Excavators say they've found a previously unknown Egyptian royal tomb in Luxor

By Joe Hernandez

Published January 15, 2023 at 3:08 PM CST

The Colossi of Memnon, two sandstone statues of Amenhotep III, are seen in Luxor in 2017. Excavators say they have discovered a new ancient tomb in the Egyptian city.

A joint Egyptian-British mission doing excavation work in the city of Luxor in southern Egypt has unearthed a previously undiscovered ancient royal tomb, officials said over the weekend.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced the find on Saturday in a press release and on social media.

Waziri said evidence suggests the most recent discovery could be a tomb dating back to the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, which occurred between 1550 B.C. and 1292 BC. It may be the tomb of a royal wife or princess, archaeologists said.

Luxor, a city on the Nile River about 400 miles south of Cairo, is already home to various noteworthy sites and tourist attractions including the Valley of the Kings and the tomb of Tutankhamen, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.

Authorities said excavators would continue conducting archaeological work at the site, which had been partially damaged by historic floodwaters.

Egypt has been publicizing more ancient discoveries in recent years to buoy its tourism industry, which is a major source of revenue for the country's economy, The Associated Press reported.