On Friday, a joint Egyptian archaeological mission—a collaboration between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Zahi Hawass Foundation for Archaeology and Heritage—announced the discovery of the tomb of Prince Weser Khaf Ra, son of King Userkaf, the founding monarch of Egypt's Fifth Dynasty, in the Saqqara necropolis.
Hawass revealed that the mission found a statue ensemble depicting King Djoser, his wife, and their ten daughters for the first time inside the tomb of Prince Weser Khaf Ra.
Among the findings is a massive false door made of pink granite, measuring four and a half meters in height and 1.15 meters in width—the first of its kind in both size and material to be found in Egypt. The false door is decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions that clarify the name and titles of Prince Weser Khaf Ra, including "Hereditary Prince," "Governor of Buto and Nekheb," "Royal Scribe," "Minister," "Judge," and "Chanting Priest."
Preliminary studies indicate that these statues were originally located in a chamber adjacent to the Step Pyramid of King Djoser and were later relocated to the tomb of Prince Weser Khaf Ra during the Late Period. This suggests that the tomb may have been reused in later periods.
The mission discovered a red granite offering table inscribed with detailed lists of ritual offerings, measuring about 92 centimeters in diameter.
In front of the eastern façade, another entrance to the tomb was found, featuring two pink granite jambs inscribed with the name and titles of the tomb's owner and bearing the cartouche of King Neferirkare.
To the north of the lintel, the team uncovered a collection of 13 seated statues made of pink granite, placed on high-backed chairs. The statues depict individuals, with some representing the wives of the tomb's owner seated in the middle. In front of these statues, another black granite statue, approximately 1.35 meters tall, was discovered lying face down.
Dr. Hawass indicated that the mission will continue to uncover the remaining elements of the tomb and to determine the reason for moving these statues from their original location to the tomb of Prince Weser Khaf Ra.
"This discovery was made by a an Egyptian archaeological mission," said Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, according to Egypt Today. He further described the discovery as "a milestone in uncovering new layers of Egypt's rich and ancient history" and expressed national pride in such locally led archaeological achievements.
The Saqqara area remains central to understanding Egypt's dynastic and cultural evolution. It is one of the richest archaeological areas in Egypt, as it includes the pyramids of several kings of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties and the tombs of senior officials of the Old Kingdom. The Fifth Dynasty kings ruled Egypt for about 150 years from 2494 to 2345 BCE.
The mission continues its work in the Saqqara archaeological area, where numerous artifacts from both the Old Kingdom and later periods have been unveiled. The team aims to uncover the reasons behind the transfer of the statues to the tomb of Prince Weser Khaf Ra and to reveal more about the tomb's history and significance.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.