Mysterious artifacts discovered buried in the Valley of the Kings

Archaeologists have discovered an unusual array of artifacts in four separate deposits in the Valley of the Kings, which they believe were buried as part of a ritual before the construction of a tomb, which has not yet been discovered.

The artifacts include the head of a cow, a vase painted in blue, and flint blades that have wooden handles, still preserved after more than three millennia. In the recent Current Research in Egyptology conference in London, the researchers refer to the artifacts as foundation deposits, which are ritual offerings placed in front of or around a tomb or temple to mark the commencement of its construction.

“Usually included are miniature versions of the tools used in the tomb or temple’s construction, miniature offering vessels sometimes with offerings intact, and food offerings such as a calf’s head and limbs,” said Afifi Ghonim, archaeologist with the Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities. “Only a few foundation deposits have been found in the Valley of the Kings, and even fewer have been found intact.”