Ancient Egyptian tomb of high-ranking official discovered in Saqqara PHOTO

Archaeologists have uncovered an intact Old Kingdom tomb belonging to a senior Egyptian official at Saqqara’s Bubasteion Necropolis, along with a network of burial shafts containing human remains and hundreds of ancient funerary artefacts.

The tomb belonged to Sekhentio-Ptah, a high-ranking official who lived during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, generally dated to around 2649–2150 B.C. The structure consists of a funerary chapel and a false door bearing inscriptions listing his titles, including Royal Chamberlain, Overseer of All the Works of the King and Keeper of the Secrets of Royal Decrees, Archaeological Magazine writes.

Archaeologists also found a complete set of alabaster ritual objects inside the tomb, including an offering table, offering slab and purification basin. The discovery of the objects in their original positions could provide researchers with new insights into funerary rituals and religious practices during the Old Kingdom.

Hisham El-Leithy of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said the context of the finds is particularly significant because the objects were preserved where they were originally placed.

The nearby interconnected burial shafts yielded additional discoveries, including human remains, three sealed stone sarcophagi, a wooden falcon statue, pottery, painted funerary cartonnage and more than 100 faience ushabti figurines. Ushabtis were funerary figures traditionally placed in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

El-Leithy said some of the burial shafts appear to have been looted in antiquity, suggesting that the site experienced disturbance long before its modern excavation.

The discovery adds to a series of important archaeological finds at Saqqara, one of Egypt’s most significant ancient burial grounds. The necropolis, located south of modern Cairo, contains tombs and monuments spanning several periods of ancient Egyptian history.

The newly uncovered tomb is particularly important because of the combination of its architectural features, inscriptions and ritual objects, which could help researchers reconstruct aspects of the life and funerary practices of Egypt’s elite more than 4,500 years ago.

By Sabina Mammadli