Middle Kingdom Burial Shaft Discovered by Egyptian Archaeologists in Fayoum

The Egyptian archaeological mission working at Kom El Khelua necropolis in Fayoum directed by Dr. Aiman Ashmawi has discovered during their work started last month, a burial shaft to the east of Prince Waje’s Middle Kingdom tomb.  

Dr. Mostafa Waziri said “El Khelua is located at the far south of Fayoum about 40 km from the town. It is a Middle Kingdom necropolis and precisely the time of King Amenemhat III (1842-1799 B.C) and it was reused as a Christian settlement during Byzantine time.

Dr. Aiman Ashmawi said that the shaft leads to 3 burial chambers. The team found in them 40cm-torso of a sandstone statue of a person with his right arm across his chest. The findings include a middle part of basal statue measures 20 cm in height and a number of potteries besides 3 canopic jars covers but the jars themselves are smashed and inside one of them remains of the deceased.  

Dr. Ashmawi implied that it was probably robbed and reused as a burial in later times. 

Dr. Hany Abo ElAzm (Director of Middle Egypt Antiquities) said “The Tomb of Waje in a rock cut tome and it was discovered by the Italian mission of Pisa university in 1981 during an archaeological survey project. The mission discovered a limestone statue bearing the name of Prince Waje and it is currently in the storeroom in Kom Oshim in Fayoum.

#Egypt #Egyptology #Archaeology #Fayoum #MiddleKingdom #History

DISCOVERED: How Ancient Egyptians Moved Huge Stones 4500 Years Ago

The joint mission of IFAO and University of Liverpool directed by Dr. Yannis Gourdon and Dr. Roland Enmarch has discovered the way ancient Egyptians used to move the stone blocks from the alabaster quarries of Hatnub (East of Tell Amarna, Minia) during the reign of King Khufu (Cheops).

Dr. Mostafa Waziry said “The mission started working in Hatnub since 2012 to produce a full epigraphic, photographic and topographical record of the surviving inscriptions of Hatnub Quarry. As a result of the studies and the historical examination of the inscriptions and steles of Hatnoub,

Dr. Yannis Gourdon said “The mission successfully discovered a unique system to pull and transfer the stone blocks from the bottom of the quarry after removing the debris used to cover it which can be dated to the reign of King Khufu of the 4th Dynasty. The moving system consists of the central ramp surrounded by two set of stairs contain poles holes which help lifting the alabaster stone block through at least 20% coarse ramp. There are at least 100 inscriptions discovered commemorating pharaonic expeditions to the alabaster quarries at Hatnub from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom.

Dr. Waziry described the discovery that it is of a great importance as it is the first time to discover a system to move and transfer blocks from quarries and how the ancient Egyptians lifted the multi tons blocks off coarse ramps during the era of building the Great Pyramid which changes our understanding of how the pyramids were built.

Dr. Roland Enmarch said “The restoration team is working on the preservation of the inscriptions as well as the epigraphic survey of the residential structures around the quarries made of different stone blocks used for the quarries workers. The team unearthed 4 stone steles. One of the steles shows a drawing of a standing person and the other three have unclear hieratic inscriptions due to the bad state of preservation and in need of restoration and preservation.  

The Project Page on IFAO site HERE
The Project Page on University of Liverpool HERE

#Egypt #Egyptology #Archaeology #Pyramids #IFAO

Egyptian Archaeologists Discover Stela of Liberation Queens in Aswan

Egyptian Archaeologists discovered a limestone stela in Kom Ombo temple area dated back to Early 18^th Dynasty or the Liberation war period.  

Dr. Mostafa Waziry (Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities) said that the stela has a scene in the upper lunette shows two persons making an offering to Queen Tetisheri and Queen Ahmos-Nefertari. The stele shows Queen Tetisheri titles as “Mother of the King” and “Lady of the Two Lands”.  

The importance of this discovery that it shows the activities of the Kings in Upper Egypt to secure their territories during their way with the Hyksos. This discovery is a part of the series of discoveries that could re-date the temple to an older date than it was previously known.

Mohamed AbdBadie said “It is known that Queen Tetisheri is the mother of King Seqenenre and the grandmonth of King Ahmose I and she is the one who inspired them the liberation spirit. Tetisheri was very well respected and dignified by the Egyptians for her great role in the Egyptian history.”

Mr. Abd El-Monem Said, Director of Aswan Antiquities said “The two Queens are of the most important female figures in the history of ruling familes in Egypt and had many stelae and chapels dedicated to them all over Egypt.”

#Egypt #Egyptology #Archaeology #Aswan #KomOmbo #Stela #Tetisheri #discovery

Czech Archaeologists Discover The Keeper of the Secret’s Tomb

The Czech mission directed by Dr. Miroslav Barta discovered a huge tomb of limestone and mud brick dated to the middle of the 5th Dynasty to the era of King Nyuserre (Nyuserre Ini).

Dr. Mostafa Waziry told Luxor Times that the tomb belongs to a person called “Ka Ir Is” who held several titles during the 5th Dynasty including “The overseer of All Royal Works” “Imi-ra kat-nebet net-nesw” 

Mr. Adel Okasha said “During the excavation work the mission found inside the main shaft; a pink granite statue which was broken into two parts. The statue represents the tomb owner sitting on a small stall and wearing wig. The name and titles of the tomb owner in inscribed in the stall. 

The other titles of the tomb owner include “Beloved by his lord, Keeper of the Secret of the house of Morning, Friend/courtier of the King”

Dr. Barta said that the mission with continue the work to reveal and document the rest of the tomb. 

#Egypt #Egyptology #Archaeology #Discovery #Pyramids #OldKingdom  

Ptolemaic rock-cut tombs discovered in Alexandria

An Egyptian team of archaeologists directed by Fahima El Nahas (General Director of Excavations in Alexandria) discovered a part of the west cemetery of Ptolemaic Alexandria. The discovery took place during the excavation work at the site before allowing the building of a modern wall in the railways workshops in Gebel El-Zaytoun in Alexandria.

Dr. Aiman Ashmawi said that during the work, a group of rock cut burials were discovered. Each group of burials have a separate architectural unit consists of a number of steps leading to a small hall (probably used for visitors to rest) then a rectangular courtyard with the burials entrances as well as a tank used for funerary uses and probably used by the deceased family.

Dr. Ashmawi also said that the tombs were most likely used for a long period of time and they belong to poor individuals. The tombs have coloured layers of mortar and basic mortar with no desecration which reflects the economical status of the deceased buried there. The preliminary examination can tell that some of the tombs were modified architecturally through times to add some features or to seal some burials openings which can confirm that different generations used those tombs.    

Dr. Khalid Abo El-Hamd (General Director of Alexandria Antiquities) said that many pots were discovered as well as lamps bearing distinguished decorations including animals eating or nursing their young ones. A number of glass and pottery pots were discovered too with amphorae and circular shaped pottery bearing reliefs of girls (maybe dancers).

Many skeletons were discovered in a mess because of the damage caused at the site during the 1930s when the railways structures were installed and later because of the WWII air strikes.  

Dr. Mostafa Waziry, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the ministry allocated the needed funds to start salvation excavation at the site by an archaeological mission of the ministry and under the supervision of Dr. Khalid Abo El-Hamd.

#Egypt #Archaeology #Egyptology #Ptolemaic #Alexandria #WWII #Tombs

New Discovery: Mummification workshop installation in Sakkara.

35 Mummies, 5 sarcophagi, mummification oils in jars with inscribed names of the oils and much more. Also the gilded silver mask, the first to be discovered in Egypt since 1939.

The Egyptian-German mission working since March 2016 and directed by Dr. Ramadan B. Hussein.

The mission started 100% Egyptian then in 2017 the team invited more members from Germany and USA. University of Tubingen in Germany is a part of the team.

"The Saqqara Saite Tombs Project" The Saite Dynasty (Dynasty 26, ca. 664-525 BC.), best known for the cultural practice of archaism, has produced extensive and diverse repertoire of cultural revivals, running the gamut from architectural styles of tombs, themes of reliefs, literary genres to funerary texts. The Saqqara Cemetery has, so far, the largest concentration of Saite Sarcophagus-tombs, approximately 12 tombs, their architectural features and inscriptions have not been properly documented or published. The Saqqara Saite Tombs Project is launched in March 2016.

As a second round of epigraphical and archaeological survey, it focuses on the re-excavation, documentation, conservation and publication of the tombs of Padinist, Psamtek and Amentefnakht, all discovered between 1899 and 1950.

More details to follow including exclusive footage from the press conference held this morning by the Minister of Antiquities in Sakkara at the site of the discovery.

#Egypt #Egyptology #Archaeology #Sakkara #Mummification

The God statue Discovered in the First Ancient Egyptian Pyramid

During the restoration work of Djoser (Zoser) step pyramid in Sakkara, a bronze statue of the ancient Egyptian God Osiris was found.

The team working at the site discovered the statue during the restoration and preservation work of the west side of the pyramid.

Dr. Mostafa Waziry, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the statue was found inside a small hole (gap) between the large stone blocks of the pyramid’s façade while removing the debris.

The Statue represents God Osiris standing holding a feather in one hand and sceptre in the other hand wearing Atef crown. The statue has traces of gypsum in some parts.

The statue measures 63 cm height (2 feet and 1 inch) and 15 cm width at the widest part.

Mr. Sabry Farag, General Director of Sakkara antiquities, said that the statue dated to late period and it was probably put in this gap by one of the priests to keep it safe and as a symbol of Osiris relation to the resurrection.

Osiris statue is now at the restoration lab in Sakkara’s antiquities storehouse.

#Egypt #Cairo #Sakkara #StepPyramid #Pyramids #AncientEgypt #Osiris #Discovery #History #Saqqara

Egypt repatriates a large collection of smuggled antiquities from Italy

Dr. Mostafa Waziry, announced that the smuggled antiquities were received in Egypt late on Friday night after the legal procedures were taken by the Ministry of Antiquities in cooperation with the Italian 
authorities.  

The repatriated antiquities are 21660 coins, 151 faience ushabti, 11 pottery pots, 5 mummies masks some of which are gold plated, wooden sarcophagus, 2 small funerary wooden boats, 2 canopic jars heads and 3 Islamic coloured tiles. 

The patriots antiquities will go through restoration at the Egyptian Museum labs in Tahrir before they will be display in a temporary exhibition soon.

#Egypt #Antiquities #Repatriated #Cairo #Archaeology #Egyptology