A joint Egyptian-Japanese archaeological mission uncovered numerous mastabas, tombs, and burials in the Saqqara area, according to Youm7.
The recent findings include tombs and artifacts from the Second, Third, and Eighteenth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. Notably, the expedition uncovered over ten burials from the 18th Dynasty, indicating that Saqqara was used as a necropolis during the New Kingdom when Memphis was reinstated as the capital of Egypt after the expulsion of the Hyksos. This discovery demonstrates that Saqqara began serving as a burial site during the New Kingdom period.
According to Al-Bayan, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of four tombs dating back to the late Second and early Third Dynasties, including two mudbrick mastabas and two rock-cut tombs. One of the rock-cut tombs is located near the edge of the northern Saqqara plateau and features an upper structure and a well fortified with a limestone slab at the entrance to the corridor leading to the burial chamber. The second mastaba, adjacent to the rocky slope, has an upper part made of mudbrick and a rectangular shaft at its center.
These discoveries suggest that the Saqqara necropolis extends further north than previously thought. Near the site, several artifacts were found, including an alabaster plate and a solid cylindrical vessel that may date back to the late Second Dynasty and early Third Dynasty, along with a limestone seal.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, emphasized the significance of the discovery, stating that it confirms Saqqara still holds many undisclosed secrets.
The joint expedition’s Japanese head, Dr. Nozomu Kawai, noted that the work during this year’s excavation season included the restoration and cleaning of Greco-Roman catacombs that had been discovered prior to the mission. During the cleaning process, the team discovered mummified human remains, representations of funerary temples made of terracotta, fragments of heads depicting goddesses such as Isis and Aphrodite also made of terracotta, as well as fragments of wooden coffins and ceramic objects.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
