The Latest Finding of an American Egyptian Team of Excavators
Asa Restoration Project, Washington, DC
The Minister of the Egyptian Antiquities Department today announced the discovery of a 25th Dynasty burial chamber and sarcophagus on Luxor’s west bank. This is the latest discovery made by the ASA Restoration Project, which is funding the American Egyptian South Asasif Conservation Project under the direction of Dr. Elena Pischikova.
Dr. Pischikova has partnered with the ASA Restoration Project, under the direction of Anthony Browder, to excavate three tombs in Egypt. This marks the first time in history that African Americans have funded and participated in Egyptian archeological excavations.
This year, the team of Pischikova and Browder excavated the burial chamber of Karabasken, the mayor of the ancient city of Luxor, which was the political and religious capital of Egypt during the eighth century BC.
Browder and Pischikova discovered a large red granite sarcophagus in Karabasken’s burial chamber in June. After a month of excavating the significance of their discovery became apparent. The newly discovered sarcophagus is twelve feet long, eight feet high, five feet wide and weighs an estimated 20,000 lbs. (10 tons). The red granite sarcophagus is indicative of Karabasken status among the Kushite royalty of Egypt’s 25th Dynasty.
Mr. Browder will give a full report on the 2016 excavation season, and his recent visit of the Kushite tombs in Sudan, on September 21, 2016. The event will be held at 7:00 pm at the Thurgood Marshall Center, 1816 12th Street, NW Washington, DC.
