An Egyptian archeological mission has made several new discoveries this season while excavating at the Abu El-Naga necropolis near Luxor. The announcement was made by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Among the most important finds of the season was a cache of ten well preserved, painted wooden coffins that had been hidden in the shaft of the courtyard of the tomb of Baki. The coffins, featuring brightly painted scenes and hieroglyphic inscriptions, were likely moved from their original burial sites, during a period of instability, leading to some damage to the mummies inside..
Four of these coffins date to Egypt’s 18th Dynasty (c. 1550–1292 BC), including one coffin bearing the name of Merit, chantress of the god Amun. An additional coffin from the later Ramesside period ((c. 1292–1077 BC) is inscribed with the name of Padi-Amun, a priest in the Temple of Amun. The remaining coffins belong to the Egypt’s Late Period (664–332 BC).
In the same courtyard, the team also uncovered the tomb of a purification priest of the Temple of Amun named A-Shafi-Nakhtu. The tomb consists of a courtyard, shaft, and entrance decorated with funerary scenes and texts leading to the individual’s burial chamber. Inscribed on the façade of the tomb are the names of the priest’s two wives, both of whom held the title “Singer of the Temple of Amun.”
Additional discoveries included a sandstone figure bearing the name “Benji,” and the titles “scribe” and “noble,” whose tomb may be hidden nearby. Excavators also uncovered the burial site of more than 30 mummified cats wrapped in linen. The mummified animals are believed to date to the Ptolemaic Period (305–30 BC).
The current excavation season began in November 2025 and is the team’s eighth at this site. According to the Director General of Luxor Antiquities, Abdel-Ghaffar Wagdy, the owners of the newly discovered tombs are not mentioned in previous historical sources. He added that the titles and inscriptions found on their tombs and coffins are new to researchers, adding to their understanding of the administrative and religious structures of ancient Egypt.