Date:

Archaeologists discover tomb of Ancient Egyptian royal clerk at Saqqara

Archaeologists from the Polish-Egyptian archaeological mission in Saqqara, Egypt, have discovered a tomb belonging to a royal clerk during the reign of Pharaoh Userkare.

Userkare (also Woserkare, meaning “Powerful is the soul of Ra”) was the second pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty during the late 24th to early 23rd century BC. It is believed that Userkare rose to power by orchestrating a harem plot with palace bodyguards to murder Pharaoh Teti.

Archaeologists uncovered what they believe is the burial shaft of the tomb whilst excavating a chapel, discovering reliefs that describe Mehcheczi, a royal clerk who was in charge of managing the royal estates.

The reliefs suggest that Mehczeczi was admitted to the secrets of the pharaoh’s archive, assumed to indicate that he had access to documents created at the royal chancellery before they were published. The chapel wasn’t finished by the time Mehczeczi died, with sketches of sacrificial animals: cows, oryxes and ibexes in black ink on lime plaster being visible.

- Advertisement -

The tomb and chapel is located on the eastern edge of a large rectangular dry moat that surrounds the Step Pyramid burial complex dedicated to Pharaoh Djoser. The moat remained in use for several hundred years after the pharaoh’s reign, but today is almost entirely covered with rubble and sand blown in from the desert.

Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz from the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw said: “We have only unveiled the façade of the chapel with the interior waiting for the next excavation season. Mehczeczi was clearly able to hire an efficient team of craftsmen, his chapel is decorated with reliefs of exceptional beauty that reveals an exceptionally skilled hand – elegant lines and subtle modelling comparable with the reliefs of Merefnebef’s tomb (a vizier at the court of Pharaoh Userkare)”.

Excavations have concluded for this season, with the research team planning to explore what remains beneath the chapel and determine whether the tomb has been robbed in the near future.

PAP

Header Image Credit : Jarosław Dąbrowski

 

- Advertisement -
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is an award winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 7,500 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education and the BCA Medal of Honour.

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Prison bakery for enslaved people found in Roman Pompeii

Archaeologists have uncovered a Prison bakery during recent excavations in Pompeii.

Baboons in Ancient Egypt were raised in captivity before being mummified

In a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, researchers examined a collection of baboon mummies from the ancient Egyptian site of Gabbanat el-Qurud, the so-called Valley of the Monkeys on the west bank of Luxor.

Archaeologists find 22 mummified burials in Peru

A Polish-Peruvian team of archaeologists have uncovered 22 mummified burials in Barranca, Peru.

Oldest prehistoric fortress found in remote Siberia

An international team, led by archaeologists from Freie Universität Berlin has uncovered an ancient prehistoric fortress in a remote region of Siberia known as Amnya.

Top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2023

The field of archaeology has been continuously evolving in 2023, making significant strides in uncovering new historical findings, preserving cultural heritage, and employing innovative technologies to study the past.

War in Ukraine sees destruction of cultural heritage not witnessed since WW2

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has resulted in a significant loss of human lives and the national and international displacement of many Ukrainian people.

Archaeologists find five Bronze Age axes in the forests of Kociewie

According to an announcement by the Pomeranian Provincial Conservator of Monuments, archaeologists have discovered five Bronze Age axes in Starogard Forest District, located in Kociewie, Poland.

Origins of English Christmas traditions

Christmas embodies a tapestry of ritual traditions and customs shared by many countries and cultures. Some hearken back to ancient times, while others represent more recent innovations.