4000-year-old funerary garden discovered in Luxor

CAIRO - 5 May 2017: The Ministry of Antiquities says that the Djehuty Project headed by José Manuel Galán, a research professor from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has discovered a 4,000-year-old funerary garden in the necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga in Luxor.

"It is considered the first garden of this sort to have ever been found in the area," said Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities sector, on Wednesday.

The garden itself consists of a small rectangular area, raised a half-meter off the ground and divided into 30 cm2 beds. Two trees were planted next to the garden.

The discovered garden will provide vital information into both the botany and the environmental conditions of ancient Thebes, 4,000 years ago.

Galán explained that the garden will let us know more about religious beliefs and practices as well as the culture and society at the time of the Twelfth Dynasty.

"Digging in the necropolis in the garden will help us discover details about daily life, society, and about the physical environment, whether plants or animals,’’ said Galán .

The garden discovery as recounted by Galán highlights the importance of the area as a unique center for religious activities. This helps us understand the nature of tombs in later times.