Tomb of royal scribe unearthed in Egypt
April 15th, 2010 - 6:02 pm ICT by ANIWashington, April 15(ANI): Archaeologists have found a burial tomb of an ancient royal scribe at a spot near Ismailia, east of Cairo, Egypt.
The crypt is built of mud bricks and has rectangular room with a domed ceiling made of stone, and a deep square-shaped shaft.
A large limestone sarcophagus covered with inscriptions was found inside the chamber.
“It belonged to Ken Amun. He was the overseer of the royal records during the 19th Dynasty,” Discovery News quoted Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maqsud, the supervisor of the Department of Antiquities of Lower Egypt, as saying in a statement.
The tomb’s walls had the titles of the deceased and the names of his wife, Isis, etched on it. It revealed she was a singer of the god Atum.
Also, the tomb has scenes from the Book of the Dead, which end with the famous vignettes from Chapter 125, depicting the critical judgment ceremony called ‘Weighing of the Heart’, inscribed on it.
The ceremony apparently involved weighing and comparing the deceased’s heart to a feather of Maat, goddess of Justice, Truth and Order.
According to myth, if the heart of the deceased is lighter than the feather, he is worthy of the company of the gods. But if it isn’t, then the crocodile-headed monster Ammit devours it and the deceased is condemned to an existence between worlds.
Another important scene in the tomb was a figure of the goddess Hathor in the shape of a cow, as she emerges from the Delta marshes.
Also, a scene of the four sons of Horus — Imsety, Duamutef, Hapi and Qebehsenuef, who were believed to protect the stomach, liver, intestines and lungs of mummified bodies, is inscribed on the crypt.
Maqsud said: “The scenes and titles in the tomb show that Ken-Amun, who in charge of keeping the royal records, was an important man.”
Experts hope to learn more information about the history of the Delta and the relationship between this area and the eastern border of Egypt, through the discovery.
A total of 35 other Roman-period tombs have been uncovered close to the same location. (ANI)
- 57 ancient tombs found in Egypt - May 24, 2010
- 4,000-year-old tomb found in Egypt - May 29, 2012
- Statue of King Tut's grandfather unearthed - Nov 07, 2010
- Statue fragments of King Tut's grandparents unearthed - Jan 11, 2011
- Ancient Egyptian priest's tomb discovered in Giza - Oct 19, 2010
- Archaeologists find an unfinished ancient tomb in Egypt - Jul 01, 2010
- Archaeologists on verge of discovering only known tomb of Aztec king - Jul 14, 2009
- Sphinx-lined road unearthed in Egypt - Nov 16, 2010
- Presley's crypt for sale - May 29, 2012
- 'Goddess No.3' in Charlie Sheen's mansion - Mar 22, 2011
- Colourful ancient tombs unearthed in Egypt - Jul 08, 2010
- 3,300-year-old tomb of army chief discovered in 'City of the Dead' - May 31, 2010
- Tomb Of Mayan King Found In Guatemala - Jul 20, 2010
- Camera locates tomb not seen for 1,500 years - Jun 26, 2011
- Egypt to open avenue of sphinxes to public - Jul 02, 2011
Tags: amun, atum, burial tomb, cairo egypt, critical judgment, discovery news, domed ceiling, dr mohamed, eastern border, goddess hathor, goddess of justice, hapi, important man, ismailia, lower egypt, mud bricks, qebehsenuef, rectangular room, royal scribe, weighing of the heart