Egypt is one of the most archaeologically rich sites in the world. Over time many ancient pieces of history have been uncovered that help us glimpse into the lives of the ancient civilization. In 2019, archaeologists uncovered another such piece of evidence which belonged to the Egyptian Queen Nearit.
Discover our latest podcast
Treasures in tomb
The discovery was made in 2019 at the graveyards of Saqqara necropolis where a tomb belonging to Queen Nearit was located. According to Live Science, the site was next to a pyramid dedicated to her husband, Pharoah Teti who reigned Egypt from approximately 2323 B.C. to 2291 B.C.
In the burial shaft, archaeologists uncovered a variety of artefacts including 52 stone coffins, aka sarcophagi, with designs and pictures of gods with brief descriptions from the 'Book of the Dead.' Along with that they also found a 13-foot-long scroll from the book. However, they still haven’t found out who the burial site belongs to. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who uncovered this site said:
[B]ut we didn’t find a name inside the pyramid to tell us who the pyramid belonged to
Remains in the burial shaft
The stone temple boasts three ‘mud-brick’ warehouses which were used to store offerings for the king and queen. Incidentally, they also stumbled on a bunch of graves near the pyramid that contained the remains of people who might be from the 18th and 19th dynasties of Egypt (1550 B.C. - 1186 B.C.). The researchers claim that these people were members of a cult that was dedicated to king Teti. His wife, on the other hand, was apparently not famous at all, according to Smithsonian Magazine, Hawas said:
I’d never heard of this queen before… Therefore, we add an important piece to Egyptian history, about this queen
Sources used:
-Live Science: 13-foot-long 'Book of the Dead' scroll found in burial shaft in Egypt
-Smithsonian Magazine: Archaeologists Unearth Egyptian Queen’s Tomb, 13-Foot ‘Book of the Dead’ Scroll