Archaeologists in Egypt were able to find tombs in Saqqara that date back to 1,800 to 4,800 years. Some of these tombs were found to contain distinct and colorful mummy masks as well as a childlike statue figure of the Greek deity of silence.
Findings in Newly Unearthed Saqqara Tombs
According to Nozomu Kawai, who serves as the director of Kanazawa University's Institute for the Study of Ancient Civilizations and Cultural Resources in Japan, the colorful mummy masks would have been worn by the dead. These masks roughly date back to B.C. 29 to 641 A.D., during the Roman period. Kawai was also the one who led the excavations.
The archaeology specialists were also able to find a small figure statue that depicts Haprocrates, a Greek deity with a childlike appearance that has been linked to silence. Haprocates was depicted riding a goose, which signifies an evil spirit that the Divine Child triumphs over.
On top of this, the team also discovered a carved stone slab with writings that note that the slab is from a man called Heroides.
Tombs in Saqqara
Some of the site burials in northern Saqqara were originally found by Kawai and his team back in 2019. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the archaeologists were forced to suspend their efforts.
When they went back to the site in 2023, they were able to unearth more tombs and artifacts in the area. According to Kawai, the area they are excavating is the North Saqqara plateau's eastern escarpment.
Based on their excavations, Kawai notes that the oldest tombs date back to the Second Dynasty which was roughly 4,800 years ago. They also discovered tombs from the 18th dynasty, which was in B.C. 1550 to 1295, and the Late Period in B.C. 712 to 332. The team also found more artifacts and tombs from the Roman and Ptolemaic times.
In one of the site's oldest tombs, the archaeologists discovered an Egyptian alabaster plate from the Second Dynasty that was accompanied by a crouching burial within a wooden box coffin. The burial appeared to have deteriorated due to termites.
Moreover, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, a tomb from the 18th century had a mummy inside a coffin.
Saqqara holds a wide range of necropolises. Hence, it is not surprising that archaeologists have discovered tombs that date to various ancient Egyptian dynasties.
Tomb excavation and analysis still continue.
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