Archaeologists in Egypt have made an exciting tomb discovery – the final resting place of a high priest, untouched for 4,400 years.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities, described the find as “one of a kind in the last decades”.
The
tomb, found in the Saqqara pyramid complex near Cairo, is filled with
colourful hieroglyphs and statues of pharaohs. Decorative scenes show
the owner, a royal priest named Wahtye, with his mother, wife and other
relatives.
Archaeologists will start excavating the tomb on 16
December, and expect more discoveries to follow – including the owner’s
sarcophagus.
Here’s what they’ve found already…
AFP/Getty Images Image The private tomb is part of a vast, ancient necropolis in Saqqara – where the earliest known Egyptian pyramids are locate AFP/Getty Images The tomb was found in a buried ridge, which may help explain why it escaped looters AFP/Getty Images The walls of the tomb are covered in hieroglyphs, the writing system of ancient Egypt Reuters The ancient Egyptians often carved sculptures into the walls of tombs and temples Reuters Mustafa Abdo is the project’s chief of excavation. The tomb is 10m (33 ft) long, 3m (9.8ft) wide, and a little under 3m high Reuters Priests were important people in ancient Egyptian society, as pleasing the gods was a top priority EPA The tomb’s colours have survived unusually well for almost 4,400 years, experts said Reuters The artefacts date from the Fifth Dynasty, which ruled Egypt from around 2,500 BC to 2,350 EPA The coloured wall scenes depict the owner, a high priest, with his family Reuters Archaeologists plan to explore the tomb further, and should find the priest’s coffin soon
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