Extraordinary new discovery in Saqqara: sarcophagi dating back 3,000 years

Discovered in the necropolis of Saqqara more sarcophagi, including about fifty from the New Kingdom dating back more than three thousand years. They were unearthed near the pyramid of Thetis in a single shaft by excavations led by Zahi Hawass. Burials dated between the 18th and 19th dynasties were also discovered within several burial shafts, ranging in depth from ten to 12 meters. A funerary temple dedicated to Queen Neith. The sarcophagi and mummies inside them are in a good state of preservation; in fact, painted decorations on the wooden surface of the sarcophagi are still clearly visible. Numerous grave goods were also found: among them, funerary masks, figurines, ceramic vessels, a toilet set, wooden boats, and games. The discoveries from these wells also include a soldier buried with his axe and a papyrus about five meters long containing Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead, an ancient funerary text that in ancient Egypt was thought to help the deceased on their journey to the other world.

“This is a discovery that rewrites the history of Saqqara and especially the history of the New Kingdom, which was born three thousand years ago,” Hawass said. It is in fact a rare find since most of the pieces found date back to the New Kingdom, while in Saqqara the treasures found date back 2,500 years; a gap therefore of as much as five hundred years. However, he added that “70 percent remains to be explored.”

Authorities in the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism hope to inaugurate the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo as soon as possible.

Ph.Credit Khaled Desouki

Extraordinary new discovery in Saqqara: sarcophagi dating back 3,000 years

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