Archaeologists in Egypt have recently uncovered a 4,300-year-old tomb containing a vibrant mural depicting ancient everyday life. The tomb itself is located in Dahshur, an archaeological site covering several royal pyramids and an expansive 20-mile-long necropolis.
The team of researchers purportedly plans to return to the site and excavate the burial shafts within to find out if any mummies remain, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Findings Inside the Dahshur Tomb
As per the statement, the tomb is a mud-brick structure called a "matsaba," whose defining features are its rectangular base, flat roof, and sloping sides.
Inside this structure, the archaeological team found the mural that illustrated ancient mundane scenes of donkeys trampling over grain to thresh it, ships sailing across the Nile, and general trading at a market.
Upon inspection, the researchers said they discovered a set of hieroglyphic inscriptions attributing the tomb to a man named Seneb-Neb-Af and his wife Idet.
In addition, the inscriptions described Idet as a priestess of Hathor, the Egyptian deity long associated with the sky, maternity, and music. On the other hand, Seneb-Neb-Af reportedly held a few positions at the royal palace revolving around tenant administration matters.
Stephan Sedlmayer of the German Archaeological Institute, lead archaeologist in the excavation mission in Dahshur, told Live Science that Seneb-Neb-Af may have also been in charge of the administration of funds of a nearby town under the palace's control.
In addition, he may have also been the one to decide who gets to live in this particular community.
As for how the tomb was dated, Seidlmayer said that it was determined principally by insights into the style and actual content of the hieroglyphic inscriptions, the mastaba's design, and the style of pottery found in the structure.
The archaeologist noted that, in light of these findings, they traced the couple back to the late 5th dynasty or early 6th dynasty, around 4,3000 years back.
In terms of plans, Seidlmayer shares that he and his team are slated to come back to the site "in the coming season" to fully excavate the burial shafts and hopefully unearth "human remains" from them, which he notes will be "of key interest."
