Scientists discover non-looted tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh

The tomb of King Amenhotep I became the second non-looted tomb after the one of King Tut

There is a Russian joke, which is as old as mummies: a tomb-chest with a mummy was discovered during the archeological dig in Egypt. Experts could not determine whose mummy it was and invited Soviet experts for their expertise. The latter rolled up their sleeves and asked everybody else to leave the room. Soon they came out all sweating and declared: “Amenhotep XXIII.” When asked how they managed to identify him, the experts said: “The son of a bitch confessed himself.”

But let us get serious. Joint Egyptian-Polish expedition started the dig of fully preserved tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep I in Kings Valley near Luxor. According to Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, archeologists are close to the greatest discovery. He considers the discovery in Dra Abu al-Naga region as important as the discovery of Tutankhamun tomb in 1922.

Precious treasures and rarities will be presumably found at the burial place of Amenhotep I. “We cannot even imagine the abundance and value of treasures and rarities and the amount of gold which we may find in the tomb of Amenhotep I”, Zahi Hawass says enthusiastically. 

His colleague, Egyptian archeologist Sabri Abdel-Aziz, said that after the discovery of the burial place of Amenhotep I it would be hard to expect new discoveries of such importance. According to a Russian book “Empire” written by G. Nosovsky and A. Fomenko, “famous 18th dynasty dates back to 1570-1342 B.C. According to our concept, this dynasty is a reflection of Ottoman Empire of the second half of XVI-XVI centuries A.D.” Then the authors give a chronological shift of about 2800 years.

First pharaohs of the 18th dynasty ousted the Hyksos (Asian tribes, which conquered Egypt approximately in the 17th century B.C.) and launched the new conquest of Nubia and put an end to the Kerma culture. Ahmose conquered the territory between the first and the second cataracts, built a temple in Buhen and recreated reinforcement facilities of the Middle Kingdom. Amenhotep I set up the first official post of Nubia's deputy, the residence of whom was subsequently built in Aniba. Thutmosis I destroyed the residence of Kerma rulers and expanded the boundaries of the empire as far as the 4th cataract to the south and as far as the Euphrates river near the modern-day Turkish border in the north. Thutmosis III founded the fortified settlement of Napata, which remained the southern point of Egypt's intrusion right until the end of the Egyptian presence in Nubia.

Their realm gave rise to the Golden Age of the ancient state. The founding father of the dynasty, Ahmose I, reinstated Egypt within the boundaries of the Middle Kingdom and completed the period of liberating wars. Amenhotep I, his son, expanded the territory of Egypt at the expense of Ethiopia, when he destroyed the army of the Ethiopian king.

Pharaoh Thutmosis I, the son of Amenhotep, continued the crusades and conquered Syria, Palestine and the Mesopotamian state of Mitanni.

Reference:

Amenhotep I (Amenophis 1 in Greek) – the throne name Djeser-Ka-Re. The son of Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari. The father of Pharaoh Thutmosis I, which is quite a disputable fact. The pharaoh is included in the 18th dynasty along with such renowned kings as Amenhotep IV and legendary Tutankhamun. He reigned during the period of the New Kingdom from 1546 till 1526 B.C. Ancient documents, which date from the period of Amenhotep's rule, tell us that Egypt was experiencing a cultural and economic rise, particularly the year 20, month 7. Ebers Papyrus, the medical encyclopedia of ancient Egyptians,  was written during the era of Amenhotep I.

Igor Bukker