Egyptian archaeologists discover a3,500-year-old tomb and mummies

An expert inspects a sarcophagus found with mummies and sculptures inside a grave, which was estimated to be more

than 3,500 years old, during archaeological work in Luxor, Egypt, April 18, 2017. Photo by: Stringer/Anadolu Agency/

Getty Images

Outside the city of Luxor, Egyptian archaeologists have made an important find. They have

uncovered the remains of a 3,500-year-old tomb. In the tomb, they have found several

mummies, colorful wooden coffins and more than 1,000 funerary statues.

The tomb dates from the 18th Dynasty tomb. The 18th Dynasty is the most famous period

in ancient Egypt and took place from 1550-1298 BC. Egypt's most famous pharoahs lived

during that time, including King Tutankhamun or King Tut. The tomb contains at least eight

carefully preserved mummies and was discovered in the Draa Abul Nagaa cemetery near

the famed Valley of the Kings. The Egyptian antiquities ministry, who is in charge of

archaeological digs in the country, announced the finding in a Tuesday statement.

By Agence France-Presse, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.24.17

Word Count 717

Level 940L

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The tomb belonged to a nobleman named Userhat who worked as the city judge. It was

opened to add more mummies during the 21st Dynasty, about 3,000 years ago. This was

likely to protect the mummies during a period when tomb-robbing was common, said

Mostafa Waziri. His is the head of the archaeological mission. Important people were often

buried with treasure, making them targets for thieves.

Officials Surprised By How Much They Found

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside," Khaled el-Enany told reporters

outside the tomb. He is the Antiquities Minister for Egypt.

"We found a large number of Ushabti (small carved figurines), more than 1,000 of them,"

Enany said.

"This is an important discovery."

Ushabti figurines were often placed with the dead in ancient Egyptian tombs. They were

supposed to help with responsibilities in the afterlife.

Antiquities officials had initially said that six mummies along with some damaged remains

were discovered near the southern city. Later, they said they had identified two more

mummies.

"There are 10 coffins and eight mummies. The excavation is ongoing," Waziri said.

Gloves And Masks Required

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves inspected the

sarcophagi. The ancient Egyptian coffins were covered with beautiful drawings in red,

blue, black, green and yellow. They also featured the carved faces of the dead.

The caskets were mainly in good condition. Some, though, had fallen apart and worn down

over the years. Archaeologists examined a mummy wrapped in linen which was inside one

of the caskets. White, orange, green and patterned pots were also found in the tombs.

The cemetery is located across the Nile river from Luxor on the West Bank. Many of the

famous ancient Egyptian pharaohs were buried here, such as Tutankhamun or King Tut. He

was one of the most famous pharaohs from the 18th Dynasty.

Describing The Layout Of The Tomb

The age of the tomb was determined "through the drawings on the ceiling," said Waziri.

The ministry also added a description of the tomb, which was shaped like a T. It had an

open court that led to a hall shaped like a rectangle. From there was a hallway that led to

an inner chamber that served as a hiding place for sarcophagi.

A shaft inside the tomb, about 30 feet long, held the Ushabti figurines. It also held "wooden

masks and a handle of a sarcophagus lid," the ministry said.

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Waziri said the mummies dated back to an age called "the era of the tomb robbers."

"It's evident that someone with a conscience, the priests or a high-profile government

official ... made an opening to the chambers, and they put the coffins there," he said.

Another room in the tomb was also discovered. It still has not been completely uncovered,

the ministry said. Archaeologists were able to enter the tomb after clearing out the open

court. They had to remove more than 1,500 feet of wreckage.

Hoping New Discoveries Will Attract Tourists

Nevine el-Aref is the spokeswoman for the antiquities ministry. She said "there is evidence

and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future" at the site.

Many tourists used to visit the tombs and ancient temples of Thebes. Thebes was the

capital of ancient Egypt during its later periods and is now the city of Luxor.

Tourism here has dropped since longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign

after many protests in 2011. Political troubles since then have kept travelers away.

Enany said he hoped these new discoveries would help attract tourists again.

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Quiz

1 WHY are archaeologists surprised that the tomb was NOT destroyed?

(A) because the tomb is 3,500 years old

(B) because it was not in the cemetery

(C) because robbers usually stole from them

(D) because the caskets had fallen apart

2 Read the paragraph below from the section "Describing The Layout Of The Tomb."

Another room in the tomb was also discovered. It still has not been

completely uncovered, the ministry said. Archaeologists were able to

enter the tomb after clearing out the open court. They had to remove

more than 1,500 feet of wreckage.

What is the MOST likely reason WHY the author included this information about the tomb?

(A) to highlight the need for more archaeologists

(B) to show that the tomb is very large

(C) to emphasize the possibility that they may never finish

(D) to show that the work takes a lot of time

3 Read the first paragraph of the section "Gloves And Masks Required."

Inside the tomb, archaeologists wearing white masks and latex gloves

inspected the sarcophagi.

Which of the following words, if it replaced the word "inspected," would CHANGE the meaning

of the sentence?

(A) examined

(B) checked

(C) observed

(D) overlooked

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4 Read the following selection from the section "Describing The Layout Of The Tomb."

From there was a hallway that led to an inner chamber that served as

a hiding place for sarcophagi.

Which of the following phrases from the section BEST helps the reader understand the

meaning of "chamber"?

(A) a hallway

(B) another room

(C) an open court

(D) a hiding place

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