Rock-cut tombs at Egypt's Tell el-Yahudiya reveal rare burial practices

Nevine El-Aref , Saturday 19 Sep 2026

A group of rock-cut tombs of different architectural styles at the Tell el-Yahudiya archaeological site in Qalyubia Governorate, alongside further remains of a Roman camp in the upper layers of the site uncovered offering new insights into burial practices in the Eastern Delta.

The rock-cut tombs are relatively rare due to the region’s predominantly clay soil, according to a stament by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), asserted that the discovery represents an important addition to the history of Tell el-Yahudiya, highlighting the architectural diversity of the tombs and the rarity of this type of burial structure in the Delta.

He explained that archaeological evidence and finds uncovered during the excavations indicate that the tombs date to the late New Kingdom and remained in use through the Late Period, pointing to the continuity of funerary activity at the site across successive historical periods.

The discovery of the Roman camp remains in the upper layers above the tombs provides further evidence of the area’s continued occupation and use during different periods, highlighting the strategic importance of Tell el-Yahudiya throughout its history.

On his part, Ayman Ashmawy, Adviser to the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the newly discovered tombs fall into two principal architectural types.
The first features an entrance staircase leading to a hall containing burial niches, while the second consists of a rectangular shaft leading to two burial chambers.

According to Ashmawy, these architectural forms are particularly distinctive in Qalyubia and the Eastern Delta because of the region’s clay-rich soil, which limited the development of rock-cut tombs. Other known examples of such tombs in the Delta include those at Kom el-Shuqafa in Alexandria, as well as sites along the North Coast.

Anwar Abdel Samad, Director General of the Qalyubia Archaeological Area and Head of the Egyptian archaeological mission, explained that the excavation yielded a number of movable archaeological artifacts associated with the tombs.
These finds contributed to dating the tombs and identifying the periods during which they were used. The mission has also continued excavations aimed at revealing further remains of the Roman camp located in the upper layers of the archaeological site.

Tell el-Yahudiya is particularly significant for its association with the Hyksos period, when the area was home to a large camp dating to that era.

The site continued to be used during subsequent periods, including the Greek and Roman periods, with the newly uncovered tombs and Roman camp remains providing further evidence of its long and complex history.