During excavations at the ancient Egyptian pyramid complex of Abusir, archaeologists uncovered a tomb that served as a final resting place for a person of notable status. The tomb was filled with magic spells that were believed to protect against snake bites.
The discovery was made by the Czech Institute of Egyptology (CIE) at Charles University in Prague. They determined that the tomb dated back to the first millennium B.C.
Abusir is known for its extensive necropolis and is located in northern Egypt between the renowned archaeological sites of Giza and Saqqara.
Archaeologists believe that the new find has revealed more information about the changes that took place in Egypt during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.
The team announced that the newly discovered tomb was found in the western part of Abusir, an area that was reserved as a cemetery for military commanders and other high-ranking officials from ancient Egypt’s 26th and 27th dynasties.
Miroslav Bárta, a Czech Institute archaeologist who led the excavations, said that the cemetery in western Abusir was one of the largest burial grounds in Abusir and Saqqara.
The tomb is described as “medium-sized” and “richly decorated.” It belonged to a royal scribe named Djehutyemhat. The dignitary lived during a time when the region experienced an invasion by Persian forces.
The upper part of the tomb was aboveground and seemed to have deteriorated long ago due to old age.
However, the burial chamber, which was located at the bottom of a shaft 50 feet below the ground, contained various texts and artworks.
The northern wall of the tomb was covered with spells to ward off snake bites since venomous snakes were a common cause for concern in those times, and people often died because of them. Although the snakes mentioned in the spells were depicted as dangerous, they were the very same ones that also acted as guardians of Djehutyemhat and his mummy.
The southern and western walls of the burial chamber featured ritual offerings. The ceiling was adorned with images of the sun’s journey across the sky. Furthermore, there were hymns dedicated to the sun’s rising and setting.
Additionally, a large stone sarcophagus covered with inscriptions and illustrations of deities was found in the chamber. The inscriptions included excerpts from the Book of the Dead to ensure that the deceased was kept safe and his journey to the afterlife went smoothly.
For further protection, the sarcophagus was decorated with the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, along with the goddess of the west, Imentet, who was represented as a protector and a guide.
Archaeologists also managed to recover several bones from Djehutyemhat’s skeleton that were scattered around the tomb. His mummy was no longer in the coffin.
After analyzing the remains, they figured out that Djehutyemhat died when he was about 25 years old and that he suffered some health problems, including severe osteoporosis and spinal wear, as a result of his sedentary work.
Since his tomb was robbed some time, possibly during the fifth century A.D., it did not contain many artifacts. But as experts sifted through the site, they did come across a collection of pottery.
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By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
