Archaeologists discover tomb of Egyptian royalty behind false door: ‘Unveils new secrets'
Advertisement
Archaeologists confronted by a false door at an excavation site were stunned to find that it led to the tomb of Egyptian royalty.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery in a recent Facebook post in April.
The tomb was found at the Saqqara archaeological site in the Giza Governorate of Egypt.
The tomb belonged to a prince named 'Userefre' or 'Waser Ef Ra,' the son of King Userkaf.
Advertisement
Userkaf was the founder of the Fifth Dynasty, which lasted from the early 25th century BC until the mid-24th century BC.
The door was 'adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions detailing the prince's name and titles,' according to the Facebook post.
3 The recent findings were uncovered at the Saqqara archaeological site in the Giza Governorate of Egypt.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
It described him as a 'hereditary prince, regional governor of Buto and Nekheb, royal scribe, minister, judge, and chanting priest.'
Advertisement
Archaeologists also found statues of King Djoser, his wife and his 10 daughters in the tomb, plus a red granite table with a list of funerary offerings.
A large black granite statue was also found, along with another tomb entrance which was also made of pink granite.
3 An ancient Egyptian tomb was concealed by a 'massive false door,' shown at left, made of pink granite.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
'To the north of the lintel, a discovery considered the first of its kind in the Saqqara area was made, where a group of 13 pink granite statues seated on a high-backed bench was found,' said the Facebook post, which was translated from Arabic to English.
Advertisement
'There are also statue heads at a higher level than the rest of the statues, representing the wives of the tomb owner seated in the middle, with two headless statues to the left, in front of which another black granite statue was found, overturned, measuring approximately 1.35 meters in height.'
Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy expressed happiness over the discovery, and said that it helps 'unveil new secrets of this significant historical period in the history of ancient Egyptian civilization.'
3 Archaeologists also found statues of King Djoser, his wife and his 10 daughters in the tomb, plus a red granite table with a list of funerary offerings.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
The latest discovery is one of many ancient Egyptian finds uncovered this year.
In March, archaeologists announced that they'd uncovered a 3,000-year-old mining complex, complete with remnants of ancient homes, workshops and baths.
In an even more significant achievement, an archaeologist from the University of Pennsylvania found the long-lost tomb of an unknown Egyptian pharaoh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Northwest Indiana's Muslim community comes together to observe Eid Al-Adha
Muslims from throughout Northwest Indiana gathered together on Friday to pray and celebrate Eid Al-Adha. The celebration, the first day of a three-day event, was held inside Crown Point's Sparta Dome. The Sparta Dome was selected as the best place to hold the festivity because of the aspect of community, the joining together of Muslims from throughout the area, Jawad Nammari said. Nammari, who is a volunteer at the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center, also served as one of the organizers of the event. 'Rather than hosting the event at one mosque, the Sparta Dome was chosen because it has plenty of space to accommodate the large Muslim community, who are celebrating together from across the Northwest Indiana region. We all join together in prayer,' he said. Eid Al-Adha is one of two main holidays in the Islamic religion and is a celebration that is held worldwide, he said. 'Eid Al-Adha commemorates when Prophet Ibrahim (Arabic for Abraham) was commanded by God to sacrifice his son, Ismail (Arabic for Ishmael), as an act of obedience and fulfilling a commandment from God,' he said. God intervened at the moment of sacrifice and sent a ram to be sacrificed instead. 'This was a test of faith and both father and son passed it with full obedience and trust in God,' he said. The Eid Al-Adha celebration started at sunrise and many of those in the area traveled to either the Illiana Islamic Center in Highland or the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center in Merrillville to say early morning prayers, he said. Ferass Safadi, who serves as treasurer at the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center, said this event is the first time those from both mosques joined together. 'This is history in the making,' Safadi said. The prayer at the beginning of the event is called Takbeenr which is the praising of Allah, Northwest Indiana Islamic Center member Amera Salam Nammari said. Those in attendance greeted each other upon entry to the dome with hugs or handshakes before being seated in chairs or on rugs spread throughout the area. All removed their shoes before the saying of prayers and message of forgiveness and thankfulness led by Iman Mongy El-Quesny of the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center. Following the main prayers, festivities for families continued including bouncy houses and events for young children. Food trucks, which offered traditional meals like shawarma and falafel, were also available to participants. 'Although Muslims worship five times a day daily and are obliged to obey the commandments of God, this day is a holiday as part of honoring a great act of faith, honoring sacrifice, charity and community,' Jawad Nammari said.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Volunteers 'devastated' at garden centre closure
Learning disabled volunteers and their families say they are "devastated" a west London community garden centre is set to be closed down. More than 4,500 have signed a petition urging the Hillingdon Council to keep the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) in Colham open. A group of learning disabled adults help maintain the garden centre, and some have attended for decades and see it as a critical part of their routine, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Hillingdon Council says the centre is making an annual loss of £137,000 a year which is being subsidised by local taxpayers and and volunteers will be offered alternative "learning and developmental opportunities". Terry, who has been volunteering at the garden centre for several years, said he had "stopped leaving the house" before he began working there. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "My mum got ill with dementia and I had to look after her, when she died I was suggested to come here, it's now the only place I come to. "If this place closes I won't be doing anything again, it makes me upset." Wayne, a volunteer of over 30 years at the RAGC, says he loves the work and the people he works with. His father Stuart says it is the "one thing that gives them a purpose in life". Without it, he says, many volunteers would be "stuck at home". "All of these people will be devastated," he added. "We all need this place, what it does for people, and the community it brings. We need it." Hillingdon Council says it will continue supporting volunteers by offering horticultural placements in gardens and public areas around the borough's Civic Centre in Uxbridge. The local authority says this will provide "enriched learning and developmental opportunities" and "a wider range of activities than they currently experience at the garden centre". The report on the future of the Rural Activities Garden Centre is due to be will be considered by the council's Cabinet on 26 June. Hillingdon Council said: "We are committed to ensuring all volunteers with assessed social care needs receive enriched learning and developmental opportunities. "Unfortunately, the RAGC's retail operations are not economically viable and we cannot expect residents to subsidise a loss-making garden centre." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to London Borough of Hillingdon
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pub's wooden chalet destroyed in fire
A fire has destroyed a pub's chalet after it ripped through the building. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Malt Shovel Pub in Highley on Saturday at about 00:12 BST. Pictures posted on the fire service's Facebook page show firefighters extinguishing glowing red and orange wood. Three crews from Bridgnorth, Kidderminster and Cleobury Mortimer were sent to the blaze and discovered the remains of a wooden chalet, a spokesperson added. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Fire crews tackle blaze at former city pub Watch: Multiple fire crews tackle blaze at old pub Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
