Cairo: Archaeologists have unearthed intact sections of the foundation wall of Queen Hatshepsut’s valley temple in Luxor, along with the nearby tomb of Queen Teti Sheri, the grandmother of Ahmose I. Ahmose was the first pharaoh of Egypt’s golden New Kingdom era.
The discovery, which includes over 1,000 intricately decorated stone blocks, was announced by Zahi Hawass, a renowned Egyptian archaeologist and former minister of antiquities. Hawass, who has been leading excavations at the site since 2022, shared the significant find on Wednesday.
Archeologists have uncovered more than 1,000 stone blocks of the foundation wall of Queen Hatshepsut's valley temple in Luxor as well as the nearby tomb of Queen Teti Sheri, grandmother of Ahmose I, the first pharaoh of Egypt's golden New Kingdom era https://t.co/hXDRwDi0pC pic.twitter.com/o9hVdE59KC
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2025
Queen Hatshepsut, a prominent ruler of Egypt’s 18th dynasty who died around 1458 B.C., was one of the few women to ascend to the throne in ancient Egypt. Her valley temple was deliberately destroyed centuries after its construction.
“This is the first time that we discovered 1,500 decorated blocks, the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen in my life with the colour,” said Hawass.
Among the findings is a limestone tablet bearing the name of Senmut, Hatshepsut’s chief architect, who oversaw the construction of her temple.
Also Read | Los Angeles Wildfires: Intense Flames, Strong Winds, and Water Supply Crisis
Close to this discovery, archaeologists also uncovered the tomb of Queen Teti Sheri. Teti Sheri was the grandmother of Ahmose I, who is celebrated for liberating Egypt from the Hyksos invaders that had crossed into Egypt from Sinai. She passed away during the ninth year of Ahmose’s reign, nearly a century before Hatshepsut’s era.
Also Read | Hollywood in Chaos: Wildfires Force Celebrities to Flee, Events Delayed
The tomb, modestly carved into rock, is situated at the end of a vaulted mudbrick chapel adorned with red wall paintings on a white mortar background.
