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archeologist in Egypt have discovered a 4,300 - twelvemonth - old grave with singular rampart painting instance unremarkable life . The tomb is located at Dahshur , a website with royal pyramids and a vast necropolis that ’s about 20 miles ( 33 kilometers ) south of Cairo . When the team return to the field , they plan to excavate the sepulture shafts to see if any mummies remain .
The clay - brick tomb is known as a mastabah , a rectangular structure with a unconditional roof and sloping sides . indoors , the squad find wall paintings depicting scenes of life in ancient Egypt , such as donkeys jactitate grain by tread over it , ship sweep the Nile river , and goods being sold at a market , the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in astatement .
A wall painting in the tomb shows donkeys threshing grain on a floor.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions found on the grave ’s walls say the burial belong to to a man key out Seneb - Neb - Af and his wife Idet . The inscription state that Idet was a priestess of Hathor — a sky goddess associate with sensuality , maternity and medicine — while Seneb - Neb - Af held several lieu in the royal palace that involved deal out with the administration of tenants .
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It ’s hard to know precisely what duties Seneb - Neb - Af had , Stephan Seidlmayer , an archaeologist with the German Archaeological Institute who is lead excavation at the site , told Live Science . A nearby town was keep in line by the palace , and he may have decided who get to live there and been in cathexis of administering cash in hand for the community , Seidlmayer said in an email .
Archaeologists recently discovered a 4,300-year-old mastaba, a rectangular tomb structure, in Egypt.
The particular date of the website was determined free-base on the mode and content of the inscriptions , the design of the mastaba and the style of the pottery , Seidlmayer said . He noted that the duad probably subsist in the late 5th dynasty or other sixth dynasty , around 4,300 years ago . At this meter , pyramid were still being make in Egypt , but they were smaller than those that had been ramp up in the fourth dynasty at places likeGiza .
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The excavation of the grave is not done , and more find will likely be made . The " entombment shafts of this tomb could not yet be excavated , therefore there are not yet any [ unearthed ] human remains , " Seidlmayer said . " We go for to excavate the shafts in the come time of year — and then , of course , the human remains will be of central stake . "
Other recent finds at Dahshur include auction block from asmall pyramidand a sepulture chamber thatmay belong to a princess .
