EGYPT: ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER SEVEN TOMBS OF PHARAONIC PRIESTS AND OFFICIALS DATING BACK MORE THAN 3,000 YEARS

Record ID: 647891

  • Title: EGYPT: ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER SEVEN TOMBS OF PHARAONIC PRIESTS AND OFFICIALS DATING BACK MORE THAN 3,000 YEARS
  • Date: 7th June 2002
  • Summary: (W4) SAQQARA, EGYPT (JUNE 05, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV ZOOM OUT SAQQARA PYRAMID WITH THE TOMBS 0.10 2. SLV THREE DISCOVERED TOMBS PAN SCENE (3 SHOTS) 0.26 3. SCU WORKER CLEANING CARVED BOARD; SLV ANOTHER TWO TOMBS; MV HEADLESS STATUE OF A LION INSIDE ONE OF THE TOMBS; MV PART OF THE PYRAMID OF QUEEN KHEWET (10 SHOTS) 1.44 4. MV ONE OF THE WORKERS CARRYING THE PYRAMIDIAN, SHOWING THE CARVED NAME AND STATUE; SCU STONE WITH NAME AND STATUE (6 SHOTS) 2.20 5. MV ZAHI HAWASS, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ANTIQUITIES, WALKING 2.25 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAHI HAWASS, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ANTIQUITIES, SAYING "The style of the New Kingdom tombs are shown an entrance and an open court; inside the open court of the well, it leads to the centre of the temple and inside the sanctuary there is a chapel has the name of the deceased. Because this area that is behind me has been used as a cemetery in the new kingdom. Then we found many tombs from dynasty eighteen and dynasty nineteen from the New Kingdom about three thousand years ago." 2.51 7. SCU STONE WITH HIEROGLYPH 2.58 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAHI HAWASS SAYING "We know in the New Kingdom that the tombs in Bar al Madina in Luxor was topped with cap stone but we never discovered a pyramidian that topped the pyramids in this area and this cap stone is made out of limestone and is about 37cm high and in one face we see the deceased standing worshipping in the door wearing a unique uniform behind him a hieroglyphic inscription is telling us the name of this man and his titles." 3.33 9. SLV SAQQARA PYRAMID WITH THE TOMBS 3.39 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SAQQARA, EGYPT
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVA9D3R5V8HLAO8LGSZYABKMROFR
  • Story Text: Archaeologists have discovered seven tombs of Pharaonic
    priests and officials dating back more than 3,000 years in the
    desert south of Cairo.

    Zahi Hawass, the head of Egypt's Supreme Antiquities
    Council, told reporters at the site that the tombs, made from
    mud brick and limestone and buried in the sand, were from the
    New Kingdom period, which lasted from 1567 BC to 1085 BC.

    The tombs were found near the ancient Saqqara pyramids
    that date back to the Old Kingdom from 2613 BC to 2181 BC.

    "The tombs all are for officials who were in the
    government in the north of Egypt," Hawass said at the site of
    the tombs, which were several metres (yard) long.

    "The style of the new kingdom tombs are shown an entrance
    and an open court; inside the open court of the well, it leads
    to the centre of the temple and inside the sanctuary there is
    a chapel has the name of the deceased. Because this area that
    is behind me has been used as a cemetery in the new kingdom.

    Then we found many tombs from dynasty 18 and dynasty 19 from
    the New Kingdom about 3,000 years ago," Hawass added.

    The tombs were designed with an entrance that led to a
    small court area, a burial chamber and a sanctuary or chapel
    area.

    One belonged to a royal scribe called Djihouti-Mheb, whose
    name was inscribed on a stone tablet, and another belonged to
    Ptah-Mes, a priest to the god Ptah. The other tombs were for
    other court officials or priests. At one site, archaeologists
    discovered a pyramidian, a small pyramid-shaped block that
    would have been used to cap the tomb. A figure representing
    the man buried was carved into one side of the pyramidian, and
    his name was etched into another.

    "We know in the New Kingdom that the tombs in Bar al
    Madina in Luxor was topped with cap stone but we never
    discovered a pyramidian that topped the pyramids in this area
    and this cap stone is made out of limestone and is about 37cm
    high and in one face we see the deceased standing worshipping
    in the door wearing a unique uniform behind him a hieroglyphic
    inscription is telling us the name of this man and his
    titles," Hawass explained.

    The archaeologists also uncovered part of the statue of a
    lion and other stone ornaments, as well as parts of an ancient
    wooden coffin.


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