Archaeological discovery in Egypt 'rewrites history' as we know it!
What is Saqqara?
Saqqara is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to more than a dozen pyramids, ancient monasteries, and animal burial sites.
Who found the items?
A team headed by Hawass made the finds near the pyramid of King Teti, the first pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.
'Rewrites history'
More than 50 wooden sarcophagi dating to the New Kingdom (16th century BC to 11th century BC) were found in a burial shaft, Hawass told AFP on Sunday. "This discovery re-writes the history of Saqqara and more specifically the history of the New Kingdom, which began 3,000 years ago," he said.
What else was discovered?
Hawass said his team had discovered a total of 22 shafts, including one containing a "soldier, with his battle axe resting beside him". A stone sarcophagus was also found, he added, as well as "a papyrus around five metres long containing the 17th chapter of the book of the dead... masks, wooden boats, games the ancient Egyptians used to play".
Why is it a major discovery?
Egypt's tourism and antiquities ministry had announced Saturday "major discoveries" at Saqqara, where there has been a flurry of excavations in recent years. "It is a rare and new discovery because most of the artefacts we found are dated back to the New Kingdom, whereas in Saqqara, it's usually more around 500 BC", a team member told AFP.
A file photo of an ancient building found
A file photo of an ancient building found
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