While excavating the tomb of Jifai-Hapi, who governed the Asyut region during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, archaeologists unearthed the tomb of the ancient governor’s daughter, “Edi.” The discovery was announced by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities 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, indicating his significant status, according to the statement.
The daughter’s burial chamber was found by archaeologists approximately 50 feet below ground and consisted of two coffins, one nested inside the other, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated. The University of Sohag in Egypt and the Free University of Berlin conducted the excavation.
The larger coffin measured 2.62 meters (around 8.5 feet) while the smaller was 2.30 meters (around 7.5 feet). Both coffins were intricately painted, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated.
“This new discovery in Asyut will shed more light on the Middle Kingdom, a period often overshadowed by the earlier Old Kingdom ‘Pyramid Age’ and the later New Kingdom, with its renowned pharaohs such as Tutankhamun,” 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.
“The Middle Kingdom was actually a period of great artistic and cultural splendor, as reflected in the quality of the paintwork on the newly discovered outer coffin,” Fletcher told the outlet.
Also found in the burial chamber were a small coffin lid, anopic jars and wooden structures, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced in the statement.
The chamber had been disturbed by thieves in ancient times, according to the source, yet valuable artifacts remained for experts to study.
Initial studies revealed the governor’s daughter passed away before the age of 40 and had a congenital foot defect, according to the statement.
The lives of the ancient governor and his daughter remain shrouded in mystery. Further research to unravel more details about their lives is ongoing, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated.