In a new and exciting discovery in the city of Assyut, scientists found the tomb of the priestess "EDI", which had been hidden for centuries. The tomb contains two coffins decorated with amazing precision, in addition to statues and funerary vessels for the secrets of funerary rituals in Ancient Egypt.

Egypt Discovery of the Burial Chamber of the Ancient Egyptian Woman "Edi"                                                             in Assyut

In an unexpected historical discovery, a team of scientists in Assyut has found a rare tomb, according to estimates by German Egyptologist Joachim Kahl. The tomb contained around 10,000 people, with a particular focus on the burial of the wealthy. Although the tomb of the priestess Edi had been overlooked by researchers for centuries, Kahl considered the discovery a “stroke of pure luck,” noting that “it is rare to find a tomb in Egypt today with its contents relatively intact.” The tomb is located in a limestone mountain about 200 meters high. In the burial chamber, the international research team found two nested wooden coffins, decorated with fine drawings and texts, a sign of luxury. In addition, statues, a dagger, and visceral vessels (called Canopic jars) were found, among other items. Kahl said that IDI’s mummy had been dismembered by grave robbers in ancient times, as her bones were not found in the coffin, but were piled in a corner of the burial chamber.

Archaeologist Joachim Kahl at the Free University of Berlin. An international research team led by Joachim Kahl discovered the tomb of an ancient Egyptian priestess in the Egyptian city of Asyut this year.


EDI was a priestess of the goddess Hathor and held the title of “Mistress of the House,” proving she was a woman from a wealthy family. Scientists estimate she lived to be around 40 years old. Ritual texts inscribed on the coffin included advice on how to successfully pass to the afterlife, or test puzzles that Eddy had to pass, according to ancient Egyptian beliefs. “For example: ‘I am yesterday, I know tomorrow – what does that mean?’” Cal explained. He added that a list of offerings was also painted on the inside of the coffin lid to accompany Eddy on her way to the afterlife, which included bread, beer, oil, bows and arrows, and 2,000 lyres, among other things.

The burial chamber is located next to a 14-meter-deep vertical passage in the tomb of her father, Djefay-Hapi I, which dates back to around 1880 BC. The discovery was first announced last October. The tomb contains chambers that are 11 meters high and 28 meters deep. It was built 70 meters into the mountain. "This is the largest non-royal tomb of its time in Egypt," said Kahl.


During the excavation, the Egyptologist and his colleagues had to crawl through narrow horizontal passages. Kahl spoke of the hard work in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius and humid air, adding that the work required courage and a lot of passion. According to Kahl, about 20 scientists and 40 to 80 Egyptian excavators work in Asyut each year from mid-August to mid-October. The excavations are carried out in cooperation with Sohag University (Egypt), Kanazawa University (Japan) and the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Cal said that this discovery is nothing more than a small building block to better understand the history of Asyut, explaining, however, that what affected him personally was the color that EDI gave to the discovery, as the inscriptions and drawings provided a lot of information about her life. He added that what amazes him most about his work is the ability to absorb the civilization of the ancient Egyptians in all its aspects.

Over the coming months, the burial chamber finds will be examined by a group of experts in the fields of wood analysis, restoration, archaeology, anthropology, photography, excavation technicians, and Egyptologists. The horizontal passage will also be carefully examined. Regarding EDI’s fate after the examinations are complete, Cal said: “She will be returned to the mountain.”