Egypt announced an exciting discovery of an extraordinary tomb of a military leader from King Ramses III, highlighting the site’s strategic significance in protecting the New Kingdom.
During an archaeological excavation at Tell Roud Iskander, the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) uncovered the tomb of a high-ranking commander under Ramses III. They also unearthed tombs and mass graves dating back to the Greco-Roman and Late Roman periods.
The illustrious official’s grave reflected the occupant’s status, with a main burial chamber, three adjoining rooms, and the accouterments of his stature, notably funerary relics and jewelry.
“The tomb is built of mudbrick structure consisting of a main burial chamber and three additional rooms, and the interior walls are coated with white plaster,” Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector Mohamed Abdel-Badie explained via Ahram.
Archaeologists discovered a human skeleton with layers of cartonnage or plastered layers of fiber and papyrus to produce cases or masks to cover the mummified body. It suggests the reuse of the spacious tomb, though archaeologists noted nothing further.
Could it have belonged to one of the most famous warrior kings of the 18th Dynasty? The military official’s identity remains a mystery, but his tomb held two cartouches that bore his name: King Horemheb.
The treasures from Tell Roud
According to the announcement, the SCA recently completed an excavation in a region in Egypt that held a prominent position in the country’s history as a military stronghold that protected the New Kingdom.
And long behold, archaeologists discovered the remains of a powerful official waiting to be uncovered. The prestigious tomb held a wealth of treasures, including notably well-preserved alabaster vessels decorated with inscriptions and traces of color.
According to Ahram, other remarkable items include an exquisite thick gold ring bearing the engraving of King Ramses III’s cartouche, a collection of beads and stones of different shapes and colors, and an ivory box.
Heritage Daily continued that the impressive collection of funerary goods, particularly bronze arrowheads and what remained of a ceremonial scepter, signaled to archaeologists that this grave belonged to a top military official.
Mass graves and more amulets
Tell Roud had even more precious artifacts and remains from the ancient past to share with the contemporary era. In the surrounding environs, mass graves contained skeletal fragments from the Greco-Roman and Late Roman periods. Other individual tombs from Egypt’s Late Period contained amulets depicting Taweret, Bes, and the Eye of Udjat.
In the statement via Xinhua, the SCA carried out a project in the Maskhouta region of the Ismailia Governorate in northeast Egypt. During Egypt’s New Kingdom, Tell Roud held particular significance as a strategic military post, which the discovery brought to light.
“The site played a crucial role in securing Egypt’s eastern borders, with fortresses and strongholds constructed for defense,” Secretary-General of the SCA Mohamed Ismail Khaled told Ahram.
