The Spanish archaeological mission from the University of Barcelona and the Ancient Near East Institute, led by Dr. Maite Mascort and Dr. Ester Pons Melado, successfully uncovered several tombs from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, as well as a number of Roman-era mummies, during their excavation work in the Bahnsa archaeological area in Minya Governorate in Egypt.
Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the Roman-era tombs discovered in the eastern side of the upper cemetery in Bahnsa are of a new burial style. These consist of a pit carved into the natural rock underground. For the first time in the Bahnsa area, terracotta statues depicting the goddess Isis-Aphrodite wearing a vegetal wreath crowned with a tiara were found, indicating the region still holds many secrets and varying burial styles from different eras.
Dr. Adel Okasha, head of the Central Administration of Antiquities of Middle Egypt, stated that the mission also found parts of papyri inside a clay seal, along with a large number of mummies wrapped in colored bandages. Some of the mummies’ faces were covered with gilded and colored funeral masks. Notably, two of the mummies were found with a gold tongue, a known ritual from the Roman period in Bahnsa to preserve the deceased.
Dr. Jamal El-Semestawy, General Director of Middle Egypt Antiquities, mentioned that the architectural design of the tombs at this site consists of a stone well ending with a brick-sealed door leading to a large pit. Inside the pit, a collection of empty coffins and others sealed with mummies covered in colored cartonnage were found. Additionally, 23 mummified bodies were discovered outside the coffins, along with four anthropoid coffins, one containing two mummies and small votive perfume bottles.
Dr. Hassan Amer, a professor of archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, and director of the mission’s excavations, reported that the mission also uncovered several stone blocks from a demolished building. Many of these blocks were decorated with plant drawings, grape clusters, and groups of animals and birds, such as doves and cobra snakes. The mission plans to continue its work at the site in upcoming excavation seasons, hoping to reveal more.
