New Old Kingdom tombs — Aswan
Archaeologists uncovered elite Old Kingdom tombs in Aswan — fresh fieldwork that adds to our picture of regional elite burial practices in southern Egypt. The discovery was posted by archaeological networks this week and is already drawing attention from Egyptology circles. (x.com)
An Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the finds during the current excavation season at Qubbet el‑Hawa on the west bank of the Nile in late February 2026. (english.ahram.org.eg) Two of the newly cleared burial chambers yielded roughly 160 pottery vessels in good condition, many bearing hieratic inscriptions and interpreted as containers for liquids and grains. (english.ahram.org.eg) Excavators also recovered bronze mirrors, alabaster kohl containers, colourful bead necklaces and a range of amulets from an outer courtyard, items the team dates to both the Old Kingdom and later Middle Kingdom reuse phases. (english.ahram.org.eg) SCA officials named in ministry statements include Acting Secretary‑General Hisham El‑Leithy and Mohamed Abdel‑Badie of the Antiquities Sector, and Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy publicly pledged continued support for the excavation program. (english.ahram.org.eg) The mission reports clear evidence that the rock‑cut tombs were reused during the First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom, matching Qubbet el‑Hawa’s long occupation from the Fourth Dynasty into the Greco‑Roman era. (english.ahram.org.eg) Qubbet el‑Hawa is part of the UNESCO serial property “Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae,” inscribed in 1979, and prior surveys had documented about 100 tombs at the necropolis as of 2022. (whc.unesco.org) The SCA says scientific recording and conservation are underway on site and that the Egyptian mission expects to uncover additional tombs and materials as the current field season continues. (english.ahram.org.eg)
