Hidden for 2,000 years, this Egyptian tomb held 560 ushabti figurines meant to serve the dead in the afterlife

For thousands of years, the burial chambers beneath Egypt's Nile Delta remained closed, preserving more than just human remains. Every object placed beside the dead reflected ideas about protection, status and the journey into the afterlife. That quiet record has grown richer following fresh excavations at Tell Quesna, where archaeologists uncovered a funerary complex containing hundreds of carefully arranged burial objects, including an extraordinary collection of 560 tiny ushabti figurines. According to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, the discovery offers a rare opportunity to examine how burial customs evolved during the Late and Graeco-Roman periods while also revealing traces of Egypt's wider connections with the Mediterranean world.Newly uncovered tomb complex sheds light on ancient burial practicesThe newly uncovered funerary unit was designed around a central hall leading into several burial chambers through vaulted entrances. Surviving architectural features indicate that the chambers were originally covered by vaulted ceilings, allowing archaeologists to reconstruct much of the monument's original appearance despite centuries underground.Inside, excavators encount...