DISCOVERIES IN EGYPT

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 189, 12 August 1936, Page 16

DISCOVERIES IN EGYPT

The tomb of an Egyptian Princess of the Fourth Dynasty and the tomb of a nobleman of the First Dynasty, dating back 5000 or GOOD years, and antedating the tomb of Tut-aukh-amen by 2000 years, were recently discovered by archaeologists in Egypt. The tomb of the Prim ess was found intact among the Gizeli pyramids by Professor Selim Hassau, excavating on behalf of the University of Egypt, ft is dated about 3GOO 8.C., and is said probably to be that of a daughter of Chephrea, the Pharaoh who built the Second Pyramid at Gizah. Situated between the tombs ot two of Chephren’s sons, it was bloel-ed by four huge limestone slabs, ono behind the other. The contents had been slightly displaced by an inundation of the Nile, which must have been the highabove the river level. Because the Princess's tomb lay very deeply beneath another tomb, like that of Tut-ankh-amen, it is presumed to have escaped detection by robbers. It contained a limestone coffin, in which

the mummy lies, like a bride, wearing a gold diadem, two necklaces of golden beads, anklets and sandals. Her waist was encircled with a copper belt plaited with gold, and the fingers of her left hand were encased with gold* It took Professor flassan 54 hours to remove layers of Nile mud from tho mummy, but the coating of silt had preserved it even more than normally. The First Dynasty tomb was found near the Step Pyrmid of Sakkara by \V B. Emery, of Liverpool, working under the direction of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. It was cut from solid rock aud the entrance, guarded by a huge slab of rock, is reached through a sloping passageway. The great slab for generations had been regarded as solid, but Mr Emery discovered that behind it there were 4*2 storerooms cut into the rock and containing a east amount of articles th?s are expected to throw light on the lift tory and customs of ancient Egypt