This may be the oldest and most complete ancient Egyptian mummy ever discovered in Egypt.
The archaeological team is returning to the Saqqara archaeological site
On January 26th, Reuters reported that archaeologists had discovered a 4,300-year-old mummy in a necropolis belonging to the Fifth or Sixth Dynasty of ancient Egypt near the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, located approximately 30km south of Cairo.
The Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of ancient Egypt lasted from 2500 BCE to 2100 BCE.
“This is believed to be the oldest and most complete mummy ever found in Egypt,” said Zahi Hawass, the head of the archaeological team and former Minister of Antiquities of Egypt, to the press.
Hawass stated that the mummy, which is around 4,300 years old, was found at the end of a 15-meter-long tunnel inside the tomb complex.
The tunnel contained the Egyptian tomb with a dating of around 4,300 years old.
The coffin contained the mummy
An ancient Egyptian relief was found inside the tomb complex.
The newly discovered mummy is believed to be that of a man named “Hekashepes,” according to archaeologists. It was placed inside a limestone coffin and sealed with ancient adhesive material.
Near this tomb, the archaeologists also discovered the tomb of “Khnumdjedef” – a noble overseer and priest of the Unas dynasty (the last pharaoh to rule the Fifth Dynasty). The tomb of “Khnumdjedef” was decorated with depictions of daily life in ancient Egypt.
Another tomb belonged to “Meri” – a steward and personal assistant to the pharaoh – was also found.
Several ancient statues were excavated from the aforementioned tombs. The statues depict a man standing next to his wife and servants, according to the archaeological team.
Egypt hopes that these new archaeological discoveries will help revive the country’s tourism industry. Tourism is one of Egypt’s major sources of foreign currency, but it has been stagnant in recent years due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
