In Egypt, a tomb of a pharaoh’s official and priestess was discovered with amazing drawings

A clay brick tomb is called a mastaba, a rectangular structure with a flat roof and sloping sides. Inside, the team found wall paintings depicting scenes from ancient Egyptian life, such as grain being threshed by donkeys (by trampling), ships sailing down the Nile, and goods being sold in a market, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Hieroglyphic inscriptions found on the walls of the tomb indicate that the tomb belongs to a man named Seneb-Neb-Af and his wife Idet. Inscriptions state that Idet was a celebrant of Hathor, the sky goddess associated with sensuality, motherhood, and music, while Seneb-Neb-Af held several positions in the pharaoh’s court related to the administration of the tenants.

It’s hard to say exactly what Seneb-Neb-Af’s duties were, says Stephan Seidlmayer, an archaeologist at the German Institute for Archeology who is leading excavations at the site. The nearby city was controlled by the palace, so perhaps he could decide who lived there and be responsible for the administration of the community’s funds, the researcher speculates.

The date of the finds was determined based on the style and content of the inscriptions, the design of the mastaba and the style of the pottery, S. Seidlmayer points out. He notes that the couple probably lived in the late 5th or early 6th Dynasty, about 4,300 years ago. Pyramids were still being built in Egypt at that time – but they were smaller than those built during the Fourth Dynasty at places like Giza.

Excavation of the burial site is not yet complete, so it is likely that more finds will be found. “The burial shafts of this cemetery have not yet been excavated, so they are not there yet [rasta] human remains, says the scientist. “We hope to be able to excavate the shafts during the coming season – and then, of course, human remains will be very important.”

Adapted from Live Science.