SCA excavators unearth rock-carved tomb in Suhag
Egypt, History, 2/21/2002

An Egyptian excavating team has recently unearthed a rock-carved tomb in the mountainous area of Al Khazendaria in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Suhag.

According to Gaballah Ali Gaballah Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the tomb that goes back to the fifth dynasty (3200 BC) has a 2,45 entrance in the eastern side leading to two corridors each 5.7 metres long ending up with an irregular shaped burial chamber.

The team found two statues of the owner of the tomb at the sides of the entrance.

Relief inscriptions on the outer southern part of the tomb represent the owner in a standing position in front of the gods.

Director of Upper Egypt Antiquities, Yehia Al Masri, said that the team, moreover, reported finding inside the tomb a mummified scarab with remains of red and black linen wraps in addition to copper utensils dating back to the Graeco-Roman age.

Such utensils, said Al Masri, indicated that the tomb was still in use in te Graeco-Roman age.

He noted that remains of a housing agglomeration and a Ptolemaic temple were found in the same area a few weeks before.

Meanwhile, Dr Gaballah said that another SCA team had unearthed a coloured ceramic sarcophagus at the eastern Cairo suburb of Ain Shams. The find turned to belong to the foreman of Oun cemetery during the reign of king Basmatic II of the 28th dynasty.

He explained that the sarcophagus bore Hiratic writings in black ink showing the name of the owner of the tomb i.e Iran Haguti.

The sarcophagus also bore a painting of Nut, goddess of the sky spreading its wings over the tomb owner.

The sides of the tomb showed another painting of god Anobis taking the shape of a jackal and god Sekhmet.

A large collection of beads of different shapes and colours in addition to a set of amulets and three scarabs were among the finds.

The tomb was unearthed in the vicinity of Banhsi tomb which is being under a comprehensive restoration project whereby the tomb is to be dismantled and reinstalled after raising its ground level to avoid the detrimental effect of underground water.

With respect to other finds across the country Dr Gaballah said that a team of excavators had also found sun-dried brick storehouses belonging to the Roman age in the governorate of Sharqia.

The find, he said, was made while carrying out restoration of Imnemhat III Palace in Tel Basta.

The storehouses are considered intact compared to previous finds of the same nature. Adjacent to the storehouses excavators found houses where amulets and pots were left behind.

It is noteworthy that the Imnemhat Palace includes a large number of rooms.

Inside there was found a stela representing features of festivities held for Bastat, the goddess of Tel Basta in addition to royal statues of the king and his ministers.

Previous Stories:
  1st, 2nd dynasties tombs unearthed in Helwan   (2/20/2002)
  Roman stores unearthed in Tal Basta   (2/18/2002)
  New archeological find in Ain Shams   (2/16/2002)

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