Ancient tomb containing 5 secret tunnels discovered in Egypt
Archaeologists have discovered a tomb built more than 4,000 years ago by a high-ranking priest.
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Wahtye's tomb contains many statues and drawings.. |
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb containing at least 55 statues in Saqqara, Egypt, on December 15.Live Sciencereport.The tomb belonged to Wahtye, a high-ranking priest and known as the "miraculous judge," according to Mostafa Waziri, head of the archaeological mission.
Wahtye worked for the pharaoh Neferirkare, who ruled Egypt from 2446 to 2438 BC. Neferirkare's pyramid is located in the Abusir area, north of Saqqara.
"The tomb is exceptionally well preserved and has colorful sculptures inside," said Khaled El-Enany, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities. Underneath the tomb, archaeologists also discovered five secret chambers, one of which may contain Wahtye's coffin.
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The two people in this picture are most likely Wahtye and his wife. |
The mausoleum has two floors, the upper floor contains 24 statues, the lower floor contains 31. Most of the statues are of people or gods, some are life-sized, others are less than a meter tall.
Hieroglyphs in the tomb make several references to Wahtye's mother, Merit Meen. The name means "beloved of Min," the Wazirit god of fertility. Wahtye's wife, Nin Winit Ptah, is also mentioned. Nin Winit Ptah means "the best of Ptah." Ptah was the founder of Memphis, the ancient Egyptian capital, and the god of crafts and architecture.
The tomb contains many paintings with colors that have remained well after thousands of years. The paintings show many ancient Egyptian activities such as cooking, eating and building. The research team plans to excavate five chambers on December 17 to find more valuable scientific information.
