From Denny: 4,200 years ago the Head of the Royal Scribes, Shendwas, father of Khonsu, died and was entombed in Egypt. His tomb was recently uncovered and what was astonishing was the artwork. It looks almost as if it were painted only recently for that's how vivid the colors are after thousands of years buried under the sand.
"The tomb includes two false doors with colorful paintings depicting the two people buried there, a father and a son who served as heads of the royal scribes," said Abdel-Hakim Karar, a top archaeologist at Saqqara.
Inscribed on the father's false door: the name of Pharaoh Pepi II, whose 90-year reign is believed to be the longest of the pharaohs. That dates the double tomb to the 6th dynasty. That time period was the beginning of the decline of the Old Kingdom. It was also known as the Age of Pyramids.
Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, said "the new finds were the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom because of their amazing colors. If the area is excavated it could unveil the largest cemetery of ancient Egypt."
Shendwas and Khonsu were identified as royal scribes and the "supervisors of the mission." That meant they were in charge of delegations overseeing the supply of materials used for pyramids construction. Who knew writers and historians had so much authority in the ancient world? :)
From the past three years of digging, there have been found six tombs dating back to the Old Kingdom. This double tomb was unearthed six weeks ago. The area in which they are digging is a large burial ground. There are tombs from Egypt's earliest history up through Roman times. Check it out.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
*** Photo by AP/Nasser Nasser
*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!
*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:
The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor
