WATANI International
26 September 2010
The discovery of the burial shaft of the tomb of the priest Karakhamun, at Assasif on Luxor’s West Bank, has been recently announced. Culture Minister Farouk Hosny said that an Egyptian-American expedition unearthed the burial chamber which dates back to the 25th Dynasty (755BC), while in the process of conservation and restoration work on the West Bank. He explained that the work on this tomb is part of a much larger project known as the South Assasif Conservation Project (ACP). The Assasif area is a very significant site which contains tombs of the noblemen of the New Kingdom (1554 –1075BC), as well as tombs from the later periods of the 25th and 26th Dynasties (761 – 525BC).
Stunning colours
Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the team found the burial chamber of Karakhamun at the bottom of an 8m deep burial shaft. The chamber is in very good condition and contains beautifully painted scenes. The entrance to the chamber is decorated with an image of Karakhamun and the ceiling is decorated with several astrological scenes, including a depiction of the sky goddess, Nut.
According to Dr Elena Pischikova who heads the expedition, the tomb of Karakhamun was discovered in the 19th century in an unstable condition. It continued to deteriorate, and only parts of it were accessible to visitors in the early 1970s. Later it collapsed and was buried under the sand. Dr Pischikova’s team rediscovered the tomb in 2006 and has been carrying out conservation work since then. She believes that the tomb of Karakhamun could be one of the most beautiful tombs from the 25th Dynasty because of the stunning colour and the unique quality of the scenes.