In a remarkable find near the Temple of Mut in Luxor, Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered a storage chamber dating to the 18th Dynasty specifically dedicated to the preservation of ostrich feathers. The site, dubbed the 'Royal Feather Repository,' contained several wooden fan frames still adorned with the carbonized remains of ostrich plumes, once used in religious processions and royal ceremonies.
The chamber also yielded small jars of protective resins and cedar oil used to prevent insect damage to the delicate organic materials. This discovery provides the first archaeological evidence of specialized facilities for the maintenance of perishable royal regalia, illustrating the meticulous care given to the symbolic trappings of pharaonic power during the New Kingdom.