Archaeologists amazed to discover an ancient 'door to the afterlife' in the tomb of an Egyptian prince
The catacomb, which belonged to a previously unknown prince called Userefre, features a large pink granite 'false door' – the largest ever discovered in Egypt.
The door, which measures 4.5 metres high and 1.15 metres wide (15ft by 4ft) resembles a functional door but does not actually open.
Instead, experts believe it held profound spiritual significance – serving as a symbolic portal through which the soul of the dead could travel to the afterlife.
This 'gateway' demonstrates how considerable time and resources were dedicated to achieving eternal rest.
The discovery, in Egypt's Saqqara necropolis, was made during an excavation mission led by Dr Zahi Hawass, former Minister of Antiquities.
The door is decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions detailing Prince Userefre's impressive titles, including 'Hereditary Prince, Governor of the Buto and Nekhbet Regions, Royal Scribe, Minister, Judge, and Chanting Priest.'
The royal, who also goes by Prince Waser–If–Re, according to the inscriptions, was the son of King Userkaf, who was the founder of Egypt's Fifth dynasty.
Despite his many titles, the prince and his tomb were previously unknown to scholars.
'Before this discovery, we didn't even know he existed,' Ronald Leprohon, professor emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Toronto, told The Archaeologist.
Dr Melanie Pitkin, from Cambridge University, has previously explained how false doors were intended to serve as portals that allowed the life force – or 'ka' – of the deceased to move back and forth between the tomb and the afterlife.
'Family members and priests would come to the tomb where the false door was standing and they would recite the name of the deceased and his or her achievements and leave offerings,' she said.
'The ka of the deceased would then magically travel between the burial chamber and the netherworld.
'It would come and collect the food, drink, and offerings from the tomb to help sustain it in the afterlife.'
Alongside the false door, archaeologists also found 13 high–backed chairs, each of which featured statues carved out of pink granite too.
Most false doors discovered in Egyptian tombs are made of limestone, which was abundant at the time.
Pink and red granite was a rarity and had to be quarried and transported from Aswan – around 650km away.
As a result, it was reserved for royalty.
The imposing size of this particular false door reflects Prince Userefre's elevated status within the royal hierarchy.
The archaeologists also found a red granite offering table measuring 92.5cm in diameter, featuring carved texts describing ritual sacrifice.
The tomb also had a massive black granite statue of a standing man, measuring 1.17 metres tall.
The owner of this statue – whose name was inscribed on its chest – appears to date to a more recent time period, indicating the tomb may have been reused.
Scientists working at the site are still looking to locate the prince's actual burial chamber.
Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, and ruled between 1332 BC and 1323 BC.
He was the son of Akhenaten and took to the throne at the age of nine or ten.
When he became king, he married his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten.
He died at around the age of 18 and his cause of death is unknown.
In 1907, Lord Carnarvon George Herbert asked English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter to supervise excavations in the Valley of the Kings.
On 4 November 1922, Carter's group found steps that led to Tutankhamun's tomb.
He spent several months cataloguing the antechamber before opening the burial chamber and discovering the sarcophagus in February 1923.
When the tomb was discovered in 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter, under the patronage of Lord Carnarvon, the media frenzy that followed was unprecedented.
Carter and his team took 10 years to clear the tomb of its treasure because of the multitude of objects found within it.
For many, Tut embodies ancient Egypt's glory because his tomb was packed with the glittering wealth of the rich 18th Dynasty from 1569 to 1315 BC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Cerne Abbey: Archaeologists unearth secrets of medieval hall
Archaeologists have returned to the site of a 1,000-year-old monastery where they are piecing together evidence of a forgotten medieval Abbey in Cerne Abbas, Dorset, was demolished in 1539 during the Dissolution and, until investigations began in 2022, it had remained virtually first dig in 2023, led by Dr Hugh Willmott of Sheffield University, unearthed an intact burial and, in 2024, evidence of a medieval hall was most recent excavations revealed the hall - originally an abbot's lodging - was later repurposed as a glazing workshop, melting lead for lead came windows. The dig also unearthed evidence of earlier construction that had been destroyed by remodelling in the 13th Willmott said: "Everything we are doing here is brand new and telling us things we didn't already know."We've found another part of the late medieval abbey – the north end of the east range of the main cloister building. "That's part of the monastery where the monks would have had their dormitory." A series of large pits beneath the hall also revealed animal bone and pottery, some dating back to the Norman Conquest and three-week excavation involved university students from Sheffield, Cambridge and elsewhere, as well as people from the US and Canada, and Cerne Abbas Will Sherman set up a field forge where he made replicas of knives found at the site from iron nails that had been found in the nails are common and not of any research value so are usually recorded before being disposed of but Mr Sherman, of Medieval Arrows in Christchurch, said the iron was so well refined, it worked "like butter".He said: "The nails are not interesting archaeologically but I've been making them into copies of things, so it's medieval iron forged into a medieval shape."It's cool to show people here who dig these things up how they are actually made." Cerne Abbey was founded in 987 AD at the foot of the hill that bears the Cerne Abbas Giant chalk hill 2022, a ground-penetrating radar survey by the University of Sheffield found the first evidence of the medieval abbey and signs of its Anglo-Saxon predecessor dig is due to feature on the Time Team programme, which now broadcasts online. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Mysterious fingerprint found on 2,600-year-old seal linked to Biblical doomsday warning
Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,600-year-old clay seal in Jerusalem that may be tied to a biblical warning of impending doom. The artifact, known as a bulla, dates back to the First Temple period and bears an ancient Hebrew inscription that reads: 'Belonging to Yeda'yah (son of) Asayahu.' Even more astonishing, the seal retains a visible fingerprint, believed to have been left by the ancient official who once owned it. Archaeologists believe the name inscribed on the seal may connect directly to a pivotal moment in the biblical account of King Josiah of Judah, who launched sweeping religious reforms after a sacred scroll was discovered in Jerusalem. The scroll, believed to be a version of Deuteronomy, outlined severe curses for disobedience, including famine, war, exile and the devastation of both the land and the Temple. When the contents were read aloud, Josiah was so alarmed by its warnings that he tore his robes and sent a group of trusted officials, including a man named Asayahu, to rid Jerusalem of pagan practices. The newly discovered seal, bearing the name of Asayahu's son, Yeda'yah, offers compelling evidence of a royal official likely active during this critical period. It not only supports the existence of individuals named in the biblical record but also reinforces the historical and spiritual significance of the scroll's rediscovery, an event that marked a turning point in Judah's religious history, researchers said. Archaeologist Zachi Dvira, who co-directs the project, told The Times of Israel: 'Obviously, we are not sure that the Asayahu mentioned on the sealing is the same that appears in the Bible. 'However, several such artifacts found in the area of the Temple Mount carry biblical names, and it does make sense, because these were not objects used by common people.' Marks on the back of the clay seal suggest it was once used to secure a bag or storage container, likely tied with a cord, and the script style places it around the the late First Temple period, roughly between the late 7th and early 6th century BC. That was around the time the Bible says King Josiah of Judah ordered repairs made to the Temple in Jerusalem, which was also known as Solomon's Temple. The order came after the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586BC. During the renovations, workers uncovered an ancient sacred scroll, Sefer haTorah, which scholars believe was likely an early version of the Pentateuch, specifically the Book of Deuteronomy, an event mentioned in 2 Kings 22:12 and 2 Chronicles 34:20. When the sacred scroll was read aloud to King Josiah, its warnings about the people's sins and the threat of divine punishment left the monarch shaken. The scroll was said to have revealed that the people of Judah had seriously violated God's covenant by worshiping other gods and engaging in pagan practices. A prophetess, mentioned in 2 Kings 22:16–17, confirmed the doom to King Josiah, telling him God would bring disaster on Jerusalem. According to 2 Kings 23, Josiah sent officials out to tear down shrines, altars and high places dedicated to Baal, Asherah, Molech, and other foreign gods, even desecrating them to ensure they would never be used again. Among those officials was a senior figure named Asayahu, described in the Bible as 'the king's servant.' Given his status, scholars have suggested that it is entirely plausible that his son, Yeda'yah, followed in his footsteps and held a high-ranking role in the royal court or Temple administration. The discovery of a clay seal inscribed with the name 'Yeda'yah son of Asayahu' has now sparked excitement among researchers, who believe it may be directly linked to the very events described in the Bible. Experts from the Temple Mount Sifting Project said the connection is highly credible, pointing out that seals like this were typically used only by officials of significant authority. Its discovery on the Temple Mount adds further weight to the theory that Yeda'yah served in a prominent role during the First Temple period. The historical backdrop is equally compelling. Just a few decades after the scroll was found, Jerusalem was invaded by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The city's walls were breached, the Temple was destroyed, and many residents were killed or taken into exile, including key members of the ruling elite. During the siege, much of the city's food came from royal and Temple storehouses, which were stocked with grain, oil, wine, legumes and honey. These supplies were sealed with pieces of clay stamped with the names of the officials responsible for managing them. One such seal previously uncovered by the project bore the name '[He]zelyahu son of Immer,' an official believed to have worked in the Temple treasury. Now, this newly discovered seal, belonging to Yeda'yah son of Asayahu, appeared to tell a similar story, suggesting he too was responsible for overseeing one of these critical storehouses.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Cirencester's rare pieces of Roman military equipment go on display
Two rare Roman swords unearthed by a metal detectorist are set to go on display to the public. The artefacts, which were found in the north Cotswolds in 2023, are now on show at the Corinium Museum in being discovered by amateur metal detectorist Glenn Manning, the swords were X-rayed using funding from Historic England, which revealed they were created nearly two millennia ago. Emma Stuart, director of the Museum, said: "I'd like to thank all of our funders and conservators for ensuring the swords are preserved and displayed for our visitors and for future generations to enjoy." "The team are all excited to see the new display and welcome people into the museum to see these rare pieces of Roman military equipment that are now part of our archaeological collections," she added. The swords will be displayed in two specially-designed glass cases alongside a copper alloy bowl which was discovered during the same Hughes, chair of Friends of Corinium Museum, said he was "confident" the swords and the bowl would be a "major attraction" for visitors to the museum. Upon examination the swords were believed to be cavalry weapons or weapons intended to be used on horseback, and were likely to be in use by the 160s, through the later Second Century and far into the Third Century Paul Hodgkinson, who oversees health, culture and visitor experience at Cotswold District Council said: "These swords connect us directly to our Roman past and remind us of the rich history beneath our feet here in the Cotswolds. "The Corinium Museum continues to lead the way in bringing our heritage to life, and this display is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved."
