An impressive sarcophagus, intact for thousands of years, has emerged from the sands of Cairo as a discovery”of Dreams” for the world of archaeology. The gigantic granite find is covered in inscriptions dedicated to Ptha-em-wia, who headed the important treasury of King Ramses II, Egypt’s most powerful pharaoh, The Guardian reports.
Cairo University Faculty of Archeology Professor Ola El Aguizy discovered an ancient necropolis about 32 kilometers south of Cairo, called Sqqara. The British newspaper said the investigator had already directed an archaeological mission on the sitewhere he discovered the underground burial chamber with the sarcophagus, which can reveal many secrets about the rulers of Egypt before Tutankhamun.
In the center of the tomb courtyard, the El Aguizy team of researchers found a vertical shaft, indicating that there was a passage to the burial chamber. It took about a week to get all the sand out of the eight meter pit, using a bucket attached to a rope winch. The teacher got into the bucket and slowly went down the well until she found the strange sarcophagus, she detailed the same source.
A the observer, El Aguizy highlighted the importance of this finding for archaeological science. “The discovery of this sarcophagus at its place of origin, inside the well, was very exciting. because the sarcophagus owns the tomb.”
The titles of Ptah-em-wia engraved in Egyptian script emphasize the closeness with the king, so the scholar verified that “He was a very important person in the government at the time.“. Additionally, the sarcophagus is inscribed with emblems of deities, including the Sky Goddess on the lid, which covers the center with open wings to protect the dead. The team will study the evidence in order to discover the life story of the Egyptian officer, the professor explained.
At Harvard, Egyptology professor Peter Der Manuelian congratulated El Aguizy and the team of researchers for contributing to another important chapter in Cairo’s history. “Sqqara is one of the most important cemeteries, both for royalty and common people, throughout the millennia of Egyptian heritage. I am always very happy to see archaeologists with these kinds of discoveries,” he told The Guardian.
National Geographic cameras recorded the entire excavation process for an eight-part documentary called “Egypt’s Lost Treasures,” which opens today.
The film’s director, Tom Cook, also paid tribute to the archaeologist. “She is a grandmother, he is 70 years old and continues to do this type of dangerous work.”
Source: Observadora
