Ancient Egyptian archaeologists discover secret 'House of Life' at pharaoh's burial ground and reveal what's inside
A team of Egyptian and French archaeologists have discovered ancient artefacts dating back to a school known as the 'House of Life.
The group were excavating an area near the Ramesseum Temple in Luxor, Egypt, in what was their 34th year of working at the site.
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a post on Facebook on 4 April that their recent excavations have unearthed several tombs and treasures.
This time, they focused more on the surrounding the area of the main temple and what they found was quite remarkable.
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On the northeast area, they came across a number of tombs from a period which ended 2,500 years ago, known as the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069–664 BCE).
The findings included decorative canopic jars, which were used to store preserved organs of the mummified, as well as over 400 ushabti figures. These small statues were often carved to look like the deceased.
Amid the discoveries, however, was the House of Life, an ancient scientific institution that served as a learning school in ancient Egypt.
Priests would use the House of Life to prepare ritual texts and study ancient knowledge, such as religious texts, 'spells' and historical records.
The Ministry of Tourism didn't include photos of the House of Life.
"The excavations inside the temple have resulted in the discovery of the 'House of Life' (a scientific school adjacent to the great temples)," they said.
"An exceptional discovery because it not only showed the architectural planning of this educational institution, but also revealed a rich artefacts including the remains of drawings and school toys, making it the first evidence of a school inside the well-known Ramesseum, also known as the 'Million Year Temple'."
They said that another set of buildings on the eastern side of the temple displayed an area 'likely to have been used as administrative offices'.
"As for buildings and cellars on the North Face, studies have shown that they were used to store olive oil, honey and fat.
"Alongside cellars used to store wine, where wine tractor stickers were found in abundance.
"The excavation works also led to a large number of graves dating back to the Third Transition era.
"Most of them with chambers and burial wells with canopy pots and funeral utensils in good condition, as well as coffins placed inside each other, 401 statues of pottery carved Ashapti and a selection of 'The Scattered Bones'."
If you plan on visiting the temple, it's roughly a 400-mile drive south of Cairo
Anish Vij