Egyptian scholars gather in Barcelona to announce new tomb discovery
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Over 300 egiptólogos met in Barcelona, Spain for the VIII Ibero-American Congress of Egyptology, where Josep Cervelló announced the discovery of a previously unknown mastaba tomb in Saqqara, Egypt.
The tomb belonged to Yunnen, a high-ranking official who lived 4,300 years ago during the Fifth Dynasty, and his father Iti. The structure is unusual and was found in the Mariette cemetery, north of the Step Pyramid.
The congress featured presentations on a wide range of topics related to Ancient Egypt, including international relations, archaeology, art, religion, and funerary practices. Researchers shared recent findings from excavations across Egypt, such as Myriam Seco’s work at the temple of Tutmosis III where they unearthed 25 paddle dolls, funerary objects possibly representing concubines or symbols of female power, and José Ramón Pérez-Accino’s investigations in the Valley of the Kings, which suggest the existence of a sacred public space.
Several mission directors presented updates on their ongoing projects. Antonio Morales discussed a tomb near Deir el Bahari belonging to Djari, a noble with the ominous title of “director of prisons and labor camps.” Mari Carmen Pérez-Dié shared an overview of Heracleopolis Magna, a site her Spanish mission has been excavating since 1968. Researchers also discussed the challenges of securing funding for Egyptian archaeology and the need for dedicated academic programs in universities.
