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. Mostafa Waziri explains the necessity for transferring the mummy of the boy king Tutankhamun from his tomb. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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The feet of the boy king Tutankhamun show flatfoot on the left leg and deformity in the right leg. In ancient Egypt marriage between siblings was a long tradition, and inbreeding can lead to birth defects. (H. Elrasam/
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Dr. Mostafa Waziri explains the boy king's funeral and the journey through the underworld (Imy-Dwat) depicted on the murals of his tomb. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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A mural in the tomb depicts 12 monkeys with talismans, to help the soul find its way to eternity. (H. Elrasam/VOA)