4,400-year-old tomb contains mummified body of pharaoh's son-in-law

Archaeologists have rediscovered a lost tomb containing the intact mummy of an ancient Egyptian official who married the pharaoh's daughter.

The eastern side of the tomb was rediscovered after nearly 160 years buried under desert sand. Photo: Czech Archaeological Institute — The eastern side of the tomb was rediscovered after nearly 160 years buried under desert sand. Photo: *Czech Archaeological Institute*

The tomb belongs to Ptahshepses, who lived around 4,400 years ago, between the 25th and 24th centuries BC. Researchers at the Czech Archaeological Institute at Charles University in Prague said they located the tomb near the sites of Abusir and Saqqara in 2022 using satellite images and old maps. Excavations began on site this year, Newsweek reported on September 29.

The tomb was partially exposed nearly 160 years ago by French scholar Auguste Mariette, who found an elaborate false door with a supporting beam. But soon after the discovery, the tomb disappeared beneath the desert sands.

The false door and lintel contain information about Ptahshepses' official occupation, telling the story of his education at the court of Menkaure, an ancient pharaoh born in 2532 and died in 2504 BC. According to the information on the false door, Ptahshepses married the daughter of Userkaf, a pharaoh who briefly reigned in the early 25th century BC.

"The introduction reveals that Ptahshepses was the first non-royal official in Egyptian history to be allowed to marry a princess," the Czech Archaeological Institute said. "Based on the information on the lintel, Ptahshepses is even more special because he is believed to have had the idea of introducing Osiris, the famous god of life and death, into the Egyptian pantheon. Given Ptahshepses' political, historical and religious importance, the tomb is one of the most remarkable recent discoveries in Egyptian archaeology."

Excavations at the site uncovered a superstructure measuring 41.8 meters long and 21.9 meters wide at the tomb. It includes a relatively intact worship room, painted decorations at the entrance, and a long corridor. The archaeologists speculate that the tomb was robbed of artifacts, but it still contains some burial objects, offerings, jars, and a mummified fish.

In addition, the team found a partially opened coffin with Ptahshepses's intact mummy inside. The Egyptian anthropologists' examination of the mummy provides important new data on the development of mummification practices during Egypt's Old Kingdom, which lasted from about 2700 to 2200 BC.

An Khang (According to Newsweek )

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