Archaeologists unearth tomb shared by ancient Egyptian judge and his scribe father
While the tomb itself had been previously known, discovered by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in the nineteenth century, the chapels found within it were not.
Excavations at the Mariette Cemetery near Saqqara, Egypt, have revealed a shared tomb dating back to the reign of Pharaoh Djedkare Isesi during the Fifth Dynasty (circa 2500-2400 BCE). Discovered by a joint Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission, the tomb features two funerary chapels, one belonging to Yunmin, an esteemed judge, court director, and chief scribe, and the other to his father Iti, who held various scribal positions concerning agricultural land and offerings.
The main chapel, positioned on the north side, is adorned with a distinctive architectural facade and richly decorated walls displaying agricultural scenes and offering processions. The second chapel, located on the southern side, contains a false door and colorful wall decorations, though many of these decorations have been lost. False doors, significant in ancient Egyptian belief, act as thresholds between life and death, allowing the deity or spirit of the deceased to traverse between realms.
Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of the discovery in shedding light on the architectural and artistic styles of the Saqqara necropolis during the late Fifth Dynasty, as well as the administrative roles of senior state officials during that period.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
