Three New Kingdom Tombs Discovered in Saqqara Necropolis

Three ancient Egyptian tombs from the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 BC) have been unearthed at the Bubasteion Necropolis in Saqqara, Egypt. One tomb bears an inscription citing a military commander's return from northern Syria, offering fresh evidence of Egypt's connections with the Near East, according to Mohamed Abdel-Badie of the Egyptian Archaeological Department. Another tomb belonged to senior official Mentuhotep, depicted with his mother Iahhotep in hunting scenes. The third tomb belonged to merchant Pareemwaya, also known as Samut, and lists his wife, mother, and four sons. Egyptologist Steve Harvey compares the finds to those of Alain Zivie, who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun's wet nurse. However, Aidan Dodson of the University of Bristol cautions that the significance of the military commander's inscription requires proper publication. Saqqara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, served as the necropolis for Memphis and includes the Pyramid of Djoser.