Tomb of a pharaoh's 'sole friend' found in EgyptOctober 10, 2018 - 17:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The remains of a tomb complex belonging to the "sole friend" of an Egyptian pharaoh have been discovered near a pyramid at Abusir in Egypt. The burial site contains the remains of a small chapel and tomb. Inside the tomb, which was robbed in ancient times, archaeologists found the remains of a statue with inscriptions referring to a priest named Kaires who was "sole friend of the king" and "keeper of the secret of the Morning House" — the place where the pharaoh got dressed and ate breakfast, a team of archaeologists with the Czech Institute of Egyptology said in a statement Oct. 2, Life Science reports. The archaeologists aren't sure which pharaoh the inscription is referring to, but they have some clues: The tomb complex was found near a pyramid belonging to the pharaoh Neferirkare (reign 2446–2438 B.C.); and another of the titles recorded on his statue says that Kaires was "inspector of the priests serving in the pyramid complexes" belonging to Neferirkare and his predecessor, Sahure. [See Images of the Ancient Egyptian Tomb Complex] The statue lists several other important titles held by Kaires: "overseer of all king's works" and "foremost of the House of Life," which was a library of sorts that contained papyri that recorded knowledge on a variety of subjects, the archaeologists said in the statement. Very few papyri dating back more than 4,000 years have been found in Egypt. The archaeologists will never know if Kaires was truly a "sole friend" to one or more pharaohs. However, he must have been highly regarded judging by his elaborate burial, the archaeologists noted. He was buried in a place reserved exclusively for members of the royal family and the highest state dignitaries, they said. Additionally, the chapel at the site has basalt blocks at its base, something that is highly unusual given that only the pharaohs themselves were allowed to use basalt in tomb construction, the archaeologists said. Although Kaires' sarcophagus was found in his tomb, his mummy has not been found yet, but excavations are ongoing. The Czech Institute of Egyptology is based at Charles University in Prague. The archaeologists' expedition to Abusir is led by Miroslav Bárta, who is a professor at the institute. The excavations are being carried out in cooperation with the Egyptian antiquities ministry. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. |