An Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered three rock-cut tombs dating to Egypt’s New Kingdom period (ca. 1550–1070 B.C.) at the Bubasteion Necropolis in Saqqara. The news was first reported by Ahram Online.
Located 40 km southwest of Cairo, Saqqara was an important cemetery of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. In the second half of the 18th Dynasty (1550—1292 BCE), high-ranking city dignitaries created tombs for themselves in the limestone cliffs at Bubasteion.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions in the newly discovered tombs are providing unusually detailed information about the individuals who were buried within them, according to Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), which oversees archaeological digs in Egypt.
Amr El-Tayeb, director of the Saqqara Archaeological Site, said that the first tomb belonged to an official named Mentuhotep, who is shown in one relief seated with his mother, Eihotep. Hieroglyphic inscriptions in the tomb enumerate Mentuhotep’s many titles, among them Hereditary Prince, Mayor, Royal Seal Bearer, One Who Pleases the Heart of the Ruler, Administrator, Overseer of Foreign Lands, and Overseer of the Army of Khabeshet, indicating that he was a top administrator and military official in the early New Kingdom. An unexcavated burial shaft within his tomb may reveal more information about him and his role in the Egyptian Empire.
The second tomb was that of Paremwia, also known as Samut, who held the title Great Merchant of the Estate of Ptah. Inscriptions within this tomb preserve the names of his wife, Tuwi, Lady of the House; his mother, Atibyu, a Singer of Amun; and his four sons, offering rare insight into the family life of an elite New Kingdom official.
The third tomb, which is in poor condition, belonged to an official named Nahsi. Surviving inscriptions here identify him as supervisor of the house, and his wife, Neferptah, as lady of the house. One of the most interesting discoveries is an inscription carved into one of the tomb’s columns describing the return of a military commander from Syria.
“The inscription is particularly significant because it not only confirms the tomb’s New Kingdom date but also provides fresh evidence of Egypt’s military and diplomatic connections with the Near East during the period,” said Mohamed Abdel Badie of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Taken together, El-Leithy notes, the finds contribute to a better understanding of Egyptian society during the New Kingdom, an era that marked the peak of ancient Egypt’s prosperity and power.
