Five new ancient Egyptian tombs found with offering tables and mummies inside

FIVE ancient Egyptian tombs have been unearthed just outside of Cairo.

Reuters on Monday reported that archaeologists have discovered five “well-preserved” ancient tombs covered with paintings in Egypt.

Five ancient Egyptian tombs have been discovered in Giza.

APAlongside the tombs, offering tables were uncovered.[/caption]

The discovery was made in a cemetery in Saqqara, an ancient Egyptian village in Giza.

Confirmed as being at least 4,000 years old, the tombs date back to the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

This period marked a moment when monuments and artworks were destroyed in Egypt, meaning not many relics from that time remain.

Inside the tombs, additional pots and small figurines were found. 

Some of the paintings adorning the tombs looked to represent food offerings.

In addition to these findings, the excavation also uncovered more than 20 sarcophagi, toys, wooden boats, masks, offering tables, and other artifacts. 

The tombs, which were located near the pyramid of King Merenre I, are thought to have belonged to top officials such as court advisers and priests.

Two of those buried in the tombs have been identified as an official named Iry and a woman named Petty, who was a priest of Hathor and a sort of beautician for Menere I.

These findings come just a few months after the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed another tomb discovery at Saqqara.

That burial site belonged to a treasurer of New Kingdom pharaoh Ramses II.

The string of recent discoveries is helping Egypt promote its newly launched campaign dubbed “Follow the Sun”, which hopes to attract tourists to see the archaeological wonders of Egypt.

Egypt heavily relies on tourism for economical gain, however, this has slowed down due to the pandemic.

Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine has also affected the industry as a large portion of tourists to Egypt are Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian.

GettyColorful and “well-preserved” paintings were also discovered at the burial site.[/caption]

GettyThe burial site is situated near the pyramid of King Merenre I.[/caption]