Excavation of 5 “unbelievably” preserved ancient Egyptian tombs in Saqqara

Recently, archaeologists in Egypt discovered five well-preserved and ornate tombs, dating back to about 4,200 years ago, next to a pyramid at Saqqara. The tombs have hieroglyphic inscriptions providing information about the people buried there, many mural paintings depicting human figures, food, colorful geometry …

The tombs date to around the 6th Dynasty (2323 to 2150 BC) or to a later period as the First Intermediate Period (2150 to 2030 BC). During the 6th Dynasty, Ancient Egypt was still united but was plagued by drought, which threatened the stability of the country. Then, in the first intermediate period, the central government collapsed and the country was divided into many regions with many rulers.

All five tombs were found to the northwest of the pyramid of pharaoh Merenre I (reigned circa 2255 to 2246 BC). Based on the location and date of the graves, scientists speculate that their owners may have worked for Merenre I.

Hieroglyphic inscriptions at the site indicate that one of the graves belonged to someone named Iry, who appeared to be a high-ranking official of that era. Iry was buried in a large limestone coffin, now broken into pieces. Another tomb appears to belong to the wife of a man named Yaret while another belongs to a man named Pepi Nefhany – possibly a high priest. The inscription in the tomb states that Pepi Nefhany was the custodian of the “great house”, possibly referring to the palace where the pharaoh resided.

Another grave belongs to a woman named Betty or Petty who served the goddess of love and gave birth to Hathor. The fifth tomb is for the so-called Hannu who used to oversee the royal palace. Scientists are still continuing to collect and excavate the coffins and human bodies in them.

The discovery of these tombs has contributed to enriching the sacred history of Saqqara – a necropolis used throughout the history of ancient Egypt and contains many unique and typical pyramids. is the step pyramid of Djoser.

It is known that many important sites have been discovered at Saqqara in recent years, including more than 100 beautifully preserved mummies in burial vaults and the tomb of a high-ranking person of Ramesses II.

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