New discoveries near city of Aswan reveal burial chambers from Old and Middle Kingdom periods, offering fresh insight into ancient funerary traditions
Archaeologists in southern Egypt have announced major new discoveries at Qubbet El-Hawa, one of the country’s most important ancient burial grounds near Aswan.
Working under the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the excavation focused on rock-cut shafts and burial chambers. Two rooms alone contained around 160 pottery vessels — many remarkably well preserved. Some bear inscriptions and are believed to have stored grain and liquids, offering insight into funerary provisioning and storage practices.
In another tomb, archaeologists uncovered an outer courtyard filled with bronze mirrors, kohl containers, beaded necklaces, and other jewelry dating to the Middle Kingdom. The range of objects suggests both wealth and ritual significance.
Evidence indicates the cemetery was used and reused for centuries, beginning in the Old Kingdom (around 2700–2200 BCE) and continuing through later periods. According to Hisham El-Leithy, secretary general of the antiquities council, further studies will investigate how these tombs were adapted and reused across different eras.
The necropolis, first excavated in the late 19th century, includes nearly 100 cliff-carved tombs belonging to local governors, priests, and dignitaries. Its long lifespan stretches from the Old Kingdom through the Roman period.
Recent years have already produced remarkable finds at Qubbet El-Hawa, including mummified crocodiles in 2019, mud-brick graves in 2020, and additional Old Kingdom tombs containing human remains last year.
Since 2015, a joint conservation and documentation project between the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection in Berlin and the Aswan Inspectorate has also uncovered nine additional tombs in a nearby burial complex.
What makes Qubbet El-Hawa so compelling is its continuity. It’s not just a snapshot of one moment in Egyptian history — it’s a layered archive of evolving burial traditions, political authority, and daily life, carved directly into the cliffs above the Nile.
