Egypt: Archaeologists uncover tomb near Giza pyramids
February 3, 2018
The tomb likely belonged to a high-ranking female priest, Hetpet, from Egypt's 5th dynasty pharaohs. The 4,400-year-old tomb is the latest in a string of ancient discoveries made in the country in recent months.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. El-Shahed
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Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a more than 4,000-year-old tomb near the famed Giza pyramids just outside the capital Cairo.
The tomb was found during excavation work in Giza's western cemetery, which houses tombs of top officials from ancient Egypt's Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 BC). Several of those tombs have already been dug up since 1842.
The tomb unveiled on Saturday likely belonged to a high ranking official known as Hetpet during the 5th Dynasty of pharaohs in ancient Egypt, the country's Antiquities Ministry announced.
The tomb includes wall paintings depicting Hetpet in various hunting and fishing scenesImage: Getty Images/AFP/M. El-Shahed
Rare inscriptions
The tomb is made of mud bricks and includes wall paintings depicting Hetpet in various hunting and fishing scenes, said Mostafa Al-Waziri, the head of Egypt's archaeological mission, Supreme Council for Antiquities.
The paintings also show two scenes featuring monkeys, popular pets at the time, one reaping fruit and another dancing before an orchestra, Al-Waziri said.
A mummy, bones and many questions
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"Such scenes are rare... and have only been found previously in the [Old Kingdom] tomb of 'Ka-Iber' where a painting shows a monkey dancing in front of a guitarist, not an orchestra," Al-Waziri said.
Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enany told reporters the new tomb includes "a purification basin on which are engraved the name of the tomb's owner and her titles."
"A German expedition had found in 1909 a collection of antiquities carrying this lady's name, or a lady who has the same name, and these antiquities were moved to the Berlin museum at the time," he said.
"And 109 years later, we find this tomb that carries Hetpet's name."
The pyramids: mysterious graves of the ancient Egyptians
As research teams reveal another secret contained within the great Cheops Pyramid in Giza that was built by the ancient Egyptians, we explore why research on these architectural miracles has a long way to go.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ScanPyramids Mission/M. Nelson
A newly-discovered grave chamber or just empty space?
In 2015, French researchers detected a possible void above a descending corridor. But after several instances in recent years of supposedly newly-discovered pyramid chambers that remained unproven, the researchers sought to back the clue up with quantifiable proof. Now it's official: there is indeed a gap within the structure. But is it a chamber?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ScanPyramids Mission
Measuring a mystery
In May 2016, scientists set up a device in front of the Cheops Pyramid that can register muon particles, a byproduct of cosmic radiation. Measurements revealed a void at least 30 meters in length (99 feet) within the largest pyramid at Giza.
The French and Japanese scientists installed detectors in the Cheops Pyramid's interior passageways as well. Muon particles function like x-rays in a human body but can penetrate hundreds of meters of rock. A small portion are deflected — and the differing quantities of particles passing through the stone allow researchers to draw conclusions about wall thickness.
Located on the west bank of the Nile at the edge of the Egyptian desert about 20 kilometers (13 miles) from Cairo's city center, these pyramids are the last surviving ancient wonders of the world — and the largest made by man. They are among the best known and oldest structures of humanity, dating back over 4,500 years.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/DLR
Wonders of antiquity
This photo of the sphinx in front of the Cheops Pyramid was made in 1963 before it had been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That happened in 1979, when the Cheops Pyramid and many others were inducted as part of the complex titled "Memphis and its City of the Dead — the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur."
Image: picture-alliance /ZUMAPRESS.com/Keystone Pictures USA
A desert mystery, now an object of research at the edge of the city
Back in 1335, a monk from Lower Saxony named Otto von Nienhusen visited the pyramids of Giza and was able to view the interior of the Cheops Pyramid. In the late 18th century, British and German archaeologists began exploring it. Now there's fresh hope that new scientific methods can reveal tunnels and perhaps even grave chambers.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Nabil
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String of discoveries
Egypt has announced a series of ancient discoveries in the past few months. In December, Egyptian archaeologists unveiled two ancient tombs in the southern city of Luxor.
The tombs most likely belong to two notable figures from Egypt's 18th dynasty pharaohs, who ruled some 3,500 years ago.
In April, archaeologists discovered eight mummies inside another tomb in Luxor.
Egyptian authorities are trying to revive the tourism industry, which is still reeling from the political turmoil and violence that followed the 2011 Arab Spring uprising against longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.
