AN ANCIENT Egyptian tomb accidentally discovered during a police raid on an illegal excavation site will be relocated to a museum despite this decision sparking a wave of controversy.
ᴀʀᴄʜᴀᴇᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇʟʟ-ᴘʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ʙᴜʀɪᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴍʙᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ‘ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜᴀʀᴀᴏʜs’, sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅʟʏ ᴜɴʟᴇᴀsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪsᴛᴜʀʙs ᴀɴ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴇɢʏᴘᴛɪᴀɴ ᴍᴜᴍᴍʏ, ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀᴇᴅ.
Two mummies of a woman and a child are currently also on display at the site in SohagCredit: Reuters
The Ptolemaic burial chamber belongs to a nobleman called Tutu and his wife who was said to be a musician for the Ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor.
The Ministry of Antiquities has decided to relocate the tomb from the Al-Dayabat archaeological site in Sohag to Egypt’s New Administrative Capital’s museum.
ᴀ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛ sᴛᴀᴛᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪɴɪsᴛʀʏ ʜᴀs ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴍʙ ᴛᴏ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇs sᴏ ɪᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪɴ sᴜɪᴛᴀʙʟʏ sɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴛʀᴀɴsᴘᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴄʜᴜɴᴋs.
ᴅɪssᴇᴍʙʟɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴍʙ ɪs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴊᴜsᴛɪғɪᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪɴɪsᴛʀʏ ᴀs ᴀ ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀʏ ᴀᴄᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴍʙᴇʀ ғʀᴏᴍ ʙᴇɪɴɢ “ɪɴ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴍᴏᴛᴇ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪᴛ ɪs [ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ] ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ [ᴀɴᴅ] ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ sᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴀᴠᴀɢᴇ, ᴏʀ ʀᴏʙʙᴇʀʏ.”
Mummified falcons and other birds were found in the tombCredit: Reuters
The tomb is full of intricate paintingsCredit: Reuters
However, archaeologists aren’t happy about the move because they think the ministry should be working to preserve antiquities and not taking them from where they were found.
Egyptian archaeologist Monica Hanna told Daily News Egypt: “Relocation of this tomb is a clear violation to the Venice Charter for the restoration of historical places; and what the ministry is doing is all about destroying this antiquity, instead of saving it.”
Egypt usually follows the Venice Charter’s article seven which states: “A monument is inseparable from the history to which it bears witness and from the setting in which it occurs.
“The moving of all or part of a monument cannot be allowed except where the safeguarding of that monument demands it or where it is justified by the national or international interest of paramount importance.”
Around 50 mummified animals were foundCredit: Reuters
The ministry seems to think that more people will be able to visit the tomb if it is moved.
Moustafa Waziri, the Secretary-General of Supreme Council of Antiquities, said: “In the New Administrative Capital’s Museum, all of the important figures, and tourists from all around the world will have the chance to see the tomb, which will allow thousands if not millions of people to enjoy it.”
The tomb is also said to contain a mummy which hasn’t been identified yet along with intricately painted walls depicting a funeral procession, people working in fields and Tutu’s family genealogy written in hieroglyphics.
The tomb has two sectionsCredit: Reuters
The burial chamber has two small rooms which contain two limestone sarcophagi and around 50 mummified animals, including mice and falcons.
The curse of the pharaohs is an alleged curse that some people believe will affect anyone who disturbs mummified remains of an Ancient Egyptian person.
ᴛʜɪs sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛɪᴀᴛᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴀʀᴄʜᴀᴇᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜɪᴇᴠᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɪs sᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʙᴀᴅ ʟᴜᴄᴋ, ɪʟʟɴᴇss ᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ.
ɪᴛ ɪs ᴏғᴛᴇɴ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴛᴜᴛᴀɴᴋʜᴀᴍᴜɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪᴇᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴏᴘᴇɴɪɴɢ ʜɪs ᴛᴏᴍʙ.
Lots of experts do not want the mummies to be moved to a new homeCredit: Reuters