Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities - Egypt

(CNN) -- Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of three rock-cut tombs dating back to the New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC) at the Bubasteion necropolis in the Saqqara archaeological area in Giza Governorate, Egypt, featuring hieroglyphic inscriptions and important archaeological elements that shed light on new aspects of the history of the ancient Memphis necropolis.

The ministry's statement said: "The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the Bubasteion necropolis has uncovered three rock-cut tombs dating to the New Kingdom, during its scientific excavations in the eastern sector of the site's mountain ridge," noting that the discovery enriches knowledge of the history of high-ranking state officials and society during that era.

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Sunday the discovery of three rock-cut tombs from the New Kingdom at the Bubasteion necropolis in the Saqqara archaeological area in Giza GovernorateCredit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities- Egypt/facebook

The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, Hisham El-Leithy, explained that the importance of this discovery is not limited to finding new tombs, but extends to reviving the biographies of their owners and restoring pages of their history that remained buried under the sand for thousands of years, thus enriching studies related to Egyptian society during the New Kingdom.

For his part, the Director General of the Saqqara Archaeological Area, Amr El-Tayebi, pointed out that the first tomb belongs to a person named “Mentuhotep,” and its northern walls feature elaborate scenes of offering bearers and hunting scenes, along with a large scene of the tomb owner sitting with his mother “Iahhotep,” a depiction reflecting the high social status of the family.

Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities- Egypt/facebook

According to the statement, the tomb walls recorded a set of important titles, including: Hereditary Prince, Mayor, Follower of the King, He Who Makes the Ruler's Heart Glad, Administrator, Overseer of Foreign Lands, and Overseer of the Army of the City of Khepresh. These titles indicate that the tomb owner was a senior administrative and military official in the early New Kingdom.

The tomb includes a burial shaft whose excavations have not yet been completed, and work is scheduled to resume during the next archaeological season, which may contribute to uncovering new information concerning the identity of Mentuhotep's mother and the history of this family and its role in ancient Egyptian administration, according to the statement.

Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities- Egypt/facebook

The Director General of the Saqqara Archaeological Area added that the second tomb belongs to a person named “Bare’em Waia,” also known as “Samut,” who held the title of Chief of the Merchants of the House of Ptah. He pointed out that the tomb represents a complete family record, preserving the names of his wife “Tuy,” who held the title of Lady of the House, and his mother “Atibiu,” who held the title of Singer of the God Amun, along with the names of his four children, providing a rare picture of the family and social life of a prominent figure in the New Kingdom.

As for the third tomb, it belongs to a person named “Nahsi.” Although it is in a poor state of preservation, the remaining inscriptions hold important historical value, as it was possible to identify the owner's name and his title, Overseer of the House, in addition to the name of his wife “Nefru Ptah,” who held the title of Lady of the House, according to the statement.

Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities- Egypt/facebook

The most prominent elements of this tomb include part of a column bearing a hieroglyphic text referring to the return of a leader from the land of Naharin, located north of Syria. This text gains importance because it helps date the tomb to the New Kingdom and also provides new evidence on the nature of Egyptian relations with regions of the Near East during that period.

It is worth noting that the Bubasteion necropolis is considered one of the most important cemeteries in Saqqara and the richest in archaeological evidence documenting various aspects of ancient Egyptian civilization.