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Zahi Hawass Foundation and Supreme Council of Antiquities Mission finds rock-cut chamber in the southwest courtyard of Seneb’s Tomb, in Qurna, with coffins stacked in 10 rows and intact sealed papyri inside a ceramic pot.
Archaeologists from Egypt found a cache of Singers of Amun in a rock-cut chamber under the southwest courtyard of Seneb’s Tomb, in Qurna, on the west bank of Luxor.
According to the Daily News Egypt, the announcement came on February 28, 2026.
According to the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the mission is directed by the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Heritage and Antiquities.
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In parallel, the chamber held 22 painted wooden coffins with mummies inside and eight sealed papyri in a large ceramic pot.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, the find is a significant addition to the country’s archaeological record.
Rock-cut chamber with coffins in 10 horizontal rows
According to the team, the excavation revealed a rectangular rock-cut chamber, used as a funerary deposit. As reported by Archaeology Wiki, the ancient Egyptians stacked the coffins in ten horizontal rows.
In other words, lids and bases were separated to make the most of the room’s volume. This careful arrangement indicates that the deposit was not improvised.
In practice, the chamber shows intentional reuse. Earlier tombs served as ritual deposits in later phases.
On the one hand, the spatial utilization suggests ritual planning. On the other hand, each coffin has its own hieroglyphic titles and preserves its original painting.
Singers of Amun: female priestly class of the temples
The most common title among the 22 mummified individuals is “Singer of Amun”, in some cases “Female Singer of Amun”.
According to the Jerusalem Post, this priestly category sang in the daily rituals to the god Amun in Karnak and other temples of Upper Egypt.
According to the Hawass mission, the group opens a new window on this professional class. According to Theban archaeology, the Singers of Amun appeared on a large scale from the 21st Dynasty onwards.
Indeed, it is the largest concentration of this class ever recorded in a single deposit. The last dozens of mummifications belong to the period between 1069 BC and 664 BC.
Consequently, it opens a new window to understand female ritual life in Egypt. It is worth remembering that few comparable archives have arrived intact.
Eight sealed papyri inside a ceramic pot
In addition, archaeologists found eight rolled papyri inside a single large ceramic pot. According to Egyptian Streets, some still preserve their original clay seals.
In other words, no one has yet read the content. The texts will undergo chemical analysis and mechanical opening at a later stage.
According to the team, the dimensions of the rolls vary. Restorers are working at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to define the opening protocol without destroying the structure.
In turn, intact sealed papyri from the Third Intermediate Period are rare. The last discovery of comparable quantity was in the 1960s.
Third Intermediate Period: Dynasties 21 to 25
Indeed, the coffins date from Dynasties 21 to 25, between 1069 BC and 664 BC. According to Ancient Origins, this interval covers the political fragmentation after the collapse of the New Kingdom.
In parallel, Thebes becomes the religious center while political power shifts to the Delta. Consequently, priests and singers gain administrative weight.
According to Hawass, the find offers “new light on the Third Intermediate Period”. According to the former Minister of Antiquities, this interval is poorly documented compared to the New and Middle Kingdoms.
Indeed, there are still gaps in exact dates. The painting on the coffins should help refine the official chronology of Dynasties 21-25.
Tomb of Seneb: how the courtyard hid a deposit for 3,000 years
For example, Seneb’s Tomb is a classic Theban rock-cut tomb. Consequently, its courtyard functioned as a ceremonial entrance. Later it became the improvised roof of the secondary chamber.
Indeed, the newly opened chamber was invisible on the surface, according to the mission. The courtyard covered the entrance with a lowered slab.
Other discoveries followed a similar path. In May, Egypt announced the secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago in the Pyramid of Khufu, in parallel with the same Hawass program.
In turn, other Theban tombs hold similar material. The rediscovery of the medieval city of Rungholt in the North Sea serves as an example of how preserved contexts can become primary archives.
Ceramic vessels for mummification supplies
In turn, in addition to the coffins and papyri, the chamber held ceramic pots used for mummification supplies. According to Minister Sherif Fathy, these vessels stored resins and ritual oils.
To understand the context, these containers have not yet been analyzed. In parallel, restorers are assessing whether there are preserved chemical traces.
According to the field team, the material indicates an organized ritual operation. In other words, it was not an improvised burial.
Furthermore, the ministry is preparing a public exhibition after the conservation phase. The schedule has not been released.
Implications for tourism and the history of the Singers of Amun
- 22 painted wooden coffins stacked in 10 horizontal rows
- 8 intact sealed papyri inside a ceramic pot
- Third Intermediate Period — Dynasties 21 to 25 (1069-664 BC)
- Tomb of Seneb — southwest courtyard, Qurna necropolis, Luxor
- Zahi Hawass Foundation
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