The tomb of Prince Userkaf, son of King Userkaf, the first pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom period, has been discovered in Saqqara near Cairo. This was announced by the country's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
During excavations carried out by an Egyptian archaeological mission, many interesting and previously unseen finds were made. According to Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, a huge false door made of pink granite was discovered for the first time. Its height is four and a half meters, and its width is 1.15 meters. The door is decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions detailing the prince's name and titles, including "hereditary prince, governor of the Buto and Nekhbet regions, royal scribe, minister, judge, and priest."
Furthermore, statues of King Djoser, his wife, and ten daughters were found in the tomb, which is also a first in history. After studying them, scientists concluded that these statues were originally located inside a room next to the Step Pyramid of Djoser and were moved to the tomb of Prince Userkaf during the Late Period. Historians have yet to determine the purpose of this relocation.
In addition to the discovery of a red granite offering table with a diameter of 92.5 cm, bearing a text with a list of offerings, a black granite statue of a standing man just over a meter tall was found inside one of the tomb's chambers. Hieroglyphic inscriptions with his name and title are inscribed on his chest. According to archaeologists, this statue dates back to the reign of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of pharaohs, and its presence in this tomb can be explained by the tomb's reuse during the Late Period of Egypt.
Another entrance to the tomb was discovered in front of the eastern facade, with inscriptions indicating its owner. The discovery of a group of 13 seated statues made of pink granite also marks a first of its kind in Saqqara.
The Saqqara necropolis, located around the ancient Step Pyramid of Djoser, is considered unique. Archaeologists have been excavating there for many years, and each time they make astonishing discoveries that shed light on the life and traditions of ancient Egypt during the early dynastic periods.
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