Archaeologists find 3,000-year-old Egyptian tomb while racing to protect it from floods

Overview

Updated Yesterday

While clearing debris to divert flash floods away from ancient tombs near Luxor, archaeologists stumbled on a previously unknown 3,000-year-old burial. The tomb, cut into rock in the Theban necropolis, holds vivid wall paintings of an official named Paser and his wife before an offering table stacked with bread, beer, fruit, meat and flowers.

The find emerged from a conservation push launched in 2018 to shield the Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna necropolis from worsening flash floods as climate change intensifies rainfall. The same conditions that motivated the work now threaten the discovery, and researchers are racing to clean and document the paintings before moisture-activated salts and structural strain damage them.

Why it matters

Climate-driven flooding is accelerating decay of irreplaceable archaeological heritage, and this tomb is a fresh example of what could be lost — and what conservation work can still save.

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Key Indicators

~3,000 years

Approximate age of the tomb

Dated to the Ramesside period (ca. 1292–1069 BC).

2018

Year conservation project began

Leiden University fieldwork in Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna started in 2018.

10 km²

Size of the Theban necropolis

Egypt's main royal and elite cemetery for roughly 500 years from ca. 1550 BC.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Carina van den Hoven

Researcher, Leiden University

Leading fieldwork documenting the newly discovered tomb

Paser

Tomb owner, Ramesside-period official

Deceased; tomb identified from painted decoration

Organizations Involved

Leiden University

Research university

Runs the conservation and excavation project at Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna

Dutch university leading a conservation and risk-management program for the Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna necropolis.

Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Government ministry

Cooperative partner on the excavation

Egyptian government body overseeing archaeological work and heritage protection nationwide.

Timeline

January 2018 September 2026

2 events Latest: 2 days ago

September 2026
Previously unknown Ramesside tomb discovered
Latest Discovery

Debris clearing uncovered a 3,000-year-old tomb with vivid paintings of official Paser.
2 days ago
January 2018
Conservation project launches at Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna
Project Start

Leiden University begins fieldwork to divert flash floodwater from vulnerable tombs.
January 1st, 2018

Scenarios

Cleaned paintings reveal Paser's title and family

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Leiden University researchers quoted by ScienceDaily

Conservation specialists remove the dirt layer covering the tomb's wall paintings. Inscriptions and iconography clarify Paser's rank in the Ramesside hierarchy, the identities of other family members buried there, and later reusers of the tomb. The findings add to scholarly understanding of why Ramesside officials built or reused tombs near 18th-dynasty monuments.

Flash flood damages the tomb before conservation is complete

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Project researchers warning of climate-driven flooding risk

An intense rain event sends water through Lower Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna, triggering salt crystal growth, loss of painted decoration, or structural damage. The tomb's exposed chapel makes it especially vulnerable before diversion measures are completed.

Tomb opened to the public as a heritage site

Possible Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Conventional practice at Egyptian archaeological sites

After documentation and stabilization, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities opens the tomb to visitors. The site's colorful paintings and accessible courtyard could make it a draw for tourists in the Luxor area, similar to other Ramesside elite tombs.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 1922

Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (1922)

Howard Carter found a sealed entrance in the Valley of the Kings after six years of digging. The tomb held over 5,000 objects, and its intact burial chamber became the most famous archaeological find of the 20th century.

Then

The discovery sparked a global Egyptomania craze and transformed the Valley of the Kings into a major tourist site.

Now

It set modern standards for careful documentation — though electrolysis from a faulty replica and tourism wear have since damaged some artifacts.

Why this matters now

Like Carter's find, Paser's tomb was uncovered as a byproduct of methodical excavation work, and its intact paintings offer a rare window into Ramesside elite life.

1995

KV5 discovery (1995)

The Theban Mapping Project, led by Kent Weeks, reopened KV5, a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that had been blocked by debris for decades. It turned out to be the largest tomb ever found in the valley — a family mausoleum for the sons of Ramesses II.

Then

Excavation revealed over 120 chambers and corridors carved into bedrock.

Now

The find reshaped understanding of royal family burial practices and highlighted how many tombs remain underexplored in the Theban area.

Why this matters now

KV5 showed that debris-clearing work near Luxor can conceal major discoveries — the same mechanism that led to Paser's tomb.