Fifth-Dynasty Tomb Discovered in Saqqara

News December 17, 2018

(Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities)
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Saqqara priest tomb
(Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities)

CAIRO, EGYPT—Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb in Saqqara, according to a Live Science report. The intact tomb measures 33 feet long and about 10 feet wide. The well-preserved decorations depict the owner of the tomb, a royal purification priest named Wahtye, in scenes with his mother, wife, and other relatives making pottery and wine, and practicing religious observances. They are also represented by large, colorful statues placed in niches. Other scenes on the walls show musical performances, boats, the manufacture of the tomb’s funerary furniture, and hunting. Waziri said the tomb’s five burial shafts will be excavated. To read about the recent discovery of a type of ancient funeral parlor at Saqqara, go to “Mummy Workshop.”

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