Cairo: An Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered a number of rock-cut tombs dating to the late New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC) at the Tell el-Yahudiya archaeological site in Qalyubia province, north of Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Saturday.
The tombs feature different architectural designs, shedding light on burial practices in the eastern Nile Delta, the ministry said in a statement.
The tombs fall into two main architectural types, the statement read.
The first consists of tombs with an entrance reached by a staircase leading to a hall containing burial niches, while the second features a rectangular shaft leading to two burial chambers, it said.
Such rock-cut tomb designs are rare in the Delta, where the region's clay-rich soil makes this type of burial uncommon, it added.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discovery provides valuable evidence for understanding burial practices and their development in the eastern Delta across different historical periods.
