CAIRO, April 20 — Archaeologists have discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Userkaf’s son and a statue of Pharaoh Djoser during excavations in the Saqqara area south of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported, quoting the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
“Waser-If-Re is the son of King Userkaf, the founding monarch of Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty. His tomb was found alongside several significant artefacts spanning the Old Kingdom and the Late Period,” the ministry said.
A huge false door made of pink granite was also found during the excavations. It is noted that its height is 4.5 metres, and its width is 1.15 metres — the first time a false door of such dimensions has been discovered.
Famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass said that the mission had discovered statues of Pharaoh Djoser (the founder of the III dynasty), his wife and their ten daughters inside the tomb.
Research has shown that the statues were originally located in a room next to the step pyramid of Djoser, but in later periods of the history of Ancient Egypt they were moved to the tomb of Waser-If-Re.
The archaeological complex of Saqqara to the south of Cairo contains an ancient necropolis, the first burials of which date back to the first dynasty of the pharaohs (31st-29th centuries BC). The most famous monument of Saqqara is the step pyramid of Djoser, which is considered the first pyramid in the history of Ancient Egypt. — Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti
