A joint Egyptian-German archaeological mission has unveiled a spectacular 22nd-Dynasty tomb in the ancient city of Bubastis. The burial chamber belonged to a high-ranking official identified as Hor-udja, the High Priest of the cat-goddess Bastet. Unlike most burials from this era, the tomb remained completely sealed and unlooted, containing three nested wooden coffins and a series of exquisite gilded funerary masks.
The chamber's walls are adorned with vivid polychrome reliefs depicting the priest's journey through the underworld, accompanied by hundreds of ushabti figures made of blue-glazed faience. Archaeologists also recovered a set of solid silver ritual situlae and bronze incense burners, highlighting the immense wealth concentrated in the Eastern Delta during the Third Intermediate Period. The find is being hailed as one of the most significant architectural discoveries in the Delta in decades.