CAIRO, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Sunday the discovery of a Pharaonic tomb on the West Bank of Luxor, unearthed during ongoing archaeological excavations.
According to a ministry statement, the discovery was made by a Dutch archaeological mission working within the Theban Necropolis.
Hisham Elleithy, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said inscriptions identify the tomb's owner as "Paser," with wall reliefs tentatively dating the structure to the New Kingdom (1550 BC-1069 BC).
Elleithy noted that the archaeological team will conduct comprehensive documentation and analysis to identify those buried at the site and reconstruct their histories, aiming to place the tomb within its broader historical and cultural context.
Mohamed Abdel-Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the SCA, said the tomb's layout comprises an external courtyard, an inverted T-shaped rock-cut chapel, and several subterranean burial chambers, consistent with the customary style of private tombs during the New Kingdom period.
Abdel-Badie said the courtyard remains well-preserved, featuring a mud-brick mastaba with a central niche for a funerary stela and a staircase flanked by ramps leading to the tomb's primary entrance.
The wall decorations bearing Paser's name are partially obscured by a thin layer of debris, he said, adding that excavated sections reveal intricate, colorful paintings depicting the deceased paying homage to deities in shrines, alongside scenes portraying him and his wife before a traditional offering table. ■