Discovery by Czech Egyptologists. They found the tomb of the royal scribe

This spring, Czech Egyptologists discovered the richly decorated shaft tomb of the hitherto unknown dignitary Džehutiemhat, who worked as a royal scribe, at the cemetery in Abusír.

From the skeletal remains, it was found that he died young and suffered from osteoporosis. The discovery of the tomb is important for further understanding of the history of ancient Egypt at the end of its glory, the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where the Czech Institute of Egyptology operates, reported on the website.

“It is a richly decorated shaft tomb of medium size, whose owner, a certain Džehutiemhat, held the office of royal scribe,” said Ladislav Bareš, who coordinates the research of Abusir shaft tombs.

PHOTO GALLERY: Peek into the tomb of the Egyptian dignitary Džehutiemhat

Only the main shaft with dimensions of 6.6 by 6.6 meters has been preserved from the tomb, the above-ground part of which was destroyed already in ancient times. At its bottom, at a depth of 14 meters, lay a burial chamber built of limestone blocks. Access to it was provided by a small shaft and a narrow corridor about three meters long connecting the access shaft with the burial chamber.

“For as yet unknown reasons, this access shaft was largely filled with several dozen decorated limestone blocks, originating from the dismantled above-ground portion of the nearby stately tomb of General Menechibnekon,” the researchers said.

The burial chamber is richly decorated with texts and scenes. Inside the burial chamber covered with relief decoration is a large stone sarcophagus with hieroglyphic inscriptions and depictions of gods. According to Egyptologists, all religio-magical texts were intended to ensure the deceased a smooth entry into a blissful and well-provided eternal life in the afterlife.

Czech scientists discovered the tomb of the scribe Džehutiemhat almost empty, because she was robbedsimilar to other tombs in this burial ground apparently in the 5th century AD.

Preserved ceramics

Ceramics from burial equipment – bowls, jugs or lids – have been preserved. “The discovery of a large fragment of a Chia amphora with a perfectly smoothed edge is also very interesting, because the ancient robbers probably used it as a shovel,” noted Květa Smoláriková, who is an expert on ceramics in the Czech team.

From the anthropological analysis of the skeletal remains, which was carried out by leading Egyptian experts, it was found, among other things, that Dzhehutiemhat died at a relatively early age of about 25 years and suffered from severe osteoporosis.

“The recently discovered tomb of the dignitary Džehutiemhat on the Abusír archaeological concession is the latest piece of knowledge in the mosaic of the history of ancient Egypt at the end of its glory in the Late Period, in the 6th century BC,” added Miroslav Bárta, director of Czech archaeological research in Abusír.

Czech, formerly Czechoslovak Egyptologists work mainly in the region of Abusir and northern Saqqara, where they have a long-term concession. They have been among the world’s top for many years and have managed to make many important discoveries.