The New York Post reported that a burial chamber containing the remains of an ancient Egyptian nun was excavated after nearly 4,000 years.
Named Idy, her remains were found in another coffin in another coffin in an ancient tomb in the city of Asyut, Egypt, about 320 km south of Cairo.
The excavations took place from August 18 to September 17, 2024.
Idy was the daughter of Djefai-Hapi I, a wealthy Egyptian official who lived around 1880 BC. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said he was "one of the most important leaders of the territories in ancient Egypt".
Djefai-Hapi I was venerated in ancient times and his mausoleum was an indispensable part of ancient Egypts cultural memory for more than 2,000 years, said Professor Jochem Kahl, an archaeologist at Freie Berlin University, who led the discovery, according to the Daily Mail.
Idy is a monk and is known as the homeowner, which shows that she is a woman from a wealthy family, said Professor Jochem Kahl.
After Idy died, her organs, including her liver, spleen, lungs and intestines, were taken out of her body and put into a jar. After that, the body was marinated.
A preliminary study of Idy's bones shows that she died before the age of 40 and had a congenital disability in her foot.
The coffins are described as "one of the best coffins ever found" - carved with characters and illustrations depicting "the journey of a deceased person in the world beyond".
The twoong coffins were then placed in the mausoleum inside a vertical shaft about 14m deep.
Both coffins appear to be made of foreign wood, Professor Kahl said, meaning wood sourced from outside Egypt.
Idy was also found with burial items such as machetes and wooden statues, which may have been deliberately placed there for her to use in the world outside.
Idy's grave has been neglected for a long time and is believed to have been searched by thieves thousands of years ago. Idy's remains were robbed of jewelry and metalwork.
What remains of Idys clothing and bones provide information about who she was, Kahl shared.
Kahl said the findings were both aesthetic and extraordinarily scientific.
The discovery of the ancient tomb began in 2022, after three excavations and has now ended with a shocking discovery burying Idy in two interspersed wooden coffins with a lot of burial items, he added.
The tomb of Djefai-Hapi I is known, but the discovery of his daughter's body in the same building in Asyut is unusual and miraculous.
The study will help Provide new and in-depth claims about the role of women and the dissemination of knowledge in ancient Egypt, Kahl said, adding that further research on the discovery is needed to clarify the lives of Idy and her father.
The latest findings were handed over to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
