Ancient Egypt DISCOVERY: 3,300-year-old tomb fragment from Valley of Kings found in FRANCE

AN ANCIENT Egyptian artefact from the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I was recovered in France, 202 years after the Egyptian tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings.

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A Parisian art dealer has found the incredible Egyptian artefact, which was once attached to the 3,300-year-old tomb of Pharaoh Seti I. Antonia Eberwein, of Galerie Eberwein Ancient Art in Paris, , came across the tomb fragment by a stroke of luck, shortly after she saw an exhibition on the Pharaoh’s tomb. Seti I rests in the ancient Valley of the Kings, which is a burial place on the west banks of the Nile in central Egypt. The recovered tomb fragment has now helped archaeologists shed light onto one of the most mysterious monuments to the Egyptian King.

Ms Eberwein said: “A few months before I bought the fragment I went to the exhibition in Basel called Scanning Seti, which was about what they are doing about the tomb, scanning every little piece of it and adding to the jigsaw by scanning museum material from around the world to create as complete an image of the tomb as they can in digital form.

“Having seen all this detail on display, when I came across the fragment, part of a funerary bas-relief that was being dispersed from a private collection, a few months later, I realised that it might be linked to the tomb and I bought it.”

Seti I’s tomb was discovered in October 1817 by Giovanni Belzoni, who made incredibly detailed sketches of the tomb’s features, paintings and artefacts.

Mr Belzoni even recreated a model of the tomb, which went on display in London’s Piccadilly Circus in 1821.

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Ancient Egypt discovery: Seti tomb

Ancient Egypt discovery: A fragment of Seti I's tomb was found in France (Image: EBERWEIN/GETTY)

However, the discovery has led to a strong archaeological interest in the tomb, which over time led to its unfortunate decay and partial destruction.

In 1824, the British Consul, Henry Salt, order Mr Belzoni to remove Seti I’s sarcophagus, which is now on display at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London.

Four years later, the tomb was irreversibly damaged by Jean-François Champollion, the man who famously decoded the secrets of the Rosetta stone.

But the biggest disaster struck when a series of excavations in the 1950s and 1960s caused parts of the tomb to collapse.

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The disaster dealt an incredible blow to archaeologists because Mr Belzoni’s sketches were never completed before the tomb was picked apart.

I realised that it might be linked to the tomb and I bought it

Antonia Eberwein, Galerie Eberwein Ancient Art

Fragments of Seti I’s burial place are now spread around the globe, on display in museums in Florence and Berlin.

The new discovery, however, offers new hope for the tomb thanks to advances in 3D mapping and plugs some of the gaps in Mr Belzoni’s records.

Ms Eberwein said: “Looking at the fragment, I realised that it must come from an area that was not recorded by any of them, so I contacted the Egyptologist, Florence Barberio, who is working on the scanning project, to see what she thought.

“She sent me an email that not only confirmed that it came from Seti’s tomb, but that the length of the inscription on it made it possible to identify the text and the provenance.”

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Ancient Egypt discovery: Seti I's tomb fragment

Ancient Egypt: The tomb fragments complete sketches of the tomb made in the 1800s (Image: EBERWEIN)

Ancient Egypt discovery: Tomb of Seti I

Ancient Egypt: The incredibly ornate tomb is sealed from the public due to damage (Image: EBERWEIN)

The inscription on the fragment was found to belong to the Book of Gates, which was found in the burial room holding the Pharaoh’s sarcophagus.

And based on Mr Belzoni’s incomplete drawings, it most likely came from the second door in the chamber and matches fragments of the first column.

Ms Eberwein found the tomb fragment came from an area just beyond the edge of where Mr Belzoni drawing ended.

She said: "Did he stop there because the corner had already crumbled or because he became too tired? We will never know."

Ms Barberio, who studied the ancient artefact, said: "According to its content and the orientation of the signs to the left, the text most likely belongs to the second door, preceding the third hour of the Book, and corresponds to a fragment of the first column, the text reading from the right to the left."

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Ms Eberwein has since lent the tomb fragment to archaeologists who are constructing a digital record of Seti I’s tomb.

She said: “This was such an exciting find because so little of this type of material is still available on the market.

“The discovery itself was one of those very rare moments one enjoys during a long career, but the opportunity to contribute to the scanning project and Egyptian scholarship in the process is what made it extra special.”

Drawings from a French excavation suggest the tomb fragment was already missing by the 1880s.

Seti I’s tomb is an incredible burial place adorned with intricate wall paintings and carvings, spanning a total of 11 chambers and two side rooms.

Ancient Egypt discovery: Seti I's sarcophagus

Ancient Egypt: Seti I' sarcophagus is on display in London (Image: GETTY)

Ancient Egypt discovery: Tomb fragment of Seti I

Ancient Egypt: The tomb fragment will go on sale in March this year (Image: EBERWEIN)

The inscriptions and hieroglyphics are believed to protect the dead in the afterlife and are described in the ancient Book of the Dead and Book of Gates.

At 450ft (137m) in length, the tomb is the longest in the Valley of the Kings.

Following the extensive damage brought to the tomb by archaeological activity and tourism, Seti I’s tomb was sealed to stop further deterioration.

The tomb fragment will now go on sale at The European Fine Art Fair - Maastricht on March 16.

The asking price for the incredible piece of history is around £60,000 (€70,000).

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