New Discoveries at Saqqara

June 30, 2009

Egyptian archaeologists carrying routine conservation work at the southern side of Saqqara’s step pyramid have stumbled upon what is believed to be a deep hole full of the remains of animals and birds.

The team has also unearthed a large quantity of golden fragments. These may have been used by the ancient Egyptians of the Late Period to decorate wooden sarcophagi or to cover cartonnage.

Thirty granite blocks were also discovered, each weighing five tons. According to Dr. Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the blocks belonged to the granite sarcophagus that once housed Djoser’s wooden sarcophagus - the final resting place of the king’s mummy.

While cleaning the internal corridors of the pyramid, the mission has also found limestone blocks bearing the names of King Djoser's daughters, as well as wooden instruments, remains of wooden statues, bone fragments, the remains of a mummy, and different sizes of clay vessels.

Here is a slide show of the discovery. To fully appreciate it, just choose the fullscreen mode on the player's menu bar (click on the pictures to advance to the next slide).

Comments

[Razna]

So, I'm a little vague here. Are there two or more daughers? Or is there just one daughter? And what name does this or these daughters bear? My Egyptian dictionary is packed away and those glyphs are a bit faint. T-nsw-s3-?-n-t-?-s for one, T-nsw-s3-mwt-?-htp-h-t for another daughter? I don't remember some, can't make out others, may be wrong on still others. Or is it all one long name? Or a regular name and "throne name" for one lady? Or is the Vulture not mwt when she's on the basket?