A newly discovered, richly decorated ancient Egyptian tomb has been unveiled by Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities. An American research team uncovered the site in Luxor, reports the Associated Press.

“The tomb contains many stunning scenes with bright colors painted on plaster,” said antiquities minister Mamdouh Eldamaty in a statement that did not disclose the date of the discovery.

The 3,000-year-old tomb dates to Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1543–1292 BC), the era of the famed King Tutankhamun, whose funerary mask was recently damaged in a botched repair (see King Tut Restorer Transferred, Mask Can Be Fixed), and the ancient kingdom’s best-known dynasty. It belonged to a nobleman named Amenhotep, the guardian of the temple to the god Amun.

“Many of scenes represent the tomb owner and his wife in front of an offering table and a view of a goddess nursing a royal child, as well as scenes of the daily life,” added Eldamaty. Photos show detailed and seemingly well-preserved paintings in white, brown, and green.

During ancient times, the tomb was likely vandalized. “The name and titles of the tomb owner, some hieroglyphic texts, and scenes, in addition to the names of the god Amun, were deliberately erased,” Sultan Eid, the ministry’s general director for the Upper Egypt region, said in a statement.

In a separate announcement, Eldamaty also reported the discovery of an 18th Dynasty royal rest house in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, thought to belong to King Thutmosis II.

Other recent Egyptian archaeological finds include a 2,500-Year-Old Relief Discovered in Egyptian Quarry and a 4,500 Year-Old Tomb Discovered by a team of Czech archaeologists. Egyptian artifacts have also been in the news due to smuggling (see France Returns 250 Smuggled Ancient Artifacts to Egypt and Stolen Egyptian Antiquities Hit the Open Market).

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