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A 4,000-year-old Egyptian burial chamber was uncovered in the ancient city of Asyut during excavation work conducted by researchers from the University of Sohag in Egypt and the Free University of Berlin.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the city was an important cultural center during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, a period that stretched from around 2030 to 1650 B.C.E.
The burial chamber featured two wooden coffins painted with decorations. One of them was stacked inside the other. Idi, the only daughter of a prominent local governor, was buried in the coffins.
“Finding two intact Middle Kingdom coffins is extraordinary,” said Kathlyn Cooney, a professor of ancient Egyptian art and architecture at UCLA who was not part of the discovery.
The coffins “not only seem well-preserved but covered with intricate coffin texts that helped the deceased find their way in the realm of the underworld.”
Idi’s chamber was found near the tomb belonging to her father, Djefaihapi. He was the governor of the Asyut region, located along the Nile River.
His burial was the largest tomb of a non-royal built during the Middle Kingdom. This suggests that Djefaihapi was one of the most distinguished regional governors of his time.
Idi’s tomb was almost 50 feet below the ground. It appeared to have been robbed during ancient times, but it still contained her two painted coffins.
The larger coffin measured about 8.5 feet long, while the smaller one was 7.5 feet. The coffins were covered in hieroglyphic texts, which referred to Idi as “the lady of the house.”
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