Egypt turning up new ancient secrets

SAQQARA, Egypt – Archaeologists unveiled the tombs Tuesday of a pharaonic butler and a scribe that have been buried for more than 3,000 years – proof that Egypt’s sands still have secrets to reveal.

Although archaeologists have been exploring Egypt intensively for more than 150 years, some estimate only one-third of what lies underground in Saqqara, site of the country’s most ancient pyramid and burial site of kings, has been uncovered.

“The sands of Saqqara reveal lots of secrets,” said Egypt’s antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, as he showed reporters a 4,000-year-old mud brick tomb that belonged to a scribe of divine records, Ka-Hay, and his wife.

The tomb, along with the butler’s 3,350-year-old limestone grave and two painted coffins, were discovered earlier this year near the famous Step Pyramid of King Djoser – the oldest of Egypt’s more than 90 pyramids.

Hawass said the three discoveries are just the tip of what remains undiscovered at Saqqara, which was the burial grounds for Memphis, capital of Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

In December, archaeologists in Saqqara discovered the mummified remains of a doctor who was buried along with surgical tools more than 4,000 years ago. Two months earlier, the graves of three royal dentists were discovered in Saqqara after the arrest of tomb raiders led archaeologists to the site.

Hawass said the mud-brick tomb unveiled Tuesday, which also featured wooden statues and a door with intricate hieroglyphic carvings – including one of the scribe and his wife – “could enrich our knowledge about the people who actually surrounded the kings of Saqqara.”

“It doesn’t look great because it was built from mud brick and not built of limestone, but I really believe that this tomb is very important,” said Hawass, who donned his signature Indiana Jones-style hat.

Three wooden statues also were found in the tomb. Two of them, each about 3 feet tall and depicting the scribe, were laid out on pieces of foam on the ground. One was missing a left arm. The third was not shown because it was in poor condition.