Former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities and renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass has revealed details of an ancient funerary temple in a vast necropolis south of Cairo
CAIRO – Former Egyptian Antiquities Minister and renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass on Sunday revealed details of an ancient funerary temple in a vast necropolis south of Cairo.
Hawass told reporters at the Saqqara necropolis that archaeologists unearthed the temple of Queen Neit, the wife of King Tethys, the first king of the sixth dynasty to rule Egypt in 2323 BC. until 2150 BC.
Archaeologists have also found a 4-meter (13-foot) long papyrus that includes texts from the Book of the Dead, which is a collection of spells aimed at directing the dead through the underworld of ancient Egypt, he said.
Hawass said archaeologists also unearthed funerary fountains, coffins and mummies dating back to the New Kingdom that ruled Egypt between 1570 BC. and 1069 BC.
They revealed at least 22 funerary wells up to 12 meters deep, with more than 50 wooden coffins dating from the New Kingdom, said Hawass, Egypt’s best-known archaeologist.
Hawass, known for his Indiana Jones hat and TV specialties on ancient Egyptian sites, said he had been working on the site near the Teti Pyramid for more than a decade.
The discovery was the result of cooperation between the Ministry of Antiquities and the Zahi Hawass Center at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
The Saqqara site is part of the necropolis in the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, which includes the famous Giza pyramids, as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1970s.
In recent years, Egypt has strongly promoted new archaeological discoveries to international media and diplomats in hopes of attracting more tourists to the country.
The vital tourism sector has suffered from years of political unrest and violence, following a 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.