Tombs of Sabu and Ptahshepses rediscovered in Saqqara — Jerusalem Post
In the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt, archaeologists have rediscovered the tombs of the high-ranking officials of Ancient Egypt, Sabu and his son Ptahshepses. During the work, the team also found Ptahshepses’ burial chamber with a limestone sarcophagus and his intact mummy, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The tombs were covered by sand again
The tombs of Sabu and Ptahshepses were originally discovered by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in 1858–1860. He was the founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, but his excavations were limited and were not accompanied by full documentation. Later, the burials from the Old Kingdom period were covered by sand again.
The current research is being conducted by the Czech Institute of Egyptology. The head of the Czech archaeological mission, Miroslav Bárta, said that the location of the tombs was determined with the help of satellite images and field surveys.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Chapel of Sabu’s wife
Archaeologists discovered for the first time the offering chapel of Sabu’s wife, Ikhet-nefret. False doors were found there with scenes depicting Ikhet-nefret, her husband, and their two sons — Ptahshepses and Ranefer. The façades of Sabu’s tomb imitate the decoration of royal palaces, while the offering chapel has preserved reliefs showing Sabu and Ptahshepses watching processions of people bearing gifts.
According to Mohamed Abdel-Badi, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ptahshepses is considered an official who held high positions during the reigns of four pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty — Sahure, Neferirkare, Raneferef, and Nyuserre. Archaeological research also indicates that he is considered the first official outside the royal family to marry an Egyptian princess, Hamaat, the daughter of Pharaoh Userkaf. The tomb was looted, but Ptahshepses’ mummy remained untouched; analysis of the remains showed that he died at the age of over 60.
