Sacred Relics Resurface: Egypt’s Momentous Uncovering of an Ancient Temple in Saqqara Cemetery.

Famous archaeologist Zahi Hawass on January 17 announced details of the discovery of an ancient temple in the vast Saqqara cemetery south of Cairo.

The excavation site of Queen Neit’s temple is located in the large Saqqara cemetery south of Cairo, Egypt

Former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Hawass said archaeologists have excavated the temple of Queen Neit, wife of King Teti, the first king of the 6th Dynasty who ruled Egypt from 2323 to 2150 BC. original.

The team found a 4-meter-long papyrus that included excerpts from the “Book of the Dead,” a collection of charms intended to help the souls of the dead pass into the afterlife.

Hawass said archaeologists have also unearthed burial wells, coffins and mummies dating back to the period when the New Kingdom ruled Egypt from around 1570 BC to 1069 BC. In addition, they also found at least 22 tombs up to 12 meters deep with more than 50 wooden coffins.

Archaeologists have unearthed burial wells, coffins and mummies dating back to the New Kingdom

According to Hawass, researchers have been working at the site near King Teti’s pyramid for more than a decade. This discovery is the result of cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the Zahi Hawass Center at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

This ancient temple is the latest in a series of recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt. Antiquities authorities said that since September last year, at least 140 wooden coffins in sealed and well-preserved condition have been discovered in the Saqqara cemetery. Sealed wooden coffins were buried with many statues of goddesses dating back more than 2,500 years, belonging to the official and priestly classes during the Late and Ptolemaic periods.

Bone and skull samples were found in the temple at the Raqqara cemetery

Burial wells, sarcophagi and mummies date back to the New Kingdom

The research team also found at least 22 tombs up to 12 meters deep with more than 50 wooden coffins.

This discovery is the result of cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the Zahi Hawass Center

The Saqqara plateau has at least 11 pyramids, including the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, along with hundreds of tombs belonging to the official class from the First Dynasty (2920 BC – 2770 BC) to the Coptic period (395-642). This vast area is part of Egypt’s ancient capital Memphis, extending from Giza to Dahshur, and was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1970.

Egypt is currently looking to promote archaeological activities across the country in an effort to revive the tourism industry. This was originally the spearhead of the economy but was seriously damaged due to political instability as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic.