Egypt: Colourful ancient tombs unearthed [ 6th dynasty, Saqqara ]

Adnkronos International ^ | July 7, 2010 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

A team of archaeologists has discovered two colourful tombs, believed to be around 4,300 years old, at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egyptian culture minister Farouq Hosni said on Wednesday.

Both tombs, found west of the Step Pyramid of Djoser in the Giza area, are carved into rocks and and date from the 6th Dynasty (2,374-2,191 BC), the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said.

The tombs belong to Shendwa, a top government official and head of the royal scribes, and his son, Khonsu, who inherited the same titles as his father, according to Hawass.

Shendwa's tomb has a beautiful false door depicting him sitting in front of a table of sacrifices, signifying that he held important positions during that period, Hawass said.

The tomb's burial shaft is located directly beneath the false door, and Shendwa's wooden coffin was buried in a 20 meter-deep well that had prevented thieves getting in.

Shendwas's wooden sarcophagus had disintegrated due to humidity and erosion. Beside the sarcophagus, excavators found limestone jars including five offering vessels carved in the shape of a duck.

Upon opening the vessels, the bones of the ducks were still intact, Hawass said.

Excavators also found a painted relief and a 30 cm tall obelisk made of limestone inside the burial shaft.

"This obelisk symbolises the worship of the sun god Re," said Hawass.

Hidden below another false door, archaeologists also found the tomb of Khonsu, who inherited his father's titles. The tomb also contained a sacrifice table and stone lintel engraved with 6th Dynasty symbols.

Above the false door to Khonsu's tomb was a brightly coloured relief of the deceased in different poses, Hawass said.

The Egyptian team has been excavating at the site since 1986.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

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[Stop Making Cents]

Wait a second! The Afrocentrists said that Egyptians were black! The color must have faded on this painting

[CholeraJoe]

Did you see where Zahi Hawass is getting his own show on History Channel?

[JoeProBono]

Standing on wooden steps that protect a 3,300-year-old stone staircase, Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass poses in 2009 in a mysterious tunnel that links the ancient tomb of Pharaoh Seti I to ... nothing.

[mrreaganaut]

Ping!

[RJS1950]

That’s always been a half-truth used as a claim to fame by race pimps in this country. There was a short defined period when the Nubians (northern Sudan) conquered and ruled Egypt and there were some black pharaohs. This does not make all Egyptians black or even all of them of black descent. Since Nubia had previously been ruled by Egypt they had by that time and afterward adopted many Egyptian customs and beliefs but they were not Egyptians as such, any more than the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt made the Egyptians Greeks.

[Beowulf9]

Now THIS is art.

[melancholy]

You’re correct on all counts.

The Ancient Egyptians showed the skin color in their reliefs correctly. There are reliefs from the Nubian era that showed black pharaohs.

Some years ago on ABC’s black hour, a black reporter went with a Jamaican Ph.D. “Egyptologist” to Luxor’s Valley of the Kings. They looked at statues and reliefs and looked at each other significantly, rubbed their own skin with their fingers and talked in black lingo with significant...mmm mmm, yeah brother yeah, meaning built by blacks or had some black significance/history of some sort.

Here is the clincher. They went to the Dare El Bahari Temple, built for Queen Hatshepsut, and stood by an imposing, bearded statue. The reporter asked the knowledgeable Ph.D. if this was Queen Hatshepsut’s uncle and proceeded with the vague lingo and skin rubbing. The Ph.D. answered in the affirmative and the lingo answer.

Guess what? The statue wasn’t Queen Hatshepsut’s uncle; it was the bearded statue of Queen Hatshepsut herself! It was important at the time for the Queen Pharaoh to wear a false beard, to gain legitimacy and respect, when attending government functions or presiding over official meetings and functions.

[colorado tanker]

I just laugh when I see the previews. Still, I doubt I’ll be able to stop myself from watching. :-))

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks! :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Aw, didja *hafta* put his picture on here? ;’)

[JoeProBono]

No,

[CholeraJoe]

Are they going to call his program, “Show Me the Mummy?”

[colorado tanker]

No, but they actually do say that in the promo.

[SunkenCiv]

You sir should be in show business, that’s brilliant, brilliant I tell you.

[marsh2]

I always like the Indiana Jones hat he wears. Amazing he can fit it over his head.