THE 4,000-YEAR-OLD TOMB OF HETPET: A TIMELY FIND FOR EGYPT’S TOURISM
She was a well-connected woman in her time, and the discovery of her resting place will be a big attraction
Egypt has unveiled a 4,400-yearold tomb found near the country’s pyramids at the Giza plateau just outside Cairo, a find that authorities hope will help to revive the country’s staggering tourism sector.
The tomb is in an area of Giza’s western necropolis that is known to be home to tombs from the Old Kingdom from 2686 to 2181BC.
It probably belonged to a woman known as Hetpet, who archaeologists believe was close to ancient Egyptian royals of the Fifth Dynasty.
The tomb, unveiled on Saturday, is made of mud brick and includes wall paintings in good condition that depict Hetpet observing hunting and fishing scenes.
Other scenes show a monkey, a common pet in pharaonic times, picking fruit. Similar scenes have been found in other tombs belonging to the later 12th Dynasty, the Antiquities Ministry said. Another scene shows a monkey dancing before an orchestra.
The ministry said the archaeological mission behind the discovery began excavation work last October.
Archaeologists have been making discoveries near the site since the 19th century, and Mostafa Al Waziri, who led the mission, believes there is still more to be found.
“This is a very promising area. We expect to find more,” Mr Al Waziri said. “We have removed between 250 and 300 cubic metres of layers of earth to find the tomb.
“What we see above the Earth’s surface in Egypt doesn’t exceed 40 per cent of what the core holds.”
Mr Al Waziri believes Hetpet had another tomb in Giza’s western necropolis and said excavation work was under way to find that one too.
Hetpet is a known figure in Egyptian antiquity although her mummy has not been discovered. Fragments of artefacts belonging to her were found in the same area in 1909, and were moved to a museum in Berlin at the time, antiquities minister Khaled Al Anani said.
Despite all the discoveries already made about Ancient Egypt, experts said they hoped to find many more treasures still buried under the vast desert – in part thanks to modern technology.
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 artefacts, including many belonging to the reknowned boy king Tutankhamun.
The first phase of the Grand Egyptian Museum is expected to be opened this year, while the grand opening is planned for 2022.
In January, Egypt placed the ancient statue of one of its bestknown pharaohs, Ramses II, in the museum’s atrium, which will hold 43 massive statues.
Throughout last year, the antiquities ministry made a string of discoveries across Egypt – including some in the southern city of Luxor, known for its spectacular temples and tombs spanning different dynasties of Ancient Egyptian history.
Egypt hopes the inauguration of the new museum, along with the recent discoveries, will draw visitors back to the country. Egypt’s vital tourism sector has been hit hard by extremist attacks and political turmoil after the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
The government has tightened security around archaeological and tourist sites and spent millions of dollars to upgrade airport security, especially after the 2015 downing of a Russian airliner by ISIL, killing 224 people on board.
Russia suspended flights to and from Egypt after the bombing, but Russian flights to Cairo are scheduled to resume this month after the two countries signed a security protocol in December.