Newly Unearthed Old Kingdom Tombs Yield Brilliant Colors

A new round of excitement is thrilling archaeologists in Egypt, after the showing off of photos from a newly unearthed set of Old Kingdom tombs. Specifically, the twin tombs originally contained the last resting places of a father and son who were in charge of the royal scribes. (We know this because of the hieroglyphs found on the walls and false doors of the tombs.)

Zahi Hawass, the most well-known and most senior at the Department of Antiquities, made good use of the media by unveiling the vivid colors found in the drawings on the false doors. One door contained an inscription with the name of Pepi II, a pharaoh whose time on the throne was Egypt's longest, at nearly a hundred years.

Nearby is the famed Step Pyramid of King Djoser, itself surrounded by a large burial ground. Archaeological teams began digging in the area three years ago and have unearthed six tombs so far.

Sadly, the two most recently unearthed tombs had poorly kept interior remains. The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was the victim of robbery ages ago. His father, Shendwas, fared no better, as his sarcophagus had fallen victim to one of ancient Egypt's sharpest foes in the struggle for immortality: humidity.

Hawass and others are hopeful that this is only the beginning.