Swiss archaeologists with Switzerland’s University of Basel have discovered a 1,000 year old tomb of a female singer in the Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in Luxor. The tomb was found by accident close to another tomb that was discovered 100 years ago. This is the only tomb of a woman who is not related to the ancient Egyptian Royal families ever found here. The singer was named Nehmes Bastet which indicates that she was

Feline God Bastet

protected by the feline God Bastet. At the time of the singer’s death, Egypt was ruled by Libyan kings, but because Thebes (now within the city of Luxor) was ruled by the high priests, they had the authority to bury family members in the royal cemetery which would explain how the singer came to be buried there.

This is the 64th tomb to be unearthed in the major tourist attraction of the Valley of the Kings. Way back in 1922 the golden funeral mask of Tutankhamen was discovered along with other amazing objects in the tomb of the king who ruled over 3000 years ago.

It is reported that the coffin of the singer is intact and it is thought that when the coffin is opened archaeologists will find a mummy with a cartonnage mask moulded to her face. This is the only tomb of a woman who is not related to the ancient Egyptian Royal families ever found in the Valley of the Kings. Based on artefacts found in the tomb, it is believed that the tomb was originally built for someone else and reused for the singer 400 years after the original one. The coffin of the singer belonged to the daughter of a high priest during the 22nd dynasty.

The artefacts found in the tomb have led to the conclusion that the singer sang in Karnak Temple which is one of the most famous and biggest open-air sites from the Pharaonic era.

The Valley of the Kings is located on the west bank at Luxor and was the royal cemetery for 62 Pharaohs. This was a secret place that could only be reached via a long narrow path. However the royal tombs here were robbed by tomb raiders despite sentries who stood at the entrance of the Valley and along the hilltops. Many of the thefts were carefully planned although it is believed many robberies were just ‘spur of the moment’.

Valley of the Kings Egypt

A visit to the Valley of the Kings is a must on your holiday packages to Egypt. The only ‘problem’ you will have is deciding which of the tombs to enter as a normal ticket only permits you to enter three. Take your time when exploring the tombs so that you can take in all the details, maybe visiting the site more than once for the ultimate experience. Take advantage of the last minute holiday deals that are always available to this enthralling country and experience the intriguing Valley of the Kings and other amazing historical sites.

Recent civil unrest in Egypt caused a slump in tourists visiting the country but as news emerges that archaelogists have discovered evidence of new pyramids that is all about to change.

US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak from the University of Alabama used infra-red satellite images taken of the desert in Egypt to find a mass of hidden treasures. Evidence of 17 underground pyramids, more than 1000 undiscovered tombs and 3000 settlements has been unearthed. The NASA satellites, orbiting 435 miles above Earth, were equipped with cameras which are able to pinpoint objects smaller than three feet in diameter on the earth’s surface. The infra-red images were used to highlight different materials under the surface. The Egyptians used mud bricks which are much denser than the surrounding sand, therefore researchers were able to locate the buried buildings and tombs. It is believed that only about one percent of the wonders of Ancient Egypt have been discovered, but now, thanks to Dr Parcak’s pioneering approach it is hoped that more and more ancient wonders will be unearthed.

Dr Parcak believes these underground pyramids were covered by Nile silt and that there could be a lot more sites waiting to be discovered.

Saqqara

Excavations have started in Saqqara where the new the new pyramids were discovered and have already confirmed that two of the buried structures are pyramids.

The BBC are to screen ‘Egypt’s Lost Cities’ on May 30th which follows Dr Parcak as she makes her ground breaking discovery.

There are more than a hundred pyramids known in Egypt, many of which are in a state of disrepair. These ancient pyramids were built as burial places for kings and queens and it is believed that they represented a stairway for the king to ascend to the heavens. The earliest pyramid was the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, built over 4,600 years ago at Saqqara, overlooking the ancient capital of Memphis. The largest pyramid ever built was the Great Pyramid at Giza which was built for King Khufu. The Giza Plateau is also home to two

Sphinx

 other large pyramids which, as with the Great Pyramid, have valley temples and mortuary temples connected by causeways. Also found at Giza is the famous 73 metre long Sphinx. The pyramids and the Sphinx are a major attraction for visitors on their cheap package holidays to Egypt.

There are many travel deals to Egypt available throughout the internet, not only for discovery the country’s ancient history but also for the amazing beach resorts and diving opportunities in the beautiful Red Sea.