Valley of the Kings reveals new treasure

FOR the first time ever, viewers will descend a narrow shaft beneath desert sands to enter a world untouched as Discovery channel reveals the most significant find in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in more than 80 years.

The Discovery expedition team of world-renowned archaeologists excavate and explore this new cache, located less than 15 metres from the tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62). The members unearthing coffins and delicate artefacts, decipher intricate inscriptions and discover unprecedented treasures.

Egypt’s New Tomb Revealed premiered on Dec 19 on Discovery Channel (Astro Channel 50). It encores on Dec 26 at 5pm.

Why is this tomb of painted coffins hidden in a chamber of solid rock in the Valley of the Kings?

 There are clues that it was used for embalming, and it shares more than real estate with that of the famed Tutankhamun. A seal with a faint inscription carries the word Pa-aten, which an Egyptian expert believes is part of the former name given to Ankhesenamun, wife of Tutankhamun.

Pieces of pottery found in the tomb match pottery in Tutankhamun’s tomb. The painted face masks on the coffins have also been dated to this period.

KV63 was discovered in February, sending shockwaves through the archaeological and scientific worlds. Science will reveal the identities of those buried in the coffins. Discovery provides exclusive access to the unearthing of the Egyptian tomb, from exploration to examination.

Viewers will participate as detectives themselves, witnessing each new item as it is uncovered layer by layer.

The tomb has sat vacuum-packed for more than 3,000 years. Now open, it is a race against time as exposure to the elements threatens to endanger its treasure trove of antiquities.

Also premiering on Discovery Channel as part of the King Tut Revealed special is King Tut’s Mystery Tomb Opened, the second instalment following the groundbreaking discoveries being made by Dr Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Dr Schaden, head of the University of Memphis archeological team, who originally uncovered KV63.

Scientists find seven coffins, plus a golden infant-size coffin, but one coffin remains sealed.

Intensive archeological study meets modern crime scene investigation in King Tut’s Mystery Tomb Opened, which premiered on Discovery Channel (Astro Channel 50) on Dec 20 at 9pm, and encores on Dec 27 at 5pm.

Historical evidence shows that Queen Kiya died giving birth to King Tutankhamun in Amarna. Dr Hawass believes that the first new tomb discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in over 80 years is indeed the tomb of Queen Kiya, King Tut’s mother. Dr Hawass and Dr Schaden theorise that the boy pharaoh secretly ordered his mother’s tomb be moved from Amarna to the Valley of the Kings, and that prior to his death, King Tutankhamun requested to be buried near his mother.

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