A recent archaeological discovery in Egypt has left experts perplexed: one of the graves the most iconic of ancient Egypt, famous for its historical relevance, hid a second corpse. For years, it was believed that the tomb, located in a key region of the necropolis, housed only the body of an important figure of the time, but new excavations have revealed a startling surprise.
The second body not only challenges what was known about Egyptian burial practicesbut it opens new possibilities for understanding the rituals and beliefs of this civilization.
It involved the discovery of a second body in an ancient Egyptian tomb.
In the mountains of Gebel Asyut al-Gharbi, near the ancient Egyptian city of Assiut, lies the tomb of Diefaihapi Iregional governor of the city and one of the most powerful figures of his time.
After 20 years of fieldwork in the region, the Asyut project, led by Jochem Kahl, professor of Egyptology at the Free University of Berlin, made a surprising discovery: a hidden burial chamber behind a stone wall inside the tomb of Diefaihapi I.
The room, which remained virtually untouched by looters due to its secret location, It contained the tomb of Idy, the daughter of Diefaihapi I. Idy was a priestess of the goddess Hathor and was also known as “Lady of the House”, a title reserved for prominent families.
This discovery, dated 1880 BC. C., opens a new window on the understand the culture of the Middle Kingdoma lesser known period of Egyptian history.
What was the tomb of Idy, the priestess of the goddess Hathor like?
The rock-cut tomb of Diefaihapi I, measuring almost 10 meters high, 28 meters deep and 70 meters wide, was already known for its exquisite paintings and inscriptions. However, the hidden side chamber housed a vertical well of approximately 14 meters deep which led to the tomb of Idy.
In Idy’s tomb, the team discovered two highly decorated imported wooden coffinsone into the other. The smallest coffin is 2.3 meters long and the largest is 2.6 meters.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the coffins as “among the most astonishing ever found” in a statement reported by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
What else did they find other than the coffin of Idy, known as “Lady of the House”?
Besides the coffins, the team also discovered a small coffin lidwooden statues, a dagger, pharaonic regalia and food offerings.
The coffins feature images and texts that tell the story of the journey to the afterlife. Academic experts have pointed out that the decorations on the coffins, both inside and out, are more detailed than those found on comparable objects from the same period and rreflect true artisanal quality.
Another chest, also covered with inscriptions, contained canopic glasses, containers used to store the internal organs of the deceased during the mummification process. In this case, the jars contained Idy’s liver, spleen, lungs and intestines.
The remains of Idy’s clothes and bones, some partially destroyed by looters, provide information about her life. Experts believe that Idy was no more than 40 years old when she died and that he was probably suffering from some sort of foot disease.
The discovery of Idy’s tomb while cleaning the tomb of Diefaihapi Ithe largest non-royal tomb in Egypt from the Middle Kingdom, further highlights the importance of the discovery.
Assiut, a politically and culturally powerful city in the Middle Kingdom, does not have the same importance in Egyptian archeology as cities like Memphis or Thebes, largely because it was buried by flood sediments . The study of this discovery could bring new knowledge about the Egyptian Middle Kingdoma period often little studied.
