Cairo, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Egypt has announced the discovery of a more than 4,000-year-old tomb dating to the late Fifth Dynasty at the Mariette Cemetery north of Saqqara in Giza Province, west of Cairo.
The tomb was uncovered by a joint Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission and dates to the reign of King Djedkare Isesi, according to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The medium-sized mastaba contains two funerary chapels. One belonged to Yunmin, a senior official who served as a judge, court director and chief of scribes responsible for handling petitions and complaints.
Excavations inside Yunmin’s chapel revealed a distinctive facade bearing funerary texts and an offering formula, along with an image of the tomb’s owner shown in a formal pose.
The chapel walls feature high-quality raised reliefs depicting agricultural activities and processions carrying offerings to the tomb, providing insights into the artistic and funerary practices of the period.
The second chapel belonged to Yunmin’s father, Ity, who was a scribe involved in the administration of agricultural lands and offerings. His chapel contains a false door and colourful wall paintings depicting offering scenes, although much of the original paint has faded.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discovery provides new archaeological information about the Saqqara cemetery during the late Fifth Dynasty and contributes to understanding the architectural and artistic styles of tombs from that period.
The discovery follows another significant find announced by the ministry in July, when a Dutch archaeological mission uncovered a Pharaonic tomb on the West Bank of Luxor during excavations in the Theban Necropolis.
Inscriptions identified the owner of that tomb as “Paser”, while wall reliefs tentatively dated the structure to Egypt’s New Kingdom, which lasted from 1550 BC to 1069 BC.
El-Leithy said the archaeological team would undertake comprehensive documentation and analysis to identify those buried at the site and reconstruct their histories, with the aim of placing the tomb within its wider historical and cultural context.
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