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SAQQARA, Egypt. An ancient Egyptian burial site called Saqqara is over 4,000 years old, but much of the area has yet to be discovered. The sizeable area was a burial site for the rulers of ancient Memphis. Memphis was the capital of the Old Kingdom. For this reason, each new find is a marvel. Recently, officials unearthed two amazing discoveries at Saqqara.
A Lost Pyramid
Believe it or not, it's possible to lose a giant pyramid. It can be buried under sand over thousands of years. In November 2008, archaeologists discovered a pyramid under the sands of Saqqara. Since then, officials have determined that the 4,300-year-old pyramid belonged to Queen Sesheshet.
A team led by Zahi Hawass had been digging at the location for two years. That's when they determined that what they had found was the base of a pyramid. Only 16 feet (about 5 meters) of the pyramid remains standing. Until officials dug it out, it had been buried under 65 feet (about 20 meters) of sand.
"There was so much sand dumped here that no one had any idea there was something buried underneath," said Hawass.
Archaeologists also found parts of the pyramid's white limestone casing. The limestone is believed to have covered the entire pyramid. After studying the casing, archaeologists determined that the complete pyramid was once 45 feet (about 14 meters) high.
Once they had uncovered the pyramid, scientists set about learning more about it. Using an air brush, one worker cleaned sand from stunning carvings on the white limestone casing. Meanwhile, archaeologists studied the carvings. The drawings tell stories of ancient Egypt. They may help uncover the mysteries of the pyramids.
In January, archaeologists entered the burial chamber inside the pyramid. They found the mummy of Queen Sesheshet. The queen's son Teti became an Egyptian king.
"To find a new pyramid is always exciting," said Hawass. "And this one is magical. It belonged to a queen."
The find is important because it adds to the understanding of ancient Egypt. It tells about the time from 2,322 BCE to 2,151 BCE. This was a time when Egypt made advances in agriculture and became very rich. At the end of this time, however, the riches came to an end. Soon, the Old Kingdom would fall.
What Tombs Tell Us
Saqqara is a source of endless wonder. In December 2008, archaeologists uncovered a pair of 4,300-year-old tombs near Queen Sesheshet's pyramid. The discovery shows that the burial site of Saqqara is even larger than once thought.
"… The two tombs are the beginning of a big, large [burial ground]," said Zahi Hawass.
Archaeologists studied the burial chambers. They determined that the tombs were built for high officials. One tomb describes the man for whom it was built. The second tomb includes carvings and a drawing of a seated woman.
Archaeologists are not especially interested in the tombs themselves. Why not? The tombs were not built for kings. Instead, the archaeologists are concentrating on what the tombs tell them.
"This [discovery] means the royal [burial ground] is bigger than we thought," said Saleh Suleiman. Suleiman is the archaeologist who uncovered the two tombs.
Aidan Dodson is an archaeologist. Dodson was not involved in the dig. However, Dodson said that the discovery shows that there are other areas waiting to be explored.
"It shows that the blank areas of the maps of Saqqara aren't really empty at all. It's just that archaeologists haven't [gotten around] to digging them," Dodson said.
Digging has been going on at Saqqara for about 150 years. This work has uncovered pyramids, tombs, and other burial areas mostly from the Old Kingdom. Yet past digs have concentrated on just one area. The area where the latest discoveries were found has been largely untouched.
According to Hawass, only 30 percent of Egypt's monuments have been uncovered. The rest are still under the sand.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
