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News
A round up of news highlights from Issue 122
Saqqara Coffins
An Egyptian team working near the Sacred Animal Necropolis at Saqqara has
discovered 59 painted wooden coffins in three burial shafts, in a communal
burial for Twenty-sixth Dynasty high priests and court officials. Finds
associated with the burials include 28 statues of Ptah-Sokar, the god of the
Saqqara necropolis, a bronze statue of Nefertum and large numbers of amulets,
shabtis and other finds.
Tuna el-Gebel Priests Tombs
The Egyptian mission at site of Al-Ghuraifah at Tuna el-Gebel (Minya
Governorate) have made further Twenty-sixth Dynasty discoveries in the communal
tombs of the high priests of Djehuty (Thoth). The team has uncovered a 10m deep
burial shaft leading to large chamber with three niches covered by stone beams.
Inside they discovered the burial of Djehuty Imhotep, high priest of Djehuty and
supervisor of the thrones, found inside a limestone coffin together with a group
of amulets and scarabs.
Origins of Votive Animals
Vast numbers of birds and animals
were killed and mummified to act as votive offerings in the late pharaonic
period. While there is evidence that animals such as cats and crocodiles were
specially reared for this industry, new research shows that ibis and birds of
prey were sourced from the wild.
In Brief:
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