The discoveries were made during the first excavation season in Sector A, west of the Bubasteion, shedding new light on the funerary significance of the necropolis and its continued use and reuse across successive historical periods.
The tomb of Sekhentio-Ptah includes the remains of a funerary chapel and a false door preserved in its original location. Archaeologists also discovered, directly in front of the false door, a complete assemblage of alabaster funerary ritual objects, including an offering table, an offering slab, a purification basin, and a basin.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions on the false door and the ritual objects identified the tomb owner and revealed several of his prestigious titles, including Royal Chamberlain, Overseer of All the Works of the King, Overseer of Royal Documents, Keeper of the Secrets of Royal Decrees, Priest of the Goddess Maat, and Overseer of the Scribes. The titles indicate that Sekhenty-Ptah held a prominent administrative position within the state apparatus during the Old Kingdom.
The discovery of the complete group of funerary implements in their original location provides valuable new evidence for understanding funerary rituals and practices during the Old Kingdom.
The excavation team also uncovered an interconnected system of burial shafts containing numerous human burials, large quantities of painted funerary cartonnage, and more than 100 faience ushabti figurines. Among the most significant finds were three stone sarcophagi discovered sealed and intact in their original condition, as well as a wooden statue in the form of a falcon and a diverse collection of pottery vessels and other archaeological objects.
Preliminary studies suggest that some of the burial shafts were subjected to looting in antiquity, evidenced by openings created by tomb robbers between burial chambers. Despite this, the surviving finds remain of considerable archaeological and scientific importance and are expected to provide further insights into the site’s internal layout, architectural development and successive phases of use.
Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) noted that the excavation was carried out under a comprehensive scientific programme involving meticulous excavation, stratigraphic recording, architectural, photographic and digital documentation, as well as archaeological and linguistic studies and comparative research.
Amr El-Tibi, Director General of the Saqqara Archaeological site and Head of the Mission, said that the discoveries offer rich material for studying funerary practices and burial traditions, particularly during the Late Period, while also helping researchers trace the successive phases of reuse of the necropolis.
The Egyptian mission is continuing the documentation, analysis and comparative study of the newly discovered material. The results are expected to be published in specialized peer-reviewed academic journals as part of an integrated scientific research programme.
El- Tibi believes that the site still holds significant potential for further discoveries, which could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the history and development of the Bubasteion Necropolis, one of Egypt’s most important archaeological sites spanning multiple historical periods.
Short link: