Diggers Unearth 4,400-Year-Old Tomb in Cairo

Published December 16th, 2018 - 08:13 GMT
Guests enter a newly-discovered tomb at the Saqqara necropolis belonging to the high priest "Wahtye" who served during the fifth dynasty reign of King Neferirkare. (AFP)
Guests enter a newly-discovered tomb at the Saqqara necropolis belonging to the high priest "Wahtye" who served during the fifth dynasty reign of King Neferirkare. (AFP)

A 4,400-year-old Pharaonic-era tomb has been discovered south of Egyptian capital Cairo, Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry announced Saturday.

At a press conference, Antiquities Minister Khalid al-Anani said the tomb belonged to Wah Te, the high priest at a nearby temple.

The discovery was made in the Saqqara burial complex, located some 30 kilometers south of Cairo.

According to al-Anani, the tomb dates back to the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom (circa 2,400 BC).

The minister’s press conference was attended by a number of Egyptian officials and foreign diplomats.

At the press conference, Mustafa al-Waziri, secretary-general of the Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the tomb -- which archaeologists are still in the process of excavating -- was roughly 10 meters in length and three meters in height.

This article has been adapted from its original source.