(ORDO NEWS) — A pink granite sarcophagus was found near Cairo, Egypt, which belongs to a high-ranking Egyptian nobleman. It lay in an ancient burial chamber for thousands of years.
The discovery of sarcophagi in this condition is a rarity in Saqqara, as many of the tombs were looted and damaged hundreds of years ago.
Archaeologists say that the sarcophagus of Ptahemvia, he served as the head of the treasury under Ramses II. The sarcophagus itself is decorated on all sides with emblems, hieroglyphs.
The name of Ptahemvia and his titles were engraved on the lid, as well as the texts of prayers throughout the body.
A 3,300-year-old stone coffin was found in pristine and excellent condition in a tomb in a shaft measuring 2.2 by 2.1 meters.
Professor Ola El Agizi, who discovered the sarcophagus, hopes that the find will shed light on the history of the people who ruled Egypt after Tutankhamen.
The archaeologist said: “The hieroglyphs on the sarcophagus confirm that these are Ptahemvia. They match those found on the walls of the tomb itself.
This only emphasizes that this man was quite close to the king. These days, he could be equated with the Minister of Finance.”
Deep under the sands
The archaeologists had to move several tons of sand to create a shaft through which they could reach the first level of the tomb, located next to the pyramid of King Unas.
There, they discovered 3,000-year-old stonework that had to be reinforced before they could safely descend further.
There was a small depression in the floor that concealed a second shaft, which the crew descended from in a large metal bucket that had to be lifted and lowered by hand.
This second underground level was the burial chamber, and it was there that the sarcophagus was located.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.