4,400-year-old tomb unearthed near Giza pyramids, Egypt says
CAIRO — Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a 4,400-year-old tomb near the country’s famed pyramids at the Giza plateau just outside Cairo, the Antiquities Ministry said Saturday, the latest discovery that authorities hope will help revive the country’s tourism sector.
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 Saturday, is made of mud brick and includes wall paintings depicting Hetpet observing different hunting and fishing scenes. Other scenes show a monkey — in pharaonic times, monkeys were commonly kept as domestic animals — picking fruit. Another scene shows a monkey dancing before an orchestra.
According to the ministry, the archaeological mission behind the discovery started 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.
Hetpet is a previously known figure in Egyptian antiquity though her mummy has not been found. Fragments of artifacts belonging to Hetpet were found in the same area in 1909.
Despite all the discoveries already made about ancient Egypt, experts say they hope to find more — in part thanks to modern technology — treasures still buried under the desert.
Tourism in Egypt has been hit hard by extremist attacks and political turmoil following the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.