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Khuwy A new tomb at Saqqara


Khuwy A new tomb at Saqqara

The Czech archeological mission at south Saqqara has found, in the Djedkare-Isesi's pyramid complex area, the tomb of a dignitary named Khuwy who lived at the end of the 5th Dynasty (circa 2465-2323 B.C.). It consists of a superstructure with an L-shaped offering chapel, which was once decorated with reliefs, but only the bottom part of this decoration is preserved. In the north wall of the tomb, the mission found the entrance to a substructure, which is for the first time clearly inspired by the design of the substructures of the royal pyramids of the 5th Dynasty. This part of the tomb started with a descending corridor, which leads to a vestibule. An entranceway in its southern wall gives access to a decorated antechamber. The colors of the tomb's decorations are incredibly well-preserved, despite the passage of over 4 millennia. On the south and north walls, the tomb owner is sitting in front of an offering table. Moreover, an offering list was depicted on the east wall and a palace-façade on the west wall.
Khuwy has many titles, including "Overseer of the khentiu-she of the Great House", "Great one of the ten of Upper Egypt" and "Sole friend" — titles that indicate he was a senior administrator in the king's court.
Through two entrances in the west wall of the antechamber the mission entered a second room, which was the burial chamber itself and which had remained undecorated. It seems that the space of the burial chamber was almost completely filled with a limestone sarcophagus, which was found entirely destroyed by ancient tomb robbers. However, remains of the body of Khuwy where found, which show clear traces of mummification.
An entrance in the south wall of the decorated antechamber leads to a small room used most likely as a storeroom, which contained almost no finds.

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