Dr. George A. Reisner '89, Professor of Egyptology and Director of the Harvard-Bostin Expedition in Egypt, defended his conclusion that the tomb recently discovered by the expedition was not that of King Sneferuw, in a statement issued last night. He insisted that the discovery of Sneferuw's name on a gold mat found in the tomb in no way affected the conclusion that the tomb was not Sneferuw's.

When the announcement of the discovery of the tomb near the Giza pyramids was made, it was assumed from various indications that the tomb was that of King Sneferuw. In an official statement dated March 10. Dr. Reisner denied this.

Thought to be Sneferuw

Shortly after this, just before the tomb was finally sealed to await Dr. Reisner's arrival in Egypt, the New York Times published a Cairo dispatch to the London Times which stated as the opinion of an expert geologist that the tomb was that of Sneferuw.

Dr. Reisner's Release

The following is the official statement issued yesterday by Dr. Reisner:

"Before sealing the new tomb discovered at Giza by the Harvard-Boston Expedition, the inscription on the gold mat was clearly read as follows: 'Lord-of-two-crowns Sneferuw, the Horus Neb-Ma'at.' The name of the person buried in the coffin remains unknown. The presence of the name of Sneferuw on the mat does not prove that this king was buried in the tomb, but only that the burial was made in his reign. The conclusion that the tomb is not that of Sneferuw or Cheops is not affected by the new evidence."