The
recent discovery of the tomb of an ancient Egyptian princess from the Fifth
Dynasty has opened a new chapter in the saga of the Abusir necropolis, says
Nevine El-Aref.
An
archaeological mission from the Czech Institute of Egyptology at the Charles
University in Prague, who is carrying out routine excavations on the north side
of the Abusir necropolis, 30km south of the Giza Plateau, has been taken by
surprise with the discovery of an important rock-hewn tomb.
The
tomb belonged to a Fifth-Dynasty princess named Sheretnebty, and alongside it
were four tombs belonging to high–ranking officials. An era enclosed within a
courtyard. The tombs had been robbed in antiquity and no mummies were found
inside them.
According
to the Czech mission’s archaeological report, a copy of which has been given to
Al-Ahram Weekly, traces of the courtyard were first detected in 2010 while
archaeologists were investigating a neighbouring mastaba (bench tomb). However,
active exploration of the royal tomb was not undertaken until this year, when
it was discovered that the ancient Egyptian builders used a natural depression
in the bedrock to dig a four-metre-deep tomb almost hidden amidst the mastaba
tombs constructed around it on higher ground. Four rock-hewn tombs were also
unearthed within the courtyard surrounding the royal tomb.
The
north and west walls of the princess’s tomb were cased with limestone blocks,
while its south wall was cut in the bedrock. The east wall was also carved in
limestone, along with the staircase and slabs descending from north to south. The
courtyard of the tomb has four limestone pillars which originally supported
architraves and roofing blocks. On
the tomb’s south side are four pillars engraved with hieroglyphic inscriptions
stating: “The king’s daughter of his body, his beloved, revered in front of the
great god, Sheretnebty.”
Miroslav
Barta, head of the Czech mission, says early investigations have revealed that
the owner of the tomb was previously unknown, but that it most probably
belonged to the family of a Fifth-Dynasty king. The preliminary date of the
structure, based on the stratigraphy of the site and analysis of the name,
Barta says, falls in the second half of the Fifth Dynasty. It is surprising
that the tomb should not be located in Abusir south, among the tombs of
non-royal officials, considering that most members of the Fifth-Dynasty royal
family are buried 2km north of Abusir pyramid.
While
digging inside Sheretnebty’s tomb, the Czech archaeologists found a corridor
that contains the entrances to four rock-hewn tombs of top officials of the
Fifth Dynasty. Barta
says two tombs have been completely explored so far. The first belonged to the
chief of justice of the great house, Shepespuptah, and the second to Duaptah,
the inspector of the palace attendants. Both tombs probably date from the reign
of King Djedkare Isesi.... READ MORE.
The
discovery was made after authorities received reports of illegal excavations in
the area.
