A tomb belonging to the high priest Wahtye, who served during the reign of King Neferirkare (between 2500-2300 BC), has been discovered in the ancient Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)
A newly discovered, well-preserved tomb in Egypt has been determined to be the final resting place of a royal priest who, according to one excavation official, really loved his mom.
“He mentions the name of his mother almost everywhere here,” said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, pointing to the dozens of hieroglyphics, statues and drawings surrounding him.
Photos and videos of the tomb, which is more than 4,000 years old, show its exceptional condition. Waziri said the find was “one of a kind in the last decades,” according to Reuters.
The priest’s name is Wahtye, who served during Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty under King Neferirkare, according to Waziri. His tomb is about 33 feet long, 10 feet wide and 10 feet high, and was uncovered in the Saqqara region, south of Cairo. It contains two levels filled with several-dozen statues and colorful drawings of the priest and his family.
Various drawings depict “the manufacturing of pottery and wine, making religious offering, musical performances, boats sailing, the manufacturing of the funerary furniture, and hunting,” according to Egypt Today. NPR reports that the Saqqara site is part of a larger complex where archaeologists have discovered art and architecture providing insight into daily life in ancient Egypt.
Scenes depict the owner of the tomb and his family inside the newly discovered tomb of Wahtye, a royal priest during the reign of King Neferirkare, in Egypt’s Saqqara area. (Khaled Elfiqi/EPA-EFE/REX)
Many other ancient artifacts probably remain hidden in the tomb’s lower depths, Waziri said. He pointed toward a shaft that he believes contains a sarcophagus of the tomb’s owner, in addition to many other objects.
“We’re gonna start, the day after tomorrow, digging to reveal what kind of secrets this shaft his hiding,” he said. Further excavation is expected to begin Sunday.
Waziri said the tomb’s discovery was special because of its near-perfect condition. Its drawings were almost completely preserved, and the tomb itself had not been looted, he said, according to Reuters.
“The color is almost intact even though the tomb is almost 4,400 years old,” he said, according to Reuters. Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty ruled from about 2,500 BC to 2,350 BC.
More photos of the tomb are below:
A view of a wall of the newly discovered tomb of Wahtye. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)
An archaeological worker stands inside the tomb. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)
Statues inside the tomb of Wahtye. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)
Statues inside the tomb of Wahtye. (Khaled Elfiqi/EPA-EFE/REX)
The tomb of Wahtye dates to the reign of King Neferirkare. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)
Statues inside the tomb of Wahtye. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)
A statue inside the tomb of Wahtye. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)
A view of the entrance of the newly discovered tomb of Wahtye. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)
Archaeologists will continue to excavate Wahtye’s tomb and expect to make more discoveries soon, Waziri said.
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This story was originally published by Washington Post
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