Ancient Egypt: Archaeologists discover royal tomb in Luxor

Image source, Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Image caption, This is what the newly discovered tomb looks like from the outside

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a royal tomb that could date back thousands of years.

The tomb was found in Luxor where lots of other ancient artefacts have been discovered.

Luxor is a city filled with ancient Egyptian history and home to some of Egypt's most famous tombs and monuments like the Valley of the Kings and the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Experts think this tomb was from the 18th Dynasty of Pharaonic Egypt, which was from 1550 BC to 1292 BC.

Whilst it could take a while before we know who the royal could be, teams think it could be a queen or a princess.

Where was the tomb found?

Image source, TONNAJA

Image caption, Luxor is a hugely important place for Ancient Egyptian discoveries

The excavation site was very near the Valleys of Kings and Queens - where hugely famous ancient Egyptian discoveries have been made.

These include Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses II.

This specific site was along the west bank of the River Nile, near Luxor in Egypt.

Who is in the tomb?

Image source, Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Image caption, This is the entrance to the newly discovered tomb. It might not look like much, but there's still lots to find out!

Because of how close the site was to the Valley of Kings and Queens, archaeologists think the tomb could be one for a royal, perhaps a queen or a princess.

It can be very difficult to tell in the early stages of excavation, and the team will need to do some special work on the site to make sure they do not damage any of the artefacts whilst digging.

Image source, Sebastian Condrea

Image caption, We can learn a lot about Ancient Egyptian rulers from the inside of their tombs - like these paintings in Tutankhamun's burial site.

It's said to be in a pretty poor condition though as a result of ancient flooding of the nearby river Nile.

The team think the tomb dates back to around 1550 B.C. to 1292 B.C. - over 3000 years ago!

The time period was called the 18th Dynasty of Pharaonic Egypt.