Discovery of a richly described tomb from ancient Egypt

Czech researchers have discovered a decorated tomb of a dignitary in Abu Sir, Egypt, near Cairo. Charles University in Prague announced this on Monday.

Professor of Egyptology Ladislav Barez explained that the vertical tomb belonged to a royal scribe named Djotimhat. This new discovery helps shed light on the turbulent period of the fifth and sixth centuries BC in ancient Egypt.

According to information, the main well leads to a limestone burial chamber more than three meters long and about 14 meters deep. On the walls there are inscriptions, including religious sayings against snake bites from the Pyramid Texts. The sarcophagus was decorated with hieroglyphic texts from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, complemented by images of the gods Isis and Nephthys.

Scholars assume that grave robbers ransacked the room long ago. Examinations of the skeletal remains conducted by Egyptian experts showed that Dahtimhat died at the age of only 25 years. He had stable employment and had severe bone loss. Charles University in Prague has been excavating the Abusir pyramid field for more than 40 years. The site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

(Yam/Sada/Daba)