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DPA/PA Images

Archaeologists unearth 4,400-year-old tomb of Egyptian high priest

The tomb belongs to “Wahtye”, a high priest who served during the fifth dynasty reign of King Neferirkare.

EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE discovered the tomb of a priest dating back more than 4,400 years in the pyramid complex of Saqqara south of the capital Cairo, authorities said today.

“Today we are announcing the last discovery of the year 2018, it’s a new discovery, it’s a private tomb,” Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told an audience of invited guests including reporters.

“It is exceptionally well preserved, coloured, with sculpture inside. It belongs to a high official priest… (and) is more than 4,400 years old,” he said.

The tomb belongs to “Wahtye”, a high priest who served during the fifth dynasty reign of King Neferirkare, the antiquities ministry said.

His tomb is decorated with scenes showing the royal priest alongside his mother, wife and other members of his family, the ministry said in a statement.

Egypt Antiquities Mustafa Abdo, chief of excavation workers walks at the recently uncovered tomb. Amr Nabil via PA Images Amr Nabil via PA Images

Tomb of Fifth Dynasty royal priest discovered in Egypt's Saqqara DPA / PA Images DPA / PA Images / PA Images

Tomb of Fifth Dynasty royal priest discovered in Egypt's Saqqara DPA / PA Images DPA / PA Images / PA Images

Tomb of Fifth Dynasty royal priest discovered in Egypt's Saqqara DPA / PA Images DPA / PA Images / PA Images

It also contains more than a dozen niches and 24 colourful statues of the cleric and members of his family, it said.

In November archaeology officials announced the discovery in Saqqara of seven sarcophagi, some dating back more than 6,000 years, during excavation work started in April by the same archaeological mission.

Three of those tombs contained mummified cats and scarabs.

The Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo is home to the famous Djoser pyramid, a more than 4,600-year-old construction which dominates the site and was Egypt’s first stone monument.

The tomb, built by the master architect Imhotep for the Pharoah Djoser, stood 62 metres tall originally and is considered the oldest building in the world built entirely of stone.

 © AFP 2018 

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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:43 AM

    Have the Paddy’s day festival and keep letting sick people come in from Italy – short term economic gain long term pain

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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:00 AM

    @GM: it’s too far gone, I don’t think there’s any chance of holding it back now.

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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:06 AM

    WHO receive a huge portion of funding from China. You can be assured they have to downplay it under instructions from China so confidence in their market doesn’t drop enough to send their economy crashing.

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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:12 AM

    @Sean O’ Donovan: A terrifying truth

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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:15 AM

    @Sean O’ Donovan: Its why its not been described as a Pandemic too, despite being, well, a pandemic. China getting labelled as the country that spawned the pandemic would be damaging the CCP’s image.

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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:36 AM

    As much as we blame our government (because let’s face it they are pretty inept) I’m surprised that the WHO also handled the situation so badly themselves, there really should have been a coordinated global effort to try and contain this virus, it’s like they gave up from the start.

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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:50 AM

    @Rachel O’ Meara: because it’s about money. The real solution would be to shut down borders by every country. But vested interests and all that

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    Pinball Wizard. Very good.

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    Mar 6th 2020, 9:12 AM

    The WHO!? They’re a great little band that will, if sense prevails cancel their gig on the 18th

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    Mar 6th 2020, 10:55 AM

    What about the persons that present with symptoms after the 14 days isolation…will that practice be reviewed

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    Mar 6th 2020, 9:13 AM

    Are they not a band

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    Mar 6th 2020, 10:09 AM

    @Farreller: great band.

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