HE was the king of kings, the god of gods. Now archaeologists believe they have found the “tomb” of the Egyptian supreme deity, Osiris.
Egyptian media is reporting two new tombs were announced at the weekend, one of which belonged to a previously unknown queen.
But it is the ominous blackened “tomb” of Osiris — the god of the afterlife and reincarnation — which has attracted the most attention.
It is not actually a tomb: Instead, it is a symbolic burial site used in rituals to link the god’s immortal powers to those of the ruling Pharaohs.
Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-DamAcaty said the 25th Dynasty structure (from about 700BC) at the Al-Gorna necropolis on Luxor’s west bank was modelled on a real royal tomb, with multiple shafts and chambers.
Its main feature is a large hall propped up by five pillars. A staircase leads down to a funerary chamber which contains a carving of the dead god. An adjoining room contains reliefs of demons holding knives — which the archaeologist in charge of the Spanish-Italian excavators describes as being guardians.
A 9m deep shaft then leads to a central chamber, beneath which another 6m shaft leads to two more as-yet unexplored, debris-filled rooms.
The “tomb” is believed to be modelled on the more ancient Osirion tomb/temple complex in Abydos, Sohag.
It is not the first time the tomb has been discovered.
The Egyptian Department of Antiquities says part of the structure was uncovered in the 1880s by archaeologist Philippe Virey.
