Tomb of female singer found in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings

GlobalPost

The ancient tomb of a female singer has been discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, in what archeologists are calling a rare find.

Archeologists said it is the only tomb of a woman who was not related to ancient Egypt's royal families to have been found in the valley, which is near Luxor, the UK Press Association reported.

The 1,100-year-old tomb is that of a female singer named Nehmes Bastet, whose name means she was protected by the feline goddess Bastet.

Archeologists believe she sang at the Karnak Temple, a vast open-air complex from the Pharaonic era, according to evidence found at the tomb site.

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Mansour Boraiq, a government official with the antiquities ministry in Luxor, told the Associated Press that the coffin is remarkably intact. 

It is to be opened this week by Egyptian and Swiss archeologists.

The tomb was not originally built for the female singer, but rather was reused for her some 400 years after its construction, the AP reported.

Archeologists said they were not looking for the tomb, but found it by accident. 

It is the 64th tomb to be unearthed in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, which is a major tourist attraction, drawing thousands of tourists a day.

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