Middle Kingdom Burial Shaft Discovered by Egyptian Archaeologists in Fayoum

The Egyptian archaeological mission working at Kom El Khelua necropolis in Fayoum directed by Dr. Aiman Ashmawi has discovered during their work started last month, a burial shaft to the east of Prince Waje's Middle Kingdom tomb.

Dr. Mostafa Waziri said "El Khelua is located at the far south of Fayoum about 40 km from the town. It is a Middle Kingdom necropolis and precisely the time of King Amenemhat III (1842-1799 B.C) and it was reused as a Christian settlement during Byzantine time.

Dr. Aiman Ashmawi said that the shaft leads to 3 burial chambers. The team found in them 40cm-torso of a sandstone statue of a person with his right arm across his chest. The findings include a middle part of basal statue measures 20 cm in height and a number of potteries besides 3 canopic jars covers but the jars themselves are smashed and inside one of them remains of the deceased.

Dr. Ashmawi implied that it was probably robbed and reused as a burial in later times.

Dr. Hany Abo ElAzm (Director of Middle Egypt Antiquities) said "The Tomb of Waje in a rock cut tome and it was discovered by the Italian mission of Pisa university in 1981 during an archaeological survey project. The mission discovered a limestone statue bearing the name of Prince Waje and it is currently in the storeroom in Kom Oshim in Fayoum.