Egypt Unseals Crypt of 22 Singing Priests in Luxor

Why this is here: The discovery includes eight sealed jars still bearing their original clay seals, which may contain organic remains from funerary practices or even biological material from the mummies.

In Luxor, Egypt, a team from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Zahi Hawas Foundation for Archaeology and Heritage recently unsealed a 2,600-year-old burial chamber. The chamber held 22 coffins and eight mummies believed to be priestesses who sang at festivals and religious rites. Each coffin bore the inscription “Singer of Amun,” suggesting a dedicated burial space for this respected female temple caste.

The coffins were found in ten rows within a tomb carved into bedrock, alongside funerary objects. Eight sealed jars within a larger vessel offer a potential wealth of organic material, including oils, resins, and even remains from the mummies. Dating indicates the coffins span roughly 400 years of Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period, from 1070 to 664 BCE.

Excavators note evidence of female officials from Egypt’s religious castes is rare. The team also observed the coffins had likely been moved to this location from elsewhere, though the reason for this relocation remains unclear. Further analysis will focus on preserving the fragile wood and pigments of the coffins.