Dr. Zahi Hawass, the renowned Egyptian archaeologist and head of the joint archaeological mission affiliated with the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Archaeology and Heritage, in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Antiquities (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities), announced several archaeological discoveries.
Hawass confirmed that after three years of research and scientific excavations, which began in September 2022, the mission has achieved significant discoveries in the area at the start of the causeway leading to Queen Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari.
Queen Hatshepsut's Valley Temple (1479–1458 BCE)
The mission uncovered part of the foundations of the Valley Temple, located at the entrance of the valley and serving as the main gateway to the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, known as "Djeser-Djeseru," considered one of the most beautiful ancient Egyptian temples.
Hawass pointed out that the mission discovered a large number of inscriptions from the Valley Temple, which are among the rarest and most exquisite examples of sculpture from the time of Queen Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. Comparable examples are scarce, with only a few found in the Luxor and Metropolitan Museums. These newly discovered royal inscriptions represent the most complete collection from the Valley Temple, which suffered destruction during the Ramesside period and the Nineteenth Dynasty.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that the mission uncovered over 100 stone stelae made of limestone and sandstone, bearing the names and cartouches of Queen Hatshepsut (her birth name and throne name). These stelae are part of the foundation deposits that confirm the ownership of the temple, known as "Stone Name." Among them is a unique limestone stela with a raised inscription of the name and title of Queen Hatshepsut's architect, Senenmut, identified as the "Supervisor of the Palace." The complete set of foundation deposits for Queen Hatshepsut is one of the mission's most significant discoveries, marking the first such find since the American archaeologist Herbert Winlock uncovered a complete set at the funerary temple site (1923–1931).
Hawass added that the mission discovered several rock-cut tombs from the Middle Kingdom (2050–1710 BCE) and revealed the site's historical sequence, which began during the Middle Kingdom and continued until the early Eighteenth Dynasty. At that time, the royal architect Senenmut ordered the cessation of burials in the area, choosing it as the site for the Valley Temple and part of the causeway linking it to the funerary temple. Senenmut buried the earlier necropolis under large quantities of sand as part of the site preparation for the temple's construction.
Hawass explained that the mission also uncovered several burial shafts from the Seventeenth Dynasty (1580–1550 BCE), carved into the rock. These shafts contained wooden anthropoid coffins, known as "feathered coffins," characteristic of the Seventeenth Dynasty. One of the most significant finds is a sealed child’s coffin, tied with ropes and intact since its burial 3,600 years ago. Nearby, a rolled-up mat was discovered in excellent condition. The mission is currently developing a special program to restore and display it at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. In the previous excavation season (2023–2024), the team transported a significant find—a wooden and woven mat bed belonging to a necropolis guard—to the same museum.
The mission also found war bows, indicating the military background of the tomb owners and their role in Egypt's struggle against the Hyksos. Among the discoveries was the tomb of Djehuty Mes, the supervisor of Queen Tetisheri's palace. Tetisheri was the grandmother of King Ahmose, who expelled the Hyksos, and the mother of King Seqenenre, the first martyr king in Egypt’s liberation wars.
Tomb of Djehuty Mes
The tomb dates to the ninth year of King Ahmose I's reign (1550–1525 BCE), as confirmed by the inscription on Djehuty Mes’s funerary stela. The tomb has a simple design: a square rock-cut chamber preceded by a mudbrick chapel covered with white plaster and topped with a vaulted roof. Inside the chamber, remnants of red-colored paintings on a white plaster layer were found. The chamber's floor contains a rectangular shaft leading to two burial chambers. The shaft contained a limestone offering table and Djehuty Mes's funerary stela.
Despite Djehuty Mes's important role as the supervisor of Queen Tetisheri's palace, the tomb's modest design provides valuable insights into the economic conditions of the early Eighteenth Dynasty, following Egypt's long liberation wars.
Ptolemaic Necropolis
Hawass confirmed the discovery of part of an extended Ptolemaic necropolis occupying the site of the causeway and Valley Temple. Its tombs were built using mudbrick and reused stones from Queen Hatshepsut's temple. Parts of this necropolis had been uncovered by foreign missions in the early 20th century but were poorly documented.
The Egyptian mission uncovered numerous artifacts from this period, including bronze coins bearing the image of Alexander the Great, dating to the reign of Ptolemy I (367–283 BCE). Other finds included terracotta children’s toys in human and animal shapes, pieces of cartonnage and funerary masks, winged scarabs, beads, and funerary amulets.
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