Photos: More than 40 Tombs Discovered in Upper Egypt

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Steps to the tomb

gebel el silsila project

(Image credit: The Gebel el Silsila Project 2016)

A Rough Shrine

gebel el silsila project

(Image credit: The Gebel el Silsila Project 2016)

One of the rock-cut openings analyzed by the Silsila team was not a tomb at all, but a shrine. This shrine has two rooms, open to the elements, and faces west over the Nile. The shrine is decorated with a winged solar disc — a circle representing the sun with wings on each side — which was symbol of royalty and protection.

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Bones and artifacts

The remains of bones and artifacts were found inside one of the tombs unearthed at the site of Gebel el Silsila in southern Egypt.

(Image credit: courtesy Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

The remains of bones and artifacts were found inside one of the tombs unearthed at the site of Gebel el Silsila in southern Egypt. In addition to skeletal remains, researchers found a slew of artifacts, such as amulets and ceramic vessels.

Family crypts

The most elaborate tombs found in the cemetery were crypts that, in some cases, may have contained the bones of entire families. 

(Image credit: courtesy Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities)

The most elaborate tombs found in the cemetery were crypts that, in some cases, may have contained the bones of entire families. 

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.