CAIRO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered three ancient rock-cut tombs in the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis near Aswan, dating back to the Old Kingdom period (2686-2181 BC), the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on Saturday.
The discovery was made during the current excavation season by an Egyptian team working at the site, the ministry said in a statement.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said early findings suggest some of the tombs were reused during the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC), highlighting Qubbet el-Hawa's long-standing role as a key burial site across various eras of ancient Egypt.
Khaled said the discovery provided new insight into a transitional period between the end of the Old Kingdom and the beginning of the First Intermediate Period.
Some of the tombs had no inscriptions but still featured traditional burial architecture and practices, which Khaled said may reflect limited economic resources at the time.
Mohamed Abdel-Badie, head of the SCA's Egyptian Antiquities Sector, said two of the tombs had similar features and contained offering tables, pottery vessels, wooden coffins, and skeletal remains.
The third tomb had a different design and included a large collection of well-preserved pottery and skeletal remains of both adults and children, he noted.
Qubbet el-Hawa, on the west bank of the Nile across from Aswan, is known for its rock-cut tombs of nobles and officials from multiple dynasties.
The ministry said the discovery reinforces the significance of Qubbet el-Hawa as one of southern Egypt's most important archaeological sites and sheds light on burial customs and architecture during key transitional periods in ancient Egyptian history.
