Pyramid and Hundreds of New Kingdom Coffins Found in Egypt

CAIRO, EGYPT—Live Science reports that exploration near an Old Kingdom pyramid dedicated to Teti, who ruled in the Sixth Dynasty from about 2323 to 2150 B.C., has uncovered a series of shafts containing New Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C.) burials. “Teti was worshipped as a god in the New Kingdom period, and so people wanted to be buried near him,” said Egyptologist Zahi Hawass. The burials include a limestone sarcophagus, some 300 coffins marked with the names of the deceased, and well-preserved mummies. “The coffins have individual faces, each one unique, distinguishing between men and women, and are decorated with scenes from the Book of the Dead,” Hawass explained. One coffin has a mask made of gold, he added. Pieces to the game Senet, small figurines, statues of the god Ptah-Sokar, and a metal ax were also recovered. In addition to the burials, Hawass and his team unearthed traces of a pyramid belonging to a queen named Neith. “It is amazing to literally rewrite what we know of history, adding a new queen to our records,” Hawass concluded. To read about monuments built during the New Kingdom reign of Tutankhamun’s grandfather, go to “Rediscovering Egypt’s Golden Dynasty.”