Rock-cut Tomb in a 4000-year-old Elite Cemetery Discovered

An Egyptian archaeological team has discovered a rock-cut tomb in Lisht,

Adel Okasha (Director of Cairo and Giza Antiquities) told Luxor Times “The disdovered tomb is about 300 meters to the North-East of Senusret I’s pyramid. It consists of two parts, first the open courtyard which leads to a vaulted ceiling corridor with some visible hieroglyph inscriptions. 

The corridor leads to a broad hall to the west of it a small inscribed and decorated chapel which currently the restoration department in Lisht is performing the needed restoration for this part.”   

  

Mr. Mohamed El-Daly (Director of Dahshur and Lisht Antiquities) said “The second part of the tomb is a burial shaft in the open courtyard and measures 100cm x 80cm and about 3 meters deep. 

Inside the burial shaft to the west, a corridor leads to the first burial chamber which is an undecorated room contains to the north wall an empty undecorated limestone sarcophagus and to the south side an entrance to another room contains another empty undecorated limestone sarcophagus, but it is unique as it has inside different geometric formations (shapes).

The southern side of the shaft has an entrance leading to more chambers which will be excavated next season.”

Mr. Yasser Abd Fatah (General Director of Dahshur and Lisht Antiquities) said “So far we didn’t find any inscriptions to reveal the name or titles of the tomb owner, but more field work and studies will help in defining the tomb owner.”

For more work from Lisht, check the Egyptian-American mission's work HERE 

#Egypt #Egyptology #Archaeology #Rock-cuttomb 

French archaeologists unearth two Old Kingdom tombs

Minister of Antiquities announced today the discovery of two 6th Dynasty (Old Kingdom) tombs at the site of Tabit El-Geish, south of Sakkara.

The two tombs belong to priests who were contemporary to the reign of Pepi II (2240-2150 B.C). The tombs were discovered by the mission of the IFAO (Institut Français d’archéologie Orientale) directed by Dr. Vassil Dobrev.

The first tomb of a priest called "Ankhti" where the burial chambers was found in a shaft 12 meters deep and the second tomb belongs to a priest called "Sabi" where the burial chamber was found in a shaft 6 meters deep. In both tombs there are offering scenes.

 (Above: Ankhti tomb)

In the burial chambers of both tombs, human remains and skeletons of the tombs owners were found scattered around which could indicate that the tombs were robbed and vandalised during the 7th or 8th Dynasty.

There were alabaster jars found as well as coloured limestone offerings samples with pottery.

Dr. Vassil Dobrev, director of the mission, said that the upper part of the tombs were built with mud brick and the burial chambers were cut into the white limestone bedrock.

Both tombs have scenes of offerings lists and The seven sacred oils are those used in the Opening of the Mouth Ritual.

(Above: Photos of Sabo tomb. All photos are courtesy of MOA)

#Egypt #Sakkara #Giza #AncientEgypt #Heritage #History #Egyptology #Archaeology #IFAO  

4500 years old tomb of unknown Ancient Egyptian Queen discovered

The Minister of Antiquities announced today a new discovery of an Old Kingdom tomb in Abusir for a Queen who wasn't known before called "Khentkaus III" during the excavations of the Czech Institute of Egyptology directed by Dr. Miroslav Barta.

The mission unearthed 23 limestone pots as well as 4 copper tools as a part of the funerary furniture for the tomb owner.

The side rooms of the discovered tomb have inscriptions mention titles of the tomb owner includes "Wife of the King" and "Mother of the King"

Dr. Miroslav Barta said "This discovery reveals an unknown part of the 5th Dynasty history which opens the door for more future studies on the family tree of this previously unknown Queen."

Dr. Barta added "The unearthed tomb is a part of a small cemetery to the south east of the pyramid complex of King Neferefre (Raneferef) which led the team to think that Queen Khentkaus could be the wife of Neferefre hence she was buried close to his funerary complex."

Dr. Jaromir Krejci,a team member of the Czech Institute of Egyptology mission working on the site said "The title of the Mother of the King discovered in the tomb is of an historical importance."

"If we can assume that the Queen was buried during the time of King Nyuserre (2445 B.C-2421 B.C) based on a seal bears his name was found on the tomb so we could say that Khentkaus III is the mother of King Menkauhore who was the successor of Nyuserre. This could also reveals more information on this King especially that we have a very few information on him."

Kamal Wahid, Giza Antiquities director, said “The tomb is very similar to the rest of the burial in the cemetery which was unearthed by the Czech mission in the 90s. The upper part is a mastaba and a small offerings chapel and the burial chamber in the lower part which is reached through a shaft.”

#Egypt #Giza #Abusir #Discovery #History #AncientEgypt #EgyptianQueen #KhentkausIII #Tomb

Tracked Ancient Egyptian antiquities after illicit digs and smuggled abroad

Ministry of Antiquities managed to track 5 ancient Egyptian relics were smuggled from Egypt.
The antiquities were a result of illicit digs in south Sakkara at the site of Tabit Al Geish (Tabit Al Geyoush) in 2002.

The minister said "Studying the objects we found that they are parts of the left corner and the entrance of the tomb of "Haw Nefer" who was a priest of the time of Pepi I of 6th Dynasty (Old Kingdom). The tomb was discovered by the French mission of IFAO on Sakkara in 2001."

The minister referred to the cooperation with IFAO to confirm that the antiquities were a result of illicit dig after the first season of excavation for the mission them were smuggled abroad.

 The ministry found 3 of the 5 objects were bought by the museum of fine arts in the Hungarian capital, Budapest from an auction house which the auction house claimed they received in 1974.
The auction house claim is contracting the fact that there were no digs or excavation work in the site before year 2000 till the French mission started an organised excavation in 2001.

The other two objects were found at an auction house in France.

Ali Ahmed, director of Repatriated Antiquities department, said "The 5 objects are a part of Priest “Hau-Nefer” tomb entrance. The ministry took the legal procedures to return the Egyptian antiquities."