Excavation in Luxor - burial practices over 4,000 years ago

Cairo, Nov 1 (IANS) An Egyptian-American archaeological team has unearthed the first Middle Kingdom-era burials at the Assasif cemetery near Luxor, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Friday.

The discovery spans the period from 2055 BC to 1650 BC and is expected to provide new insights into burial practices during the 12th and early 13th dynasties of ancient Egypt, ministry officials said.

Excavators found 11 graves containing skeletal remains of men, women, and children, suggesting a multi-generational family burial site. While flood damage significantly deteriorated wooden coffins and linen coverings, numerous artifacts survived.

Archaeologists recovered an array of well-preserved artifacts, including jewelry crafted from red agate, blue and green porcelain, and painted faience stone. Distinctive amulets shaped like falcons, snakes, and hippopotamuses were also discovered, Xinhua news agency reported.

Additional finds included copper mirrors -- one featuring a lotus flower handle and another bearing a rare depiction of the four-faced goddess Hathor -- along with a small fertility statue and thousands of beads.

A square-shaped offering table with intricate carvings, including a bull's head and bread loaf, further illuminates the burial site's ritual significance.

The mission's findings are poised to reshape the understanding of burial customs on Thebes' West Bank during this pivotal period of Egyptian history, according to Egypt's antiquities authorities.