Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered an ancient tomb belonging to the “keeper of the secrets of royal decrees,” they announced following an excavation at Saqqara.
The decorated burial belongs to an official named Sekhentio-Ptah, who lived during the Old Kingdom (2649 to 2150 B.C.), a period that’s famous for the building of the pyramids, including those at
More than 100 shabtis (also spelled ushabtis) were found in the tomb. Ancient Egyptians believed these figurines would act as servants for the deceased in the afterlife. The team also discovered a wooden statue of a falcon (possibly related to the falcon-headed god Horus) and the remains of cartonnage, a plastered material used on mummies. The mummy of Sekhentio-Ptah was not identified.
Looking at the photos and information the ministry released, Roth said it’s likely this tomb was reused for later burials — something that was commonly done in ancient Egypt. She said the shabtis found in the tomb likely belong to later burials and the cartonnage is likely from mummies that were buried in the tomb at a later date.
The team discovered the tomb in the Bubasteion (also spelled Bubasteum) area of Saqqara, a place that was commonly used for cat burials in later times such as the late period (circa 664 to 332 B.C). The site was associated with Bastet, a cat-shaped goddess associated with fertility and protection. However, the statement didn’t mention any cat burials found in this particular tomb.
Live Science reached out to the excavation team but did not hear back by the time of publication.
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