Discovery new tomb in Saqqara in Egypt: it is of the prince usefrafra

There Royal Necropolis of Saqqara in Egypt reveals one new discovery: the tomb of Ereitarian Prince Userefra (unknown to date) Only a few months after the discovery of Tomb of the Royal Doctor Teti Neb Fu. In addition to his tomb, some female statues have also been found representing his wives and daughters. The discovery was made by a team of Egyptian archaeologists financed by Ministry for Antiquities and Tourism and from the Zahi Hawass Foundation for antiquities and heritage.

Userefra was the son of Userkaf, Pharaoh of the V Dynasty, which reigned from 2510 to 2500 BC. C.during the period conventionally known as Ancient kingdom (2800-2100 BC). His tomb is one mastabaor a pyramid trunk structure that represents the architectural moduleFrom which the pyramids evolved, like some of the other tombs present in the Royal Necropolis of Saqqara. To particularly affect the attention of archaeologists is the false door of the tomb, 4.5 m high and made in pink granite. False doors are architectural elements characteristic of this type of tombs of the ancient kingdom: represent the passage that the deceased will have to overcome for the next life in the afterlife. THE’funeral registration Of this false door he defines Userefra “hereditary prince, governor of Buto and Nekhbeb, judge, scribe and real priest”.

However, it seems that at a certain point the Mastaba has been reused: in the tomb, in fact, the statues of the pharaoh were found Zoserof one of his wives and ten daughters. Zoser (in his honor was built the first pyramid with stepsalways in the necropolis of Saqqara) reigned from 2680 to 2660 a. C., therefore almost two centuries earlier than the kingdom of Userkaffather of Userefra. According to the famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawassprobably the statues were placed in one of the environments adjacent to the pyramid and, centuries later – for some reason unknown to us – they were moved inside the Userefra funeral chamber.

In addition to these finds, the funeral registration of a official who lived at the time of the XXVI DINASTIA (672-525 BC), therefore of almost well 2000 years laterwhich probably reused it for himself.