ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TOMB

ARCHAEOLOGISTS in Egypt have discovered a 4400year-old tomb near the country’s famed pyramids at the Giza plateau just outside Cairo, the Antiquities Ministry said Saturday.

The tomb was found in a wider area of Giza’s western necropolis, which is known to be home to tombs from the Old Kingdom.

It likely belonged to a woman known as Hetpet, who archaeologists believe was close to ancient Egyptian royals of the 5th Dynasty.

The tomb, unveiled to the media on Saturday, is made of mud brick and includes wall paintings depicting Hetpet observing different hunting and fishing scenes.

Archaeologists have been making discoveries near the site since the 19th century, and Mostafa al-Waziri, who led the mission, believes there is still much more to be found.

“This is a very promising area. We expect to find more,” Mr Al-Waziri said the site.

He believes Hetpet had another tomb in Giza’s western necropolis.

Hetpet is a previously known figure in Egyptian antiquity though her mummy has not been discovered yet. Fragments of artefacts belong- ing to Hetpet were found in the same area back in 1909, and were moved to a museum in Berlin at the time.

The area of the latest discovery is close to a new museum under construction that will house some of Egypt’s most unique and precious artifacts from ancient times.