January 25, 2011 tens of thousands of protesters flooded the Cairo Tahrir square to demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. The streets of the Egyptian cities filled with tear gas and rocks flew.

On the same day, "the Day of the uprising", a team of archaeologists led by Suzanne Bickel from Basel University (Switzerland) made one of the most significant discoveries in the Valley of the kings almost another hundred years.


Here and below the photos of the authors.

The valley is located on the West Bank of the Nile opposite the spiritual center of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, now known as the Luxor. It was the scene of the last refuge of the pharaohs and aristocracy, starting with the period of the New Kingdom (1539-1069, BC), when the country reached the highest blossoming. Many tombs were carved into the valley slopes. Most of them eventually turned out to be plundered, but that's where the Basel group came across that researchers had not dreamed to find.

On the South-Eastern end of the valley they found three sides of a stone fence around the territory of about a meter and a half. Archaeologists suspect that in this place is long forgotten move under the ground. But because of problems connected with political events in Egypt, they covered the fence metal door and waited official permission for the excavation.

A year later, shortly before the first anniversary of the revolution, Ms. Bickel returned, accompanied by two dozen people, including the project Director Elina Pauline-the Grotto of Basel University, Egypt inspector Ali Reda and local workers. Began the ascent of sand and gravel from the mine. In two and a half meters under the ground, the diggers found on the top edge of the door, locked large stones. In the lower part of the mine they found fragments of ceramics from the Nile silt and pieces of plaster - material, widely used for sealing the entrance to the tomb. Plaster and nearby the grave allowed Dating new tomb time XVIII dynasty (1539-1292, BC). Large stones, apparently, were added later.

The stones found a hole large enough that it could pass a digital camera. Bickel, Pauline-Grotto and the main Egyptian workers were laid down on the ground, pressed his head against the rock, pushed a hand with the device into the hole, making pictures. Judging by the pictures, with the stones were carved in the rock Luggage four to two and a half meters and meter height, filled with garbage. No doubt - found the grave.

When the stones rolled away, on top of a garbage heap was found to be surprisingly well-preserved coffin of a plane tree, decorated with large yellow hieroglyphs on the sides and the top.

The inscription said that there buried Nehemn-Bastet, "MS" and "the singer (Chemie) Amon", daughter of the priest of the temple complex of Karnak. Color sarcophagus and the characters fit the style, popular in 945-715, BC, i.e. the least 350 years after the creation of the tomb. Apparently, the burial chamber was used to re - common practice of that time.

The only artifact that have dated the same period as the coffin was a tiny wooden stele sized smartphone, which was caused to the text of the prayer, called to provide deceased prosperous existence in the afterlife. The text was accompanied by a picture depicting Nehemn-Bastet sitting in front of a sun Amun. White, green, yellow and red paint has been preserved in all its original splendour, like a funeral was held yesterday.

Among the debris researchers have found traces of the original burial era XVIII dynasty: pottery, wooden debris, fragments deployed and dissected mummy.

It should be noted that before the opening of the tomb of Nehemn-Bastet last non-devastated tomb in the valley was discovered in 1922. Of course, it was the last refuge of Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter.

Ironically, it was always considered that, in the Valley of the kings is nothing new. Venetian merchant antiquities Giovanni Belzoni came to the conclusion that excavated the last of the tombs during the expedition 1817. Theodore Davis, who arrived in the valley of a hundred years later, came to the same conclusion - and immediately afterwards Carter stumbled upon Tutankhamun. Of course, there were other discoveries since then. In 1995 a group of Donald Ryan from Pacific Lutheran University (USA) to explore the tombs of the family of Ramses II discovered a previously unknown corridors that led the researchers to pokoju of sons of Pharaoh to more than 121 "room". Unfortunately, all of them were plundered in ancient times and damaged by floods. In 2005, the group headed by Otto Edinom of the project Amenmesse found non-devastated the camera, in which there were seven sarcophagi and 28 cans with preparations for mummification. However, there was no phone, so it is unlikely that this place served as a tomb.

Before you remove the coffin of the burial chamber, it was necessary to ensure that its content will not be damaged during transportation. When a professional restorer carefully removed the nails from the cover, the eyes of scientists and inspectors (on this occasion arrived at the scene, Mohammed El Beale, chief of antiquities Upper Egypt) appeared carefully "Packed" blackened mummy half meter of growth, firmly glued to the bottom of a special solution based on fruit syrup.

Although the analysis of mummy and other finds are still ahead, something experts can tell right now. Nehemn-Bastet lived in the Third transition period, when the power and stability of the New Kingdom were long gone. Egypt was tired of constant wars between Pharaoh who ruled in Tanis, and the Theban priests of Amun, which on wealth and power could compete with the king. Not surprisingly, rich girl was buried quite modest. Although its wooden coffin was worth quite expensive, it is very simple in comparison with other sarcophagi Valley of the kings.

Her name meant "Bastet save". Referring to the goddess with the cat's head, divine mother, the patroness of the Lower Egypt. However, the girl was Amun.

Music was one of the key elements of Egyptian religion. She softened the hearts of the gods, and those more readily listened to the prayers. Many of the singer were both musicians. As tools usually used "meat" - bead necklace with a large number of threads, which had to shake, and SISTROM" - a kind of rattle, the sound of which, according to the recollections of contemporaries, like the rustle of the stems of the papyrus the wind. Other musicians during processions played drums, harps and lutes.

Alas, it is impossible to establish whether the singer sang or it was a recitative. In what way were configured tools too, God knows. The emphasis was definitely been on the rhythm. Images often show people stomping and clapping their hands. Texts of some of the hymns are preserved in the inscriptions on the walls of the Luxor temple. Here is a translation of one of them - it sang (or pronounced during the festival Opet, when the image of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were transported by boat down the Nile, in order to update the divine nature of the Pharaoh: "hail, Amun-RA, the first in two lands, the first in Carnac, manifested in glory among your fleet in your magnificent festival OPEC, may he be pleasant to you."

The title of "Singer of Amun" were only worn by representatives of the upper classes. This title was inherited, and held it women were at a premium. Therefore, Nehemn-Bastet and was awarded a tomb in the Valley of the kings.

However, some priests and priestesses served in churches for several months a year, after which he returned home to the normal responsibilities that in the case of women meant farming, raising children and serve the husband.

Preliminary results of the study will be released by the end of 2012. Archaeologists plan to return to the tomb in order to find out who was buried in there first. As for Nehemn-Bastet, the CT scan of her mummy will be held next year. A full analysis of the tombs and artifacts will require five years.

Based on the materials of the journal Archaeology.