Latest news with #WaserifRe
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
An Ancient Egyptian Prince's Tomb Was Just Discovered South of Giza
The tomb of Prince Waserif Re, son of King Userkaf who founded ancient Egypt's Fifth Dynasty and reigned from 2465 BCE to 2458 BCE, was excavated by archaeologists at the Saqqara necropolis, just southwest of Giza in Egypt, according to Egypt Today. The multi-chamber tomb was sealed with a 15-foot-tall pink granite false door inscribed with Waserif Re's name and titles, including 'heir prince.' A red granite table, measuring 36 inches in diameter, was found in front of the door and lists offerings made to him at the time of burial. More from Robb Report This $28 Million Ultra-Modern Home in Florida's Delray Beach Comes With a Mani-Pedi Salon This 3-Liter Louis XIII Cognac Decanter Is Available in the U.S. for the First Time A Hotelier's $20 Million 165-Acre Estate in New York's Hudson Valley Has a Regulation Polo Field The team unearthed statues of Third Dynasty pharaoh Djoser, who ruled from 2630 BCE to 2611 BCE, along with his wife and 10 daughters, according to a statement from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Friday. These statues are believed to have been originally located in a chamber adjacent to the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, whose complex is also located within Saqqara, and were later moved to the tomb of Prince Waserif Re during the Late Period (688 BCE–525 BCE). Inside another chamber of the tomb, a nearly four-foot-tall black granite statue with hieroglyphic inscriptions of the name and titles of its owner was uncovered. The inscriptions date back to the 26th Dynasty, also indicating that the tomb may have been reused nearly 2,000 years after Waserif Re's interment. The joint Egyptian mission was conducted by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Dr. Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage. Hawass is Egypt's former Minister of Antiquities as well as a renowned—and sometimes controversial—archaeologist. Together, the mission has a record of unearthing prominent artifacts from the Old Kingdom and later periods. A cartouche of pharaoh Neferirkare, who reigned from approximately 2446 to 2438 BCE, was also discovered at a second entrance on the tomb's eastern facade. To the north of the door lintel, the team identified a collection of 13 seated pink granite statues on a high-backed bench. The heads of some of the statues were positioned higher than the others, which are thought to represent the wives of the tomb owner. There are two headless statues flanking them. Additionally, another four-foot-tall black granite statue was found face down in front of these statues. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
Egypt Today
18-04-2025
- General
- Egypt Today
Ancient secrets revealed: Egypt discovers Prince Waserif Re's tomb, King Djoser's statue in Saqqara
CAIRO - 18 April 2025: A joint Egyptian mission has discovered the tomb of Prince Waserif Re, son of King Userkaf, the founder of the ancient Egypt's fifth dynasty, in the Saqqara archaeological area, southwest of Giza. Renowned archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass noted that the mission discovered statues of King Djoser, along with his wife and ten daughters, according to a statement by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Friday. Preliminary studies indicate that these statues were originally located in a chamber adjacent to the Step Pyramid of King Djoser and were later relocated to the tomb of Prince Waserif Re during the Late Period. The mission will continue its work to uncover the reasons behind this transfer. The mission, comprising the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Dr. Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage, has also unveiled numerous prominent artifacts from both the Old Kingdom and later periods. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, highlighted that this is the first time a false door made of pink granite of such size—measuring 4.5 meters in height and 1.15 meters in width—has been found. The door is adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions detailing the prince's name and titles, including "heir prince." Additionally, the team discovered a red granite offering table with a diameter of 92.5 cm, inscribed with lists of offerings. Within one chamber of the tomb, a massive black granite statue, standing at 1.17 meters tall, was uncovered. This statue bears hieroglyphic inscriptions revealing the name and titles of its owner, which appears to date back to the 26th Dynasty, suggesting the tomb may have been reused during the Late Period. In front of the eastern facade, another entrance to the tomb was found along with a cartouche of King Neferirkare. Notably, to the north of the lintel, the team uncovered a unique find in Saqqara: a collection of 13 seated statues made of pink granite on a high-backed bench. The mission also found heads of statues positioned higher than the others, representing the wives of the tomb owner seated in the center, with two headless statues flanking them. In front of these statues, another black granite statue was discovered, lying face down, about 1.35 meters tall. The excavation team will continue its efforts to reveal more elements of this unique tomb, marking a significant addition to the archaeological treasures of the area.
