An Egyptian archaeological mission working in the Saqqara region near the pyramid of King Teti, the first ruler of the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, has announced important discoveries.
A recently discovered sarcophagus at the site of Saqqara, Egypt.
New archaeological treasures, including a funerary temple dating back more than 2,500 years, were announced by Egyptian authorities in the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, on Saturday January 16, 2021.
Fragments of a 4 meter long papyrus representing Chapter 17 of the "Book of the Dead"
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, these "major discoveries" made by a team of archaeologists led by renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass from the Center of Egyptology of the Alexandrine Library also include more than fifty sarcophagi.
One of the painted wooden sarcophagi discovered at the Saqqara site. Credits:Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities
These wooden sarcophagi dating from the New Kingdom (16th-11th century BC) were found in 52 burial shafts ten to twelve meters deep, the ministry said in a statement. A large number of statues of deities have also been unearthed, including those of Osiris, but also Ptah-Sokkar-Osiris venerated in particular in Memphis, as well as fragments of a papyrus 4 meters long and 1 meter wide. large depicting Chapter 17 of the "Book of the Dead". The name of its owner "Pw-Kha-Ef" was still there. A name also found on four Shabti funerary statuettes and an anthropoid wooden coffin. Among the items unearthed was an ax dated to the New Kingdom. Archaeologists also found many wooden funerary masks as well as a shrine dedicated to the god Anubis (Guardian of the cemetery) and many games that the deceased could indulge in in the other world, including games of Senet, related in modern chess. A large number of pottery dating from the New Kingdom has also been excavated, testifying to the commercial exchanges that existed at the time between Egypt and Crete as well as Syria and Palestine.
Egyptologist Zahi Hawass at the archaeological site of Saqqara. Credits:Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities
The funerary temple of Queen Nearit, wife of King Teti, partly revealed during previous archaeological campaigns, as well as three brick warehouses were discovered, said Hawass, quoted in the press release.
The site of Saqqara, where there are a dozen pyramids, ancient monasteries and animal burial sites, is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to Zahi Hawass, this discovery could provide additional information on the history of Saqqara during the New Kingdom.
Archaeological treasures found near the pyramid of King Teti
Egypt announced in November the most important discovery of the year 2020:more than 100 intact sarcophagi. The sealed wooden coffins, unveiled alongside statues of deities, date back more than 2,500 years and are those of high officials from the Late Period and the Ptolemaic era of ancient Egypt. Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said at the time that "Saqqara has yet to reveal" all its secrets.
Cairo hopes these archaeological finds will boost tourism, a sector that has seen many difficulties from the 2011 revolution to the coronavirus pandemic. The authorities hope to inaugurate in 2021 the "Grand Egyptian Museum" on the Giza plateau, where the famous Great Pyramids and the Sphinx are located. Many excavations have been carried out in recent years at Saqqara, also the site of the step pyramid of Djoser, one of the first constructions of ancient Egypt. In particular, archaeologists hope to find an old workshop for making wooden sarcophagi for mummies there.