Egypt says 4,400-year-old tomb discovered outside Cairo

Archaeologists in Egypt say they have discovered a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids outside Cairo.

1 min read

03 February, 2018

Egypt - 4400 year old tomb found near Pyramids

Archaeologists in Egypt say they have discovered a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids outside Cairo.

Egypt's Antiquities Ministry announced the discovery on Saturday and said the tomb likely belonged to a high-ranking official known as Hetpet during the 5th Dynasty of ancient Egypt.

The tomb includes wall paintings depicting Hetpet observing different hunting and fishing scenes.

Mostafa Al-Waziri, leader of the archaeological mission, says the scenes depict a monkey - at the time commonly kept as domestic animals - reaping fruit and another dancing before an orchestra.

He believes Hetpet, a woman thought to be close to ancient Egyptian royals, had another tomb in Giza's western necropolis, which is home to the tombs of top officials of Egypt's Old Kingdom.

Al-Waziri says excavation work is underway for the other tomb.

Archaeologists in Egypt began radar scans of King Tutankhamun's tomb Thursday in the southern city of Luxor, where two hidden chambers along with possible organic material are believed to be tucked away.

The Egyptian antiquities ministry will carry out the scans over the course of a week, reported AP.

In March 2016, preliminary scans of Tutankhamun's tomb first revealed the possibility of secret rooms behind the pharaoh's burial chamber.