Archaeologists find Akhenaten-era tomb (as a result of Dutch team excavation in the Sakkara area)

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 2/14/07 | Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

CAIRO (Reuters) - Dutch archaeologists have discovered the tomb of the Pharaoh Akhenaten's seal bearer, decorated with paintings including scenes of monkeys picking and eating fruit, Egyptian antiquities officials said on Wednesday.

The tomb belonged to the official named Ptahemwi and was discovered during a Dutch team's excavation in the Sakkara area, the burial ground for the city of Memphis, the state news agency MENA said, quoting chief antiquities official Zahi Hawass.

Akhenaten, the 18th-dynasty pharaoh who ruled Egypt from 1379 to 1362 BC, abandoned most of the old gods and tried to imposed a monotheistic religion based on worship of the Aten, the disc of the sun.

He built a new capital called Akhetaten at Tell el-Amarna, 250 km (160 miles) south of Cairo, and the find shows that high officials continued to build their tombs in Memphis near Cairo.

"It is one of the most important finds in the Sakkara area because it goes back to the Akhenaten period," MENA quoted Hawass as saying.

Officials said the tomb had limestone walls with paintings of scenes from daily life and of Ptahemwi receiving offerings, MENA reported.

"Some of the funniest scenes ... are those of a number of monkeys picking and eating fruit," said Osama el-Sheemi, head of Sakkara antiquities, quoted by MENA.

The Dutch team has been working in Sakkara since the 1990s to find tombs dating from the New Kingdom. They had previously found the tomb of an Akhenaten-era priest.

[NormsRevenge]

fyi

[The_Victor]

decorated with paintings including scenes of monkeys picking...

I hate it when my brain finished a sentence before I can finish reading it.

[Enosh]

Akhenaten "One Useful to Aton" AKA Amenhotep IV was King Tut's dad.

Some speculation has circulated that Amenhotep IV was the pharaoh immediately following the Biblical account of the exodus. This would explain his insistence on a monotheistic religion - Moses scared the bejesus out of his dad.

[SunkenCiv]

Wowzo! Thanks, will ping when I get home.

[SunkenCiv]

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Visitors surround a two-meter-tall stone statue of Akhenaten at the National Museum of China in Beijing December 5, 2003. Dutch archaeologists have discovered the tomb of the Pharaoh Akhenaten's seal bearer, decorated with paintings including scenes of monkeys picking and eating fruit, Egyptian antiquities officials said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Andrew Wong

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[trillabodilla]

Thanks for the ping- don't know why I have always been interested in Akhenaten.

[Dustbunny]

Great find, can't wait to see the pics

[SunkenCiv]

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A relief featuring two monkeys playing beneath the chair of the tomb owner's wife

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[SunkenCiv]

:') This just in, see #10.

[SunkenCiv]

(translation from Dutch to English by Babelfish) "The clay toes walls of the superstructure stand meters still two intact. A part of the lining with limestones relief panels has been kept. On this its images Ptahemwia, its woman Maia, priests, civil servants, dienaren and muzikanten and scenes from daily living to see of the sepulchre owner. Such living shows are characterising for the art from the time of king Achnaton. Also becomes clear from the inscripties in the sepulchre which Ptahemwia the high court function fulfilled of ‘donor of the king, clean of hands’. In that quality he must responsible have been for the care of the pharaoh with food and spirits... If Ptahemwia died prematurely or from the gratie touched, is so far unknown. To be name means ‘the god Ptah sits in its barque’. Possibly this its impact has had on its career. Ptah were the town god of the egyptische capital Memphis, and just like the other gods Achnaton were banished."

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Archaeologist at Raven at relief panel of the sepulchre of Ptahemwia.

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Overview of the unearthing activities at the sepulchre of Ptahemwia.

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[Dustbunny]

Great -- Thank you

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[SunkenCiv]

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