SAQQARA REVEALS WIDER BURIAL ZONE
Saqqara, Egypt (MR)- Situated just 12 miles south of Cairo, Saqqara is proving to be a richer archaeological site than previously believed. Egypt's top archaeologist Zahi Hawass relayed today the recent discovery of two new tombs as well as an entrance to a cemetary dating back 4300 years. Both finds, located slightly Southwest of the previous search areas of the Step Pyramid of King Djoser and that of Unas, the last king of the 5th Dynasty, are expected to shed light on the 5th and 6th dynasties which reigned over 4000 years ago.
One of the tombs, about a yard wide and 2.75 yards long, has an inscription above the entrance about the man, Yaamat, for whom it was built. The second tomb is twice the size and includes descriptions and an image of a seated woman. The rock-cut tombs were built for high post officials — one man (presumably Mr. Yaamat) in charge of the quarries used to build the nearby pyramids and another for a woman in charge of procuring entertainers for the pharaohs.Excavations have been going on at Saqqara for about 150 years, uncovering a vast necropolis of pyramids, tombs and funerary complexes mostly from the Old Kingdom, but including sites as recent as the Roman era.
Saqqara continues to yield new finds. In November, Hawass proclaimed the discovery of a new pyramid, the 118th in Egypt, and the 12th to be found at Saqqara. Hawass believes only approximately 30 percent of Egypt's monuments have been uncovered, with the rest still under the desert sand.Hawass also stated that a bust of Pharoah Amenhotep III that has been outside Egypt for close to 15 years was returned to the country on Sunday after a lengthy legal battle with an antiquities dealer in Britain.
Copyright 2008 Museum Review
Images by Malex.org
Copyright 2008 Museum Review
Images by Malex.org
Labels: egypt, pharaoh, zahi hawass
posted by UltimateWriter @ 6:43 AM
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