A 4,000-year-old offering chapel of a high priest's wife found in Saqqara

A team of researchers from the Czech Institute of Egyptology discovered an offering chapel approximately 4000 years old in the Saqqara necropolis. The structure belonged to Ikhetnefert, wife of the high priest Sabu, and is associated with his tomb. The finding is part of a broader project that also included the exploration of the tomb of Ptahshepses, their son and a prominent official of the Fifth Dynasty.

Ptahshepses held positions during the reign of four pharaohs of that dynasty and married an Egyptian princess. His career makes him a significant figure of the period. The tombs in this area of Saqqara were first explored in the 19th century by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. Mariette identified about 160 tombs from the Old Kingdom in the sector, although he left the work on these particular tombs incomplete.

The new excavations allowed for precise measurements of Sabu's tomb. The monument extended over 53 meters long and about 27 meters wide, and at its peak reached a height of nearly five meters. The outer walls featured elaborate decorations, according to Hisham El-Leithy from the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.

Inside the offering chapel of Ikhetnefert, which Mariette had not excavated, archaeologists found well-preserved reliefs depicting Sabu and Ptahshepses. The chapel also houses a false door with images of Ikhetnefert alongside her husband and their two sons, Ptahshepses and Raneferef. These elements provide valuable information about the family and their funerary practices.

Details of Ptahshepses' Tomb

The nearby tomb of Ptahshepses includes an offering chamber and reliefs depicting processions and offerings. Although the burial chamber was looted in antiquity, researchers found a limestone sarcophagus containing human remains. Analysis of those remains indicates that Ptahshepses lived over 60 years, a significant detail for the time.

The work of the Czech team picks up and completes what Mariette began over a century and a half ago. The Saqqara necropolis, one of the most important in ancient Egypt, continues to yield findings that allow for the reconstruction of aspects of life and beliefs of the Old Kingdom. The preservation of the reliefs and the presence of the false door enrich the understanding of the elites of the Fifth Dynasty.

Researchers emphasize the importance of these tombs not only for their size and decoration but also for the family ties they document. The figure of Ikhetnefert is prominently represented alongside her husband and children, highlighting the role of high-ranking women in funerary cults of that period.

The discovery of the intact offering chapel and the remains in the sarcophagus of Ptahshepses provides concrete data on the longevity and status of these officials. The combination of monumental architecture and detailed representations offers a more complete view of how powerful families of the Old Kingdom prepared for their transition to the afterlife.

Saqqara continues to reveal layers of history that connect the work of the pioneers of Egyptology with current techniques. The study of these monuments allows for a better understanding of the social and religious organization of one of the most formative stages of Egyptian civilization. The results of this campaign reinforce the value of resuming ancient excavations with contemporary methods.

The presence of reliefs depicting Sabu and Ptahshepses, along with the family false door, confirms the importance of ancestor worship in this sector of the necropolis. Every recovered detail contributes to piecing together the puzzle of an era in which political and religious power were closely intertwined. The finding of the nearly complete family tomb represents a significant contribution to the understanding of the Old Kingdom in Saqqara.