The Egyptian Archaeological Mission working at the necropolis in Saqqara. Picture: Amr Nabil/AP.
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(by Reuters at France24) – Egypt unveiled a well-preserved 4,400-year-old tomb decorated with hieroglyphs and statues south of Cairo on Saturday, and officials expect more discoveries when archaeologists excavate the site further in coming months.
The tomb was found in a buried ridge at the ancient necropolis* of Saqqara. It was untouched and unlooted, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters at the site. [*A necropolis is a large elaborate cemetery of an ancient city]
He described the find as “one of a kind in the last decades.”
The tomb dates from the rule of Neferirkare Kakai, the third king of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.
Archaeologists removed a last layer of debris from the tomb on Thursday and found five shafts inside, Waziri said. One of the shafts was unsealed with nothing inside, but the other four were sealed. They are expecting to make discoveries when they excavate those shafts starting on Sunday, he said. He was hopeful about one shaft in particular.
“I can imagine that all of the objects can be found in this area,” he said, pointing at one of the sealed shafts. “This shaft should lead to a coffin or a sarcophagus of the owner of the tomb.”
The tomb is 33 ft long, 9.8 ft wide and just under [9.8 ft] high, Waziri said.
The walls are decorated with hieroglyphs and statues of pharaohs. Waziri said the tomb was unique because of the statues and its near perfect condition.
“The color is almost intact even though the tomb is almost 4,400 years old,” he said.
The tomb lies in a buried ridge that has only partially been uncovered. Waziri said he expects more discoveries to be made there when archaeologists start more excavation work in January.
The Fifth Dynasty ruled Egypt from about 2,500 BC to 2,350 BC, not long after the great pyramid of Giza was built.
Saqqara served as the necropolis for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than two millennia.
Ancient Egyptians mummified humans to preserve their bodies for the afterlife, while animal mummies were used as religious offerings.
Egypt has revealed over a dozen ancient discoveries this year. (Read about one of the finds reported in February.)
The country hopes the finds will brighten its image abroad and revive interest among travelers who once flocked to its iconic pharaonic temples and pyramids but who fled after the 2011 political uprising.
From a Reuters report published at France24 .com on December 16. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission from France24.
Questions
1. For EGYPT, give the following information:
- capital
- location/the countries that share its borders
- the religious breakdown of the population
- the type of government
- the chief of state (and head of government if different) If monarch or dictator, since what date has he/she ruled? – include name of heir apparent for monarch
- the population
Find the answers at the CIA World FactBook website. For each country, answers can be found under the “Geography” “People” and “Government” headings.
NOTE: Before answering the questions below, watch the video under “Resources.”
2. For EGYPT:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) What is significant about the discovery? Be specific.
c) How many ancient discoveries has Egypt has revealed this year?
d) How does the government hope the discovery will benefit the country?
e) Do you think it will succeed – or should travelers still be cautious about touring in Egypt? Explain your answer.
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