The joint Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission working in the vicinity of the Aga Khan tomb in West Aswan, headed by Dr. Patricia Biasentini, Professor of Egyptology at the University of Milan, succeeded in discovering a new archaeological tomb carved in rock dating back to the Greco-Roman era, through the mission’s work during the last excavation season.
This was stated by Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explaining that the tomb consists of two parts, the first part of which is above the ground and the second carved in the rock.
Dr. Abdel Moneim Said Mahmoud, Director General of Aswan and Nuba Antiquities and head of the mission from the Egyptian side, said that the first part is a rectangular sandstone and mud brick building with the entrance to the tomb surrounded by stone blocks covered with a mudbrick vault.
As for the second part, it is carved out of rock, and the entrance leads to a rectangular courtyard in which 4 burial chambers were carved, in which nearly 20 mummies were found, most of them in a good state of preservation. Preliminary studies have indicated that this mass grave contains more than one family.
Dr. Patricia Biasentini indicated that the mission found many archaeological artifacts inside the cemetery, which date back to the Greco-Roman era, including offering tables, stone panels with texts in hieroglyphic script, and a copper necklace decorated with Greek writings and the name (Nicostratus), in addition to a number of wooden statues. For the Baa bird and parts of the colored carton. During the archaeological survey in the area, a number of coffins were found in good condition, some of them were made of pottery and others were made of sandstone.