Ancient Egyptian cemetery larger than thought

Daily Star Regional

A pair of 4,300-year-old pharaonic tombs discovered at Saqqara indicate that the sprawling necropolis south of Cairo is even larger than previously thought, said Egypt's top archaeologist. The rock-cut tombs were built for high officials, one responsible for the quarries used to build the nearby pyramids and the other for a woman in charge of procuring entertainers for the pharaohs.

Egypt's antiquities capo, Zahi Hawass, described it as a "major, important discovery," saying that the two new tombs date "back to 4,300 years ago."

"The discovery of the two tombs is the beginning of a big, large cemetery," he said.

Indeed, the discovery indicates that there is even more to the vast necropolis of Saqqara located 19 kilometers south of the capital Cairo, he added.