During the ongoing excavation season at the Saqqara necropolis, the joint Egyptian-Japanese archaeological mission revealed a rock tomb containing multiple graves and artifacts spanning different historical periods. Mostafa Waziri, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, disclosed that examinations of the newly discovered tomb and the pottery found within indicate it origin dates to theSecond Dynasty. Mohamed Youssef, the Director General of Saqqara Antiquities and Head of the Egyptian team, reported that the excavated burials include the remnants of a male burial adorned with a colored mask, as well as the burial of a young child. There are also several burials from the Late and Ptolemaic periods, including one with a poorly preserved coffin from the Eighteenth Dynasty, that still contains an antique alabaster vase in good condition. Nozomu Kawai, leading the Japanese side of the mission, highlighted some of the unearthed artifacts, such as two terracotta statues of the goddess Isis, white fragments depicting the god Harpocrates mounting on a bird, wearing a mask in shades of green and white, and embellished with pieces of two faience amulets symbolizing the goddesses Isis and Bes. The mission uncovered…
New Rock Tomb Discovered at Saqqara Necropolis by Egyptian-Japanese Mission
January 10, 2024
