The Egyptian archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities unveiled a ground-breaking discovery in Tell el-Maschuta in the Ismailia governorate.
The findings include the cemetery of a military commander from the era of King Ramses III, the second king of the 20th dynasty, alongside a set of mass and individual graves dating back to the Greco-Roman and Late Periods of ancient Egypt.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities highlighted the significance of this discovery underscoring the military importance of Tell el-Maschuta. This strategic site, home to ancient fortifications and castles, played a critical role in protecting Egypt’s eastern borders during the New Kingdom era.
The military commander’s burial site, constructed with mud bricks, features a main burial chamber and three adjoining chambers. The interior walls are coated with a layer of white mortar. The artifacts unearthed within the commander’s tomb include several bronze arrowheads, which pointed to the high-ranking nature of the tomb’s occupant. The special tools and materials indicate that he occupied a distinguished and influential military position during his lifetime.
The mission also discovered a human skeleton in the commander’s tomb, covered with a layer of cartonnage. The cartonnage, believed to belong to a later period, suggests that the tomb was repurposed in subsequent eras.
Alabaster vessels, adorned with inscriptions and faintly preserved colours, were also found, many bearing the cartouches of King Horemheb, a prominent warrior-king from the 18th dynasty.
A spectacular gold ring engraved with King Ramses III’s cartouche was also recovered, along with a trove of colourful beads, stones, and an intricately crafted small ivory box. These findings further emphasise the tomb’s historical and cultural significance.
The archaeological team uncovered mass burials from the Greco-Roman era In the surrounding area, including human skeletal remains. Meanwhile, individual graves from the Late Period revealed a fascinating collection of amulets, including depictions of the god Bes, revered as the protector of households, and amulets displaying the Eye of Horus, a revered symbol in ancient Egyptian religion representing healing, protection, and well-being.
