‘Lady of the house’: Governor daughter’s grave uncovered in Egypt during archaeological cleaning

An Egyptian-German archaeological mission uncovered the burial chamber of Eddie, daughter of Assiut Region's governor Jfay-Habi, during archeological cleaning work at the governor’s cemetery in the Western Mount of Assiut, the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry posted on Facebook on Wednesday.

The archaeological mission, a collaboration between Sohag and Berlin Universities, has discovered the burial chamber of a lady Eddie, the only daughter of the governor Jfay-Habi during the reign of King Snosert I.

This site where her grave was discovered is part of the largest non-royal cemetery in Egypt from that era, the Egyptian ministry noted in their post, indicating Jfay-Habi's status as an important ruler of ancient Egyptian territories.

Following the discovery, the Tourism and Archeological Minister, Sharif Fathi, emphasized the importance of it, and promised the ministry’s full support, contributing to the efforts to reveal the secrets of ancient Egypt and its people’s rites of passage.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, reported that the burial chamber was found approximately 15 meters deep on the north side of Jfay-Habi's grave.

Inside the chamber were two nested coffins, intricately engraved with texts depicting the journey to the afterlife. The smaller coffin measures 2.3 meters in length, while the larger coffin measures 2.62 meters. Additional artifacts found include a small coffin lid, a canopy vessel box, and wooden statues.

Evidence of theft

"Finding two intact Middle Kingdom coffins is extraordinary," Live Science cited Kathlyn Cooney, a professor of ancient Egyptian art and architecture at UCLA. While not being part of the excavation team, Cooney stated these coffins "not only seem well preserved but [are] covered with intricate coffin texts that helped the deceased find their way in the realm of the Underworld.”

Preliminary investigation revealed evidence of ancient theft, as Eddie’s mummy had been removed and her canopy vessels damaged, the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry noted in their post. Initial examinations of the skeletal remains, which were returned after the grave was robbed, indicate that Eddie died at a young age, likely before 40, and exhibited a congenital foot defect.

The ministry’s post noted that cleanup efforts and scientific studies of the bones will continue to uncover further insights into the lives of Eddie and her father, as well as the historical period in which they lived.

Wolfram Grajetzki, an Egyptologist and honorary senior research fellow at University College London who wasn’t part of the research, told Live Science that the coffin's hieroglyphs refer to Eddie as the "lady of the house."