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A carving of six sculpted figures in a small funerary chapel discovered at Saqqara, Egypt. The chapel’s owner has yet to be identified, however the carving depicts two men in the center, each accompanied by their wives holding the hands of children. Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Burial Secrets Uncovered! Underground Tomb Complex and Chapels Found at Saqqara

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After two years, Dutch and Italian archaeologists returned to work at an impressive site in Saqqara, Egypt. Their excavations were delayed by the pandemic, with the team only being able to return to work in September last year. But their wait was worth it – they’ve unearthed an incredible ancient underground tomb complex and four chapels.

The mission, which is led by Christian Greco, the director of the Museo Egizio in Italy, and Lara Weiss, the curator of the Egyptian and Nubian collection at the museum in Leiden, Netherlands, aims to better understand the history of Saqqara - one of the most important sites from ancient Egypt.

A joint Dutch-Italian archaeological mission has discovered a cemetery and four small chapels dating to the Ramesside era in Egypt’s Saqqara. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

A joint Dutch-Italian archaeological mission has discovered a cemetery and four small chapels dating to the Ramesside era in Egypt’s Saqqara. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Archaeologists have been excavating at Saqqara for a long time, but as Ms. Weiss told The National “with every new discovery, we understand better the life of the ancient Egyptians there and how they used the site. Today we have a much wider understanding than when we started in the 1970s and we want to really have a wide understanding of Saqqara as a whole from the early dynastic period into the Greco-Roman late period.”

The recent archaeological work at Saqqara shows there is great effort towards reaching that goal one day.

The Monumental Tomb Complex and its Decoration

The remarkable tomb complex was built for Panehsy, a steward of the temple of Amun who lived at some point around 1250 BC, during the reign of Ramses II. Panehsy’s burial building resembles a freestanding temple. It has an entrance, an inner courtyard of columned porticoes, a shaft leading to underground burial chambers, and three chapels. The tomb is found near the famous tomb of Maya, a high-ranking official during the reign of the boy-king Tutankhamun.

The rectangular tomb complex of Panehsy is situated north of the tomb of the famous Maya, a high-ranking official from the time of Tutankhamun. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The rectangular tomb complex of Panehsy is situated north of the tomb of the famous Maya, a high-ranking official from the time of Tutankhamun. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

When they ventured inside the tomb, archaeologists discovered images on the walls showing Panehsy and his wife Baia (the singer of Amun) in front of an offering table, as well as several other drawings of priests and religious offerings. Christian Greco said the most beautiful representation depicts Panehsy while he’s worshipping the goddess Hathor.

The drawing of a priest named Piay performing funeral rituals suggests that he may have been Panehsy’s assistant and he could have been in charge of the funeral. Showing the man with a leopard skin around his shoulders performing funerary duties in Panehsy’s honor suggests that Panehsy had no children. If he had had children those duties would have been performed by his eldest son.

More Chapels at Saqqara

Along with Panehsy’s tomb, the team discovered four small chapels in the area, with well-preserved funeral scenes and drawings found in two of the chapels. One of the chapels also contained a rare carved inscription of the tomb owner and his family.

The most impressive of these chapels was built for Yoeyoe (spelled Yuyu by some sources) a maker of gold foil for the pharaoh’s treasury. While the chapel only measures about one square meter, Ms. Weiss said the quality and details of the wall decorations are stunning and filled with “interesting details” and that “He had a very nice tomb with wonderful reliefs which show large traces of color.”

The wall of a small chapel showing the funeral of a man named Yuyu, who was a maker of gold foil in the treasury of the pharaoh. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The wall of a small chapel showing the funeral of a man named Yuyu, who was a maker of gold foil in the treasury of the pharaoh. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Scenes include a depiction of a large funeral procession and the resurrection of the man’s mummy in the afterlife. Artists also created a colorful portrayal of four generations of Yoeyoe’s relatives and scenes of veneration for the goddess Hathor and the ship of the local Saqqara god Sokar.

The second chapel, created for an unknown man, contained a very rare, sculptured representation of the tomb's owner and his family. However, the remains of the other two chapels were less informative as they were found in a poorly preserved state.

Egyptian conservator Hassan Soliman, who works for the Supreme Council of Antiquities in the Saqqara archaeological area, works to restore the fragile limestone in the small funerary chapel of Yuyu. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Egyptian conservator Hassan Soliman, who works for the Supreme Council of Antiquities in the Saqqara archaeological area, works to restore the fragile limestone in the small funerary chapel of Yuyu. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The discovery of Panehsy’s tomb complex and the chapels adds to the growing list of important and interesting archaeological finds in Saqqara recently, including a collection of coffins and burial shafts, a red-pink granite sarcophagus, and 2600-year-old cheese.

These discoveries also cast light on the rich and complex history of ancient Egypt and provide significant insights into the lives of the people who lived during the past, as well as lifting the curtain “on new individuals not yet known in historical sources,” according to Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The archaeological mission plans to return to its on-site work in about a year.

Top Image: A carving of six sculpted figures in a small funerary chapel discovered at Saqqara, Egypt. The chapel’s owner has yet to be identified, however the carving depicts two men in the center, each accompanied by their wives holding the hands of children. Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

By Alicia McDermott

 
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Alicia

Alicia McDermott holds degrees in Anthropology, Psychology, and International Development Studies and has worked in various fields such as education, anthropology, and tourism. She is the Chief Editor of Ancient Origins Magazine. Traveling throughout Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, Alicia... Read More

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