five pharaonic tombs unveiled at Saqqara in the necropolis of Memphis

Five tombstones “in good condition” were unveiled by Egyptian archaeologists on Saturday March 19 in Saqqara, in the necropolis of Memphis, the capital of the Old Kingdom of the pharaohs. The tombs were discovered northeast of the pyramid of King Merenre I who ruled Egypt around 2270 BC.

The site of Saqqara, just over fifteen kilometers south of the famous pyramids of the Giza Plateau, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for the famous step pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, the first of the era pharaonic. This monument, built around 2,700 BC. by the architect Imhotep, is considered one of the oldest on the surface of the globe.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the tombs contained the remains of senior officials. In the vault of one of them, named Iry, the excavations brought to light a limestone sarcophagus and colored decorations represent funerary scenes, including “tables of offerings, the seven oils and the facade of a palace”he said in a press release.

Three other tombs, six meters deep, belong to two women, one of whom was “solely responsible for the king’s beautification”, and to the priest Pepi Nefhany. And the last, dedicated to “Henu, steward of the royal household”sinks seven meters deep, from the same source.

Already in January 2021, Egypt had unveiled new archaeological “treasures” in the Saqqara necropolis, including around fifty New Kingdom sarcophagi more than 3,000 years old, claiming that they made it possible to “rewrite history” of this period.

The Egyptian authorities hope to inaugurate in the coming months the “Great Egyptian Museum” near the Giza plateau and are counting on these new discoveries to revive tourism, hit hard by the Covid-19. This sector, which employs two million people and generates more than 10% of GDP, has been at half mast since the Arab Spring in 2011.