While excavating the tomb of Jifai-Hapi, who governed the Asyut region during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, archaeologists discovered the tomb of the ancient governor’s daughter, “Edi.” The find was announced by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in an in an Oct. 2, 2024, Facebook post.
Jifai-Hapi (also spelled Djefaihapi), was governor during the reign of King Senusret I. His burial chamber was the largest cemetery belonging to a non-royal of the time, signaling that he was an important ruler in Ancient Egypt, the statement said.
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The daughter’s burial chamber was discovered by archaeologists about 50 feet down and consisted of two coffins, one placed inside another of slightly bigger size, according to the statement from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The excavation was conducted by the University of Sohag in Egypt and the Free University of Berlin.
The larger of the two coffins was 2.62 meters (around 8.5 feet) while the smaller measured out to be 2.30 meters (around 7.5 feet.) The coffins were each “intricately painted,” according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
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“This new discovery in Asyut will add more to what we know about the Middle Kingdom, which is all too often overshadowed by the earlier Old Kingdom ‘Pyramid Age’ and the later New Kingdom, with its big name pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and [Ramesses II],” Joann Fletcher, a professor with the Department of Archaeology at the U.K.’s University of York, who was not involved in the research, told Newsweek.
“And yet the Middle Kingdom was actually a time of great artistic and cultural splendor, as indeed is reflected in the quality of the paintwork on the newly discovered outer coffin visible in the excavation photographs,” Fletcher told the outlet.
Also found in the burial chamber was a small coffin lid, anopic jars as well as wooden structures, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in the statement.
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During ancient times, thieves entered the chamber, according to the source, but there were still remains of the skeleton for experts to study.
Early studies have revealed that the governor’s daughter died before she was 40 years old and suffered from a congenital foot defect, according to the statement.
There is still much to be learned about the ancient governor and his daughter.
Further research to learn more about their lives is ongoing, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in the statement.