3,200-year-old Egyptian tomb may belong to military commander who served under Ramesses III

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the 3,200-year-old tomb of a possible military commander who may have served during the reign of Ramesses III.

Inside the man's tomb, archaeologists found a gold ring containing the name of Ramesses III, along with bronze arrowheads.

The tomb was discovered at the site of Tell el-Maschuta (also spelled Tell el-Maskhuta) in northeastern Egypt, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported in a translated statement. It was built with mud bricks and contains a burial chamber and three adjoining chambers, the statement said.

In addition to the ring and arrowheads, archaeologists found a small ivory box and inscribed pottery vessels. Some of the inscriptions contain the name of Horemheb (also spelled Haremhab), a pharaoh who reigned from about 1323 to 1295 B.C. and was a military leader before becoming pharaoh. It's not clear why the inscriptions mention Horemheb, but one possibility is that pottery from an older burial was reused in this burial. The statement didn't note exactly what the inscriptions say, but the finds in the tomb convinced archaeologists that it was built for a military commander who served Ramesses III.

Ramesses III's reign (circa 1184 to 1153 B.C.) during the 20th dynasty was tumultuous at times. He fought off an invasion launched by a group known as the "Sea People." He also built an elaborate mortuary temple at Medinet Habu, near Luxor (ancient Thebes), that still stands today. Ultimately, he was assassinated by multiple individuals who used a variety of weapons.

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However, outside experts' reactions to the interpretations of the new tomb were mixed.

Anthony Spalinger, a professor emeritus of classics and ancient history at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, told Live Science that more information on the inscriptions is needed.

David Warburton, an Egyptologist at Northeast Normal University in China, also said more information is needed and it's not yet certain that this is a military commander. The inscriptions are important, since they may say which titles this individual held. "I have seen no titles, so I cannot judge," he wrote in an email.

Aidan Dodson, an Egyptology professor at the University of Bristol in the U.K, suspects this tomb may have originally been built during the reign of Horemheb and then reused on multiple occasions.

"It looks like the tomb was originally occupied under Horemheb, reused under Ramesses III, and again during the Twenty-second Dynasty" based on the artifacts found inside, Dodson told Live Science in an email.

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