4,000-year-old chamber unearthed in Assiut

The burial chamber belonged to Edi, the daughter of Jifai-Hapi, a prominent governor of Assiut in Upper Egypt during the reign of King Senusret I of the 12th Dynasty (1991–1778 BC).

The discovery was made while the mission was conducting excavation work on Jifai-Hapi’s tomb in the Western Assuit Mountain, which is considered the largest non-royal burial site from that period.

Edi’s burial chamber was located approximately 15 meters deep within her father’s expansive tomb. The chamber contained two intricately decorated wooden coffins, one nestled inside the other, both adorned with texts illustrating the journey to the afterlife. These coffins measured 2.30 meters and 2.62 meters in length.

Alongside the coffins, the team also found canopic jars, traditionally used to store vital organs during mummification, and wooden statues. However, the burial chamber had suffered significant damage from looting in antiquity. Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the mummy had been dismembered, and the canopic jars had been smashed.

Preliminary studies conducted on the remains suggest that Edi died before reaching the age of 40 and suffered from a congenital foot defect. Further excavation and analysis of the discovered remains are ongoing, with the aim of uncovering more information about both Edi and her father, Jifai-Hapi, who was one of the most influential governors in ancient Egypt.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sharif Fathi, praised the efforts of the archaeological team, noting that the Ministry will continue to support such missions that help reveal the secrets of Egypt’s rich history. The Minister stated that this discovery adds yet another layer to the understanding of the 12th Dynasty and the important figures who played a key role in ancient Egyptian society.