3,000-year-old tomb of official Paser unearthed in Luxor

A significant archaeological discovery has been made in Luxor, Egypt, where researchers unearthed a 3,000-year-old tomb belonging to an official named Paser. The tomb, located in the Lower Sheikh Abd el-Qurna area of the Theban Necropolis, dates back to the Ramesside Period (13th-11th centuries BCE) of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom.

The excavation, led by a team from Leiden University in collaboration with Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, is part of a systematic research effort that began in 2018. The tomb follows the typical architecture of private burial sites in ancient Thebes, featuring an open courtyard leading to a rock-cut chapel and burial chambers below.

Researchers found the tomb remarkably well-preserved, with parts of the original wall paintings still intact, some covered by a thin layer of dust. These paintings depict Paser worshipping deities and scenes with his wife before an offering table, common motifs in tombs of high-ranking New Kingdom officials symbolizing the hope for eternal life.

Archaeologists identified Paser through inscriptions within the tomb. The team plans to continue excavations to identify other individuals interred there and to place the tomb within its wider historical and archaeological context. Preservation and restoration work on the monument and its wall paintings are also planned.