Egypt discovers ancient Pharaonic tomb near Giza pyramids

Egypt's ministry of antiquities announced on Tuesday the discovery of a tomb of a Fifth Dynasty dignitary at the burial ground Saqqara near the Giza pyramids.

This photo released Tuesday, April 2, 2019, by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, shows pharaonic paintings in the tomb of a noble from the time of one of the earliest pharaonic dynasties, in Saqqara, Giza, Egypt. [Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities via AP]

According to a ministry statement, the tomb was found by Egyptian archaeologists during an excavation and documentation survey in Saqqara.

The tomb consists of a superstructure with an L-shaped offering chamber which was once decorated with reliefs, the statement said.

"Only the bottom part of this decoration is preserved, as the white limestone blocks of the other parts were re-used in the construction of other buildings in antiquity," the statement read.

According to the statement, the tomb's decoration represents the tomb owner named Khuwy who is sitting in front of the offering table on the south and north walls.

Mohamed Megahed, head of the archaeological mission, told the official Ahram Online news website that the mission located the undecorated burial chamber through two entrances in the west wall of the antechamber of the tomb.

"It seems that the space of the burial chamber was almost completely filled with a limestone sarcophagus, which was found entirely destroyed by ancient tomb robbers," Megahed added.

This photo released Tuesday, April 2, 2019, by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, shows the tomb of a noble from the time of one of the earliest pharaonic dynasties, in Saqqara, Giza, Egypt. [Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities via AP]

However, the mission discovered the human remains of Khuwy, which show clear traces of mummification.

The mission, in cooperation with an international team of Egyptologists, also found the name of Queen Setibhor who was not known before from ancient sources.

The name was engraved on a column in the south part of an anonymous pyramid complex in southern Saqqara.

As one of the earliest pyramids in southern Saqqara, the pyramid complex of Queen Setibhor, built at the end of the Fifth Dynasty is also the largest pyramid complex built for a queen during the Old Kingdom.

Moreover, her funerary temple incorporated architectural elements and chambers that were otherwise reserved for the kings of the Old Kingdom only.

The Old Kingdom of Egypt is the period spanning 2686 BC to 2181 BC, which is also known as the Age of the Pyramids.