The head of an Egyptian team excavating an area in the Valley of the Monkeys, near the famed Valley of the Kings in Luxor, says they have uncovered an industrial area that includes at least 30 buildings that housed workers. Dr. Zahi Hawass says some of the huts consist of two rooms, an inner room probably for sleeping, and an antechamber with stone along its wall. Most of the huts contained fireplaces inside and outside the rooms. The discovery reveals much about the lives of the workmen, and how the artifacts, decorations, coffins and funerary items were produced. The archaeologists have been working in the area since December 2017. Hawass is also looking for the tombs of queen Nefertiti and Ankhsenamun, her daughter and widow of Tutankhamun, which may be nearby.
New Discoveries in Egypt's Valley of the Monkeys
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Dr. Zahi Hawass announces his discoveries during a news conference in the Valley of the Monkeys in Luxor's west bank, Egypt. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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Egyptian excavation workers remove sand and debris during the project in Luxor, Egypt. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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The project provided jobs for more than 120 villagers with Egyptian, Italian, and American fund support in Luxor, Egypt. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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Huts inhabited by the workmen and artisans who were involved in cutting and decoration the royal tombs in the western Valley of Monkeys in Luxor, Egypt. (H. Elrasam/VOA)