Editorial illustration of archaeologists documenting an ancient tomb at Saqqara

اِكْتِشافُ مَقْبَرَةِ مُوَظَّفٍ كَبيرٍ وَآبارِ دَفْنٍ في سَقّارَةَ

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اِكْتَشَفَتْ بَعْثَةٌ أَثَرِيَّةٌ مِصْرِيَّةٌ مَقْبَرَةً مِنْ عَصْرِ الدَّوْلَةِ الْقَديمَةِ في جَبانَةِ الْبوباسْطِيُونَ بِسَقّارَةَ. وَكانَتِ الْمَقْبَرَةُ لِمُوَظَّفٍ كَبيرٍ يُدْعَى سِخِنْتِيُو-بِتاحَ. وَأَظْهَرَتِ النُّقوشُ أَنَّهُ كانَ يَعْمَلُ في الْقَصْرِ وَيَحْمِلُ مَناصِبَ مُهِمَّةً.

وَكَشَفَ الْفَريقُ بَقايا مَقْصورَةٍ جَنائِزِيَّةٍ وَبابًا وَهْمِيًّا ما زالَ في مَكانِهِ الْأَصْلِيِّ. وَوَجَدَ أَمامَ الْبابِ أَدَواتٍ مِنَ الْأَلَباسْتَرِ كانَتْ تُسْتَعْمَلُ في طُقوسِ الدَّفْنِ، مِثْلَ مائِدَةٍ وَقُرْصٍ لِلْقَرابينِ وَحَوْضٍ لِلتَّطْهيرِ. وَعَلَيْها نُقوشٌ هيروغْليفِيَّةٌ تَذْكُرُ اسْمَ صاحِبِ الْمَقْبَرَةِ وَأَلْقابَهُ.

وَفي مَكانٍ قَريبٍ، عَثَرَ الْفَريقُ عَلى شَبَكَةٍ مُتَّصِلَةٍ مِنْ آبارِ الدَّفْنِ. وَضَمَّتْ آبارُ الدَّفْنِ رَفاتًا بَشَرِيَّةً، وَثَلاثَةَ تَوابيتَ حَجَرِيَّةٍ ما زالَتْ مُغْلَقَةً، وَتِمْثالًا خَشَبِيًّا لِصَقْرٍ، وَأَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِئَةِ تِمْثالٍ صَغيرٍ مِنَ الْفايَنْسِ، وَأَوْعِيَةً فَخّارِيَّةً. وَسَيُواصِلُ الْباحِثونَ دِراسَةَ الْمُكْتَشَفاتِ لِفَهْمِ عاداتِ الدَّفْنِ وَمَراحِلِ اسْتِعْمالِ الْجَبانَةِ عَبْرَ عُصورٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ.

Show English Translation

Tomb of Senior Official and Burial Shafts Found at Saqqara

An Egyptian archaeological mission discovered an Old Kingdom tomb in the Bubasteion Necropolis at Saqqara. The tomb belonged to a senior official named Sekhentiu-Ptah. Inscriptions showed that he worked in the royal court and held important positions.

The team uncovered the remains of a funerary chapel and a false door that is still in its original place. In front of the door, it found alabaster objects used in burial rituals, including an offering table, an offering disc, and a purification basin. Hieroglyphic inscriptions on them give the tomb owner’s name and titles.

Nearby, the team found a connected network of burial shafts. The shafts contained human remains, three stone sarcophagi that remain sealed, a wooden falcon statue, more than 100 small faience figurines, and pottery vessels. Researchers will continue studying the finds to understand burial customs and the necropolis’s use across different periods.

Key Vocabulary

Arabic Part of speech English
بَعْثَةٌ noun mission
أَثَرِيَّةٌ adjective archaeological
مَقْبَرَةٌ noun tomb
مَقْصورَةٌ جَنائِزِيَّةٌ noun phrase funerary chapel
بابٌ وَهْمِيٌّ noun phrase false door
نُقوشٌ هيروغْليفِيَّةٌ noun phrase hieroglyphic inscriptions
طُقوسُ الدَّفْنِ noun phrase burial rituals
آبارُ الدَّفْنِ noun phrase burial shafts
تَوابيتُ حَجَرِيَّةٌ noun phrase stone sarcophagi
مُكْتَشَفاتٌ noun finds

Sources

  1. Egypt Today: Egypt Discovers “Sekhentiu-Ptah” Tomb, Network of Burial Shafts and Numerous Archaeological Artifacts at Saqqara
  2. Archaeology Magazine: 4,000-Year-Old Tomb Unearthed in Saqqara
  3. Ahram Online: An Old Kingdom tomb and burial complex unearthed in Saqqara

This learner article is an original summary based on the sources above. The featured image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.

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