21 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Cairo University archaeological mission unearths the tomb of Ramses II’s royal treasurer at Saqqara necropolis

Archaeologists working at the Saqqara necropolis have unearthed the tomb of Ptah-M-Wiah, a high-ranking ancient Egyptian official and head of the treasury during the reign of King Ramses II.

According to Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the discovery featured graves of top officials from the 19th Dynasty that supplemented other tombs from the 18th Dynasty, the most notable of which was the burial of military commander Hor Moheb.

Ptah-M-Wia held various posts at the Temple of Ramses II in Thebes at the period, including chief treasurer and chief supervisor of livestock and divine offerings according to Waziri.

“What makes this tomb unique is the area it was found in,” said Dr. Ola El Aguizy, who led the archaeological mission that discovered the tomb.

“A number of very important military leaders, statesmen, and aristocrats were buried there, most of whom date back to the reign of Ramses II,” she told The National.

The newly found cemetery, according to Ola Al-Ajezi, the head of the archaeological expedition, has the same architecture as previous cemeteries in the region, which is known as the tomb temple, since it has an entrance in the shape of a structure.

Photo: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Ptah M Wiah’s tomb, like most other Ramesside-era tombs, is made up of a grand entrance adorned with an edifice depicting scenes from its occupant’s life and features two inner chambers. The first chamber was usually left bare, while the second chamber would be much more ornate, featuring decorative columns flanking the entombed mummy.

Also found in Ptah-M-Wiah’s tomb were a number of stone blocks, which Dr. El Aguizy said were once part of the ceiling and walls of the tomb, but had fallen down over the centuries.

On one of the walls left standing is a large painting depicting a procession of people carrying offerings which end with a scene of a calf being slaughtered.

Al-Ajezi added that many engraved stone blocks were also found, as well as many Osirian columns.

The columns, known as Osirian columns after the god Osiris, are meant to connect the earth to the sky, bridging the world of the living with the afterlife, Dr. El Aguizy said.

tomb of Ptah
Remains of a column found in the newly excavated tomb of Ptah-M-Wiah, the royal treasurer of King Rameses II. Photo: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

“Osirian columns are a symbol. The ancient Egyptians believed that they would grow to reach the heavens, and through this, Ra, the god of the heavens, would make contact with Osiris, the god of the underworld, and their realms would be connected,” she said.

“What has now been discovered from the tomb is its entrance which was built of stone carved with the scenes of the owner of the tomb. This entrance leads to a first hall with painted and colored plaster walls. She noted that among the most important of these scenes are those depicting the procession of carrying offerings, which ends with a scene of slaughtering a calf,” she said.

The Ramesside period, which lasted from 1292 BC to 1075 BC and covered the 19th and 20th dynasties, is known for its wealth, as seen by the splendor of its archaeological treasures.

The artifacts will be cataloged and then placed back in the tomb, in their original positions, so they can be seen by visitors when it opens to tourists, Dr. Waziri said.

Cover Photo: The walls of Ptah-M-Wiah’s tomb at Saqqara necropolis. The painting depicts a sacrificial procession. Photo: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Related Articles

New Hittite Tablet Reveals Luwian Songs on the Fall of Troy

1 April 2025

1 April 2025

The Trojan War is one of the most famous legends of Greek mythology, yet its historicity remains a topic of...

Archaeologists discovered a dragon made of mussel shells in in Inner Mongolia

26 August 2023

26 August 2023

Archaeologists discovered a dragon made of mussel shells earlier this week in Chifeng, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which...

Archaeologists Unearth 78,000-Year Oldest Human Burial

5 May 2021

5 May 2021

A 78,000-year-old group of bones discovered at the mouth of a Kenyan coastal cave constitutes the oldest recorded formal human...

A Roman sarcophagus bearing the title of “Emperor’s Protector” was found for the first time in Anatolia

29 April 2022

29 April 2022

A sarcophagus carrying the title of “Emperor’s protector” was discovered in the province of Kocaeli in western Turkey. With the...

The three-headed statue of Goddess Hecate discovered in Turkey’s Mersin

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

In the ancient city of Kelenderis in Mersin, located in the south of Turkey, the statue of the 3-headed goddess...

Rare Piece Of Metal Armor Found At 17th-Century Fort In Maryland

1 March 2024

1 March 2024

A piece of body armor was unearthed during excavations at a 17th-century colonial fort in Maryland, a Mid-Atlantic state of...

Researchers explored a rock art site near Idupulapaya in India

1 October 2021

1 October 2021

A rock art site was discovered near Idupulapaya in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Rock paintings from the Megalithic...

A 1,100-year-old lead amulet of Bulgarian soldiers sieges Constantinople found

31 March 2023

31 March 2023

A lead plate amulet bearing an inscription in Cyrillic dating from the times of Tsar Simeon the Great was discovered...

Polish archaeologists have uncovered nine crocodile heads within ancient Egyptian tombs of nobles

25 December 2022

25 December 2022

Polish archaeologists excavating the Theban Necropolis in Egypt discovered nine crocodile heads hidden inside two tombs belonging to high-ranking nobles....

6,000-Year-Old Settlement Was home to Europe’s first megalithic monument makers

22 February 2023

22 February 2023

Archaeologists in France unearthed the remains of a series of wooden buildings within a defensive enclosure that were built at...

Roman influence period artifacts discovered by history enthusiasts in northern Poland

16 March 2024

16 March 2024

Local history enthusiasts from the Wendrusz Historical and Exploration Society have discovered four fibulae, a ring, and fragments of decorations...

500-year-old Ottoman bath revived after years of restoration

5 April 2024

5 April 2024

The 500-year-old Zeyrek Çinili Hammam, a masterpiece of Mimar Sinan and one of the most important examples of Ottoman Bath...

2.3-meter sword found in 4th-century tomb in Japan

27 January 2023

27 January 2023

The largest bronze mirror and the largest “dako” iron sword in Japan were discovered at the Tomio Maruyama burial mound...

An important Gallo-Roman worship complex was discovered near Rennes, France

13 June 2022

13 June 2022

An essential Gallo-Roman worship complex was unearthed by Inrap  (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) archaeologists at Chapelle-des-Fougeretz (Ille-et-Vilaine), near...

The oldest evidence of human use of tobacco was discovered in Utah

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

According to recent research, burnt seeds discovered in the Utah desert suggest that humans used tobacco initially and that some...