Archaeologists discover ancient painting, coffin in Egypt’s Luxor

A French archaeological mission in Egypt discovered an ancient sandstone painting and a wooden coffin dating back to some 3,500 years in El-Asasif ancient cemetery west of Luxor province, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Thursday, 8th Nov 2018.

The two pieces date back to the 18th Dynasty of pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt from 1550 BC to 1292 BC, according to Mustafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The discovery was made in Asasif region west of Upper Egypt’s monument-rich Luxor by a joint mission from French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo (IFAO) and University of Strasbourg, led by French Egyptologist Frederic Colin.

The coffin was almost intact but the painting had its upper left part missing.

In late September, an Egyptian archaeological mission, also in El-Asasif, discovered two ancient tombs with two mummies.

Egypt, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, has been working hard to preserve its archaeological heritage and discover the secrets of its ancient artifacts.

Over the past few years, the country has witnessed several big archaeological discoveries including pharaonic tombs, statues, coffins, mummies, burial sites and funerary gardens.