Painted priests' tombs uncovered in Saqqara

Two sixth dynasty tombs of King Pepi II’s priests uncovered in Saqqara

By Nevine El-Aref

During excavation work by the French Institute for Oriental Studies (IFAO) at Tabetl Algish in the south Saqqara necropolis, two very-well preserved tombs were uncovered.

The tombs belong to two priests from the reign of the sixth dynasty King Pepi II, and include their skeletons and a few items of their funerary collection. The first priest is named Ankhti and the second is Saby.

Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty explains that the walls of both tombs are very well decorated with paintings depicting religious rituals, among them presenting offerings to deities.

He asserted that the paintings are still bearing their vivid colours as if they were painted yesterday, although they were dug 4,200 years ago.

“These paintings are a good documentary revealing the type of religious rituals at that time as well as showing the skill of ancient Egyptian artisans,” Eldamaty confirmed.

French Egyptologist Vassil Dobrev, head of the mission, explains that burial shafts are found at a very deep level inside the tombs. Saby’s burial shaft was six metres deep, while the one of Ankhti was found 12 metres deep.

He went on to say that each tomb is built on two levels: the upper one is on the ground built of mud bricks, while the lower part is a rock hewn of limestone.

Kamal Wahid, director of the central administration of Giza antiquities, told Ahram Online that although a few alabaster vessels, offerings and the skeletons of both priests were found, both tombs were subjected to looting in antiquity. Both skeletons were found scattered on the ground and not inside sarcophagi.

He explains that both tombs are almost identical and bear very distinguished scenes, among them the ancient Egyptian offerings painted on the walls of the priests’ burial chambers.

It shows the pot of the seven ritual oils and the list of offerings with their names and quantities. Incense balls and copper burning incense are also depicted as well as head rests and necklaces worn by priests.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/126746/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Painted-priests-tombs-uncovered-in-Saqqara.aspx

The Fall of the Egyptian Old Kingdom

By Professor Fekri Hassan

End of a dynasty

Nothing prepared Egypt for the eclipse of royal power and poverty that came after Pepy II (Neferkare). He had ruled for more than 90 years (2246 - 2152 BC) as the fourth king of the 6th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Within the span of 20 years, fragmentary records indicate that no less than 18 kings and possibly one queen ascended the throne with nominal control over the country. This was the entire length of the 7th and 8th Dynasties (2150 - 2134 BC). In the last few years of the 6th Dynasty, the erosion of power of the centralized state was offset by that of provincial governors and officials who became hereditary holders of their posts and treated their regions as their own property.

Egypt, to be sure, survived the disastrous collapse of the monarchy. Within a century, Egyptians had re-invented centralized government. They refurbished the image of kings so that they were not merely rulers by virtue of their divine descent but more importantly had to uphold order and justice, care for the dispossessed and show mercy and compassion. The crisis that shook Egyptian society thus heralded the most dramatic transformation in the royal institution, which was destined never to be separated from this social function.

The crisis not only reformed the monarchy but also instilled the spirit of social justice and laid the foundation for mercy and compassion as fundamental virtues. It was these concepts that were later to infuse Christianity and Islam. It was these same concepts that eventually led to the overthrowing of monarchs who repeatedly usurped their powers and denied people their religious rights.