Mostafa Vaziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced at a press conference on Saturday the discovery of five tombs in the Saqqara region.
He said the tombs date back to the Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period and contain “many burials and archaeological finds.”
Vaziri explained that the first tomb belonged to a high-ranking statesman named “Eri” and consists of a well that leads to a carved burial chamber with walls depicting numerous burial scenes, including scenes of sacrificial tables, a palace façade, and seven pots with oil. It contains a huge limestone sarcophagus, as well as carved fragments that belonged to the owner of the tomb, and the mission is now working on assembling them.
He said that the second tomb belonged to the wife of a man named “Yart”; this is explained by the proximity to his tomb, which consists of a rectangular well.
The third tomb belongs to a man named Bi Nafarhafai, who held several positions, including “As-Samir the One”, “Career of the Great House”, “Priest-Psalmist” and “Cleaner of the House”.
The fourth tomb belongs to a woman named “Betty” and has a rectangular well located about six meters below the surface of the earth. Betty bore titles bestowed by the sole king and priestess of the goddess Hathor.
Finally, the fifth tomb belongs to a man named “Hano”. It is a rectangular well located at a depth of about seven meters. His titles are: “The Overseer of the Royal Palace”, “As-Samir the One”, “Crown Prince and Mayor”, “The Overseer of the Great House”, “The Bearer of the Seals of Lower Egypt” and “The Overseer of the Orchard”.