Egypt, major discovery in Saqqara: tomb of Prince Userefra found

Important discovery in Egypt, in thearchaeological area of Saqqara, where the tomb of Prince Userefra, son of King Userkaf, the first king of the Fifth Dynasty, who ruled between 2500 and 2490 BCE, has been discovered. The discovery is the result of the work of the mission led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Antiquities and Heritage, and uncovered the prince’s tomb during excavation work at the Saqqara site, as well as numerous important archaeological finds from this era and later periods. This is a discovery that bears the signature of an all-Egyptian research team .

It is also an important discovery because for the first time a false door of impressive dimensions made of pink granite has been found (the false door was a monument that simulated, precisely, a door, and symbolized the connection of the deceased with the realm of the living). It is four and a half meters high and 1.15 meters wide, and is decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions bearing the prince’s name and titles, including “Crown prince, governor of the regions of Buto and Nekhbet, royal scribe, minister, judge and reader priest.”

In addition, the mission found, for the first time, a statue of King Djoser, his wife and ten daughters inside the tomb. Initial studies showed that these statues were inside a room next to King Djoser’s step pyramid and were moved to Prince Userefra’s tomb long afterwards. The mission will continue its work to determine why these statues were moved from their original location to this one.

In addition to the discovery of a red granite offering altar with a diameter of 92 and a half centimeters, bearing a text that recorded offering lists, a huge black granite statue, with a height of 1.17 meters, depicting a standing man with hieroglyphic inscriptions on his chest bearing the name and titles of its owner, was discovered inside one of the chambers of the tomb. This statue appears to belong to the XXVI Dynasty.

Opposite the eastern facade was found another tomb entrance, with pink granite shoulders, also bearing inscriptions of the tomb’s owner, his titles and the cartouche of King Neferirkare. North of the lintel is a discovery considered the first of its kind in the Saqqara area: it is a group of 13 pink granite statues seated on a high-backed seat. There are also heads of statues taller than the others, representing the wives of the deceased, sitting in the center. To his left are two headless statues. In front of them was found another black granite statue, upside down, about 1.35 meters high.

The mission, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities points out, continues its work to unearth the remaining elements of the necropolis, one of the most important in the region.

Egypt, major discovery in Saqqara: tomb of Prince Userefra found

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