s tomb found in Egyptian Valley of the Kings (ctv.ca)
- Singing mummy found in Valley of the Kings (newscientist.com)
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