Ancient Egyptian Tombs Reveal Wine's Role in Funerary Rituals

Recent archaeological discoveries on the west bank of the Nile, near Luxor, have unveiled significant evidence of the role wine played in ancient Egyptian funerary rituals. Excavations led by the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage, in collaboration with Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, revealed rock-cut tombs, burial shafts, and parts of Queen Hatshepsut's Valley Temple in the Deir el-Bahari complex. These findings, dating back around 3,600 years, provide new insights into the ceremonial practices of the pharaonic temples.

Among the objects unearthed, archaeologists found ceramic offering tables used to present food and drink to the dead, including bread, meat, and wine. Large quantities of amphorae were also discovered, suggesting that wine was a key element in these rituals. In ancient Egypt, wine was considered a luxury reserved for elites and deities, often associated with regeneration and eternal life. The presence of wine in burial offerings highlights its symbolic value in ensuring the deceased's journey to the afterlife.

The site also yielded bronze coins bearing the image of Alexander the Great, dating to the reign of Ptolemy I, as well as children's clay toys, funerary masks, winged scarabs, and decorative beads commonly used to protect the dead. Notable finds included several anthropoid coffins, one of which contained the intact remains of a child, a rare discovery given that many tombs in the area were looted during the Ptolemaic period.

Weapons, such as war bows, were also found in the tombs, indicating that some of the buried individuals were military figures involved in campaigns to expel the Hyksos, an Asiatic group that controlled parts of Egypt for centuries. One of the most significant tombs belonged to Djehuti-Mes, a high-ranking official in the court of Queen Teti Sheri during the reign of Ahmose I, the pharaoh who founded the 18th Dynasty and unified Egypt. Although the tomb was sparsely furnished, inscriptions on funerary stelae reveal Djehuti-Mes's role in the royal administration.

Further excavations exposed a Ptolemaic necropolis overlapping with Hatshepsut's Valley Temple remains. This mudbrick funerary site, used for centuries, had been partially documented in the 20th century, but many areas remained unexplored. The recent findings show that sacred spaces were repeatedly adapted for new burial practices, reflecting evolving beliefs about the afterlife.

Additional discoveries were made in November by a joint Egyptian-American team working at Asasif South, near Hatshepsut's temple. They uncovered a Middle Kingdom tomb containing eleven sealed burials. These recent finds, including those at Deir el-Bahari, confirm the enduring significance of wine and other ritual offerings in Egyptian funerary traditions across different historical periods.