Around Deir al-Bahari, the famous mortuary temple in Luxor, Egypt, a number of new discoveries were made. The temple was built by Hatshepsut, a woman who ruled Egypt as a pharaoh.
A team of researchers found objects that the ancient workers had buried when they began construction of the temple.
The artifacts included a wooden hammer, a wooden cast for making mud bricks, two chisels, two stones containing Hatshepsut’s cartouches (ovals with hieroglyphs representing a ruler’s name), and an adze, which is a tool used for cutting and shaping wood.
In ancient times, the mortuary temple was known as Djeser Djeseru. The hammer, cast, adze, and one of the chisels have inscriptions that read “the good god Neb Maat Re, in the temple Djeser Djeseru, beloved by Amun.” Amun was the chief god of Thebes, which is called Luxor today, while Neb Maat Re refers to the sun god Re.
The team also uncovered 1,500 colorful stone blocks that were once part of Hatshepsut’s valley temple, located near her mortuary temple.
The valley temple was decorated with various scenes. Some of them can still be seen on the blocks. They depict Queen Hatshepsut and her successor, Thutmose III, performing rituals.
“This was the first time we’ve discovered such a comprehensive set of decorated blocks, showcasing some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever encountered,” said Zahi Hawass, the former head of Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities and the leader of the excavation.
Beneath the valley temple, excavators identified ceremonial implements that bore Hatshepsut’s name, along with a limestone tablet mentioning Senmut, the queen’s chief architect.
Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who reigned from around 1473 to 1458 B.C. during the 18th dynasty, one of the greatest eras of ancient Egypt.
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She was the stepmother of Thutmose III, who served as her co-ruler at times and took the throne following her death. There was evidence that Thutmose III had Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple restored sometime after her death.
Furthermore, a cemetery dating to the 17th dynasty was found. The 17th dynasty spanned from about 1635 to 1550 B.C. when parts of Egypt were controlled by a foreign people called the Hyksos. At the cemetery, several coffins held the remains of ancient Egyptians.
During excavations of the cemetery, the research team came across the remains of bows and arrowheads, weapons that were likely used to fight against the Hyksos. The cemetery guards possibly participated in the fight.
Lastly, the researchers also stumbled upon the tomb of Djehuty Mes, an overseer of the palace of Queen Tetisheri.
The queen lived during the 17th dynasty and into the early 18th dynasty. It is unclear which pharaoh she was married to.
Inside the tomb, a limestone offering table, a limestone commemorative stone slab, and a vessel for cosmetics made of alabaster and faience (glazed ceramic) were discovered.
