CAIRO: The Egyptian-American expedition has discovered the burial chamber of a priest named Karakhamun, a statement by the Ministry of Culture revealed Tuesday. The tomb dates back to the 25th Dynasty (c. 755 BC) and was uncovered during conservation and restoration work on the west bank of Luxor on Sept. 15. During the announcement, Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni said that the restoration work of this tomb is part of a much larger project known as the South Assasif Conservation Project (ACP). El-Assasif area is contains tombs of nobles from the New Kingdom, as well as the 25th and 26th Dynasties. In related news, Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the team found the burial chamber of Karakhamun at the bottom of an eith-meter deep burial shaft. The chamber is in very good condition and contains beautifully painted scenes. The entrance to the chamber is decorated with an image of Karakhamun and the ceiling is decorated with several astrological scenes, including a depiction of the sky goddess, Nut, according to reports. Leader of the expedition, Dr. Elena Pischikova, said that the tomb of priest Karakhamun was discovered in the 19th century in an unstable condition. It continued to deteriorate, and only parts of it were accessible to visitors in the early 1970s. Later it collapsed and was buried under the sand. Dr. Pischikova's team rediscovered the tomb in 2006 and has been carrying out conservation work since then. She believes that the tomb of Karakhamun could be one of the most beautiful tombs from the 25th Dynasty because of the preservation of the color and the unique quality of the scenes.
