New light shines into Egyptian necropolis

SAQQARA, Egypt－Five ancient tombs were unveiled on Saturday at the Saqqara archaeological site south of the capital Cairo, the latest in a series of landmark discoveries in the area.

Saqqara is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to more than a dozen pyramids, animal burial sites and ancient Coptic Christian monasteries.

Egyptian archaeologists discovered the five tombs northeast of the pyramid of King Merenre I, who ruled Egypt around 2270 BC.

The five tombs were unearthed earlier this month and date back to the Old Kingdom, a period spanning roughly from around 2700 BC to 2200 BC, as well as to the First Intermediate Period, which lasted for more than a century after the Old Kingdom collapsed, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the five tombs, all of which are in good condition, belonged to senior royal officials.

"All of those five tombs are well painted, well decorated. Excavations did not stop. We are planning to continue our excavations. We believe that we can find more tombs in this area," he told reporters at the site.

The tombs were found near the Step Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara Necropolis, 24 kilometers from Cairo.

Footage on the ministry's social media accounts showed burial shafts leading to the tombs. Walls were seen decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and images of sacred animals and afterlife items used by ancient Egyptians.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said one of the tombs belonged to a top official named Iry. A limestone sarcophagus and colorful decorations were found in the tomb.

The remaining tombs belonged to other members of the royal court, including a "steward of the royal house" and a priestess who was "responsible for the king's beautification".

The Saqqara site is part of a sprawling necropolis in Memphis that includes the famed Giza Pyramids as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh.

The ruins of Memphis were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1970s.

Rich history

In January last year, Egypt unveiled ancient treasures found at Saqqara, including more than 50 wooden sarcophagi dating back to the New Kingdom (16th to 11th centuries BC), a discovery that famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass said "rewrites history".

Saqqara, which lies south of the Great Pyramids of Giza, has provided a rich seam of archaeological discoveries in recent years.

Egyptian authorities hope to inaugurate the new Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza plateau later this year, after its opening was repeatedly delayed.

It is hoped that the new museum, in addition to various archaeological discoveries in recent years, will help revive the country's vital tourism industry.

In recent years Egypt has heavily promoted new archaeological finds to international media and diplomats in the hope of attracting more tourists.

Agencies via Xinhua