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Archaeologists discover bench grave of Old Empire couple in Saccara

Feb 19, 2007, 17:32 GMT

Cairo - Archaeologists discovered a grave in Saccara near Cairo, in which a scribe from the time of the pharaohs had been buried together with his wife, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said Monday in Cairo. In the bench grave, or 'mastaba,' made of clay bricks, a well- preserved wooden double statue had been found showing the couple in a sitting position. Egyptian and Austrian archaeologists also found a beautiful wooden ornamental door in the grave, which is located near the Teti pyramid. Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawwas explained the grave originated from the Old Empire, either from the late 5th or the early 6th dynasty, around 2350BC. In recent weeks, archaeologists had found a grave with interesting wall paintings from the Amarna period in the massive Saccara Tombs. They also found five subterranean graves said to be from the Middle Empire and the New Empire. The four wooden sarcophagi, which had been found inside, are currently being examined. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Archaeologists discover bench grave of Old Empire couple in Saccara

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