Tomb of ancient Egyptian priest Rudj-Ka discovered at Giza

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Tomb of ancient Egyptian priest Rudj-Ka discovered at Giza
Submitted by Ann on Mon, 10/18/2010 - 13:49

Egyptian archaeologists discovered a 4400-year-old tomb, south of the cemetery of the pyramid builders at Giza, Egypt.

In a statement, Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny, said the ancient Egyptian tomb was unearthed during routine excavations supervised by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) near the pyramid builder's necropolis.

The recently discovered tomb belongs to a priest named Rudj-Ka (or Rwd-Ka), and is dated to the 5th Dynasty - between 2465 and 2323 BC.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the SCA, said that Rudj-Ka had several titles and would have been an important member of the ancient Egyptian court.

Rudj-Ka was a purification priest serving the mortuary cult of Khafre (2520-2494 BC), the 4th Dynasty pharaoh who built the second-largest pyramid at Giza.

Thanks to a group of priests and administrators who were provisioned through royal endowments, Khafre's pyramid complex and mortuary cult remained functioning well after the death of the famous pharaoh responsible for the second-largest pyramid at Giza (satellite image).

The tomb of Rudj-Ka is the first to be found in this specific area, and - as Dr Hawass explained –  it is "very unique because of its distinguished architectural design."

The superstructure of the tomb is constructed out of limestone blocks, which create a maze-like pathway to its main entrance.

The burial chamber itself is cut directly into a cliff face.

The tomb walls are decorated with painted reliefs featuring Rudj-ka and his wife in front of an offering table filled with gifts of bread, goose and cattle.

Other murals contain daily lifes scenes, which show Rudj-Ka fishing and boating.

“This tomb could be the first of many in the area. Hopefully we have located a new necropolis dedicated to certain members of the royal court,” said Dr Hawass.

The antiquities tzar and Chasing Mummies star also suggested the area could be a continuation of the western necropolis at Giza – resulting from overcrowding at the Giza plateau.

http://heritage-key.com/blogs/ann/tomb-ancient-egyptian-priest-rudj-ka-discovered-giza

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Entrance to the 4400-year-old tomb discovered at Giza. - Image courtesy the SCA, photo by Meghan E Strong

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    Ancient Egyptian Priest's Tomb Unearthed in Giza

    Analysis by Rossella Lorenzi
    Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:48 PM ET
   



Rudi-ka and wife Archaeologists have unearthed a more than 4,000-year-old tomb of a pharaonic priest near the Giza pyramids, Egypt’s authorities announced on Monday.

Beautifully decorated, the burial site is located near the tombs of the pyramid-builders.

It belonged to Rudj-Ka, a priest who lived during the Fifth Dynasty (2465 - 2323 B.C.) and was responsible for the mortuary cult of the pharaoh Khafre, also known as Chephren.

The son of Khufu, or Cheops, the Fourth Dynasty king Khafre is best known as the owner of the second largest of the Giza Pyramids.

According to Zahi Hawass, general secretary of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Khafre’s pyramid complex and mortuary cult remained functioning well after the king’s death, thanks to a group of priests who conducted rituals and prayers in honor of the dead pharaoh.

Rudj-Ka was one of those priests. An important member of the ancient Egyptian court, he was provisioned through a royal endowment to serve as a purification priest.




Built from limestone blocks, which create a maze-like pathway to the main entrance, Rudj-Ka's tomb is cut directly into a cliff face and boasts walls painted with beautiful scenes of daily life in ancient Egypt.

Rudj-ka fishingOne wall painting shows Rudj-ka fishing and sailing. Another scene portrays the priest and his wife in front of an offering table loaded with gifts of bread, goose and cattle.

According to Hawass, the discovery might indicate that an unknown larger necropolis lies near the three famous pyramids.

"This tomb could be the first of many in the area. Hopefully we have located a new necropolis dedicated to certain members of the royal court,” Hawass said in a statement.

He also speculated that the area could be a continuation of the western necropolis at Giza, which may have resulted from overcrowding in the Giza plateau.

Photos: Meghan E. Strong. Courtesy of SCA. Rudj-ka with his wife (top photo); Rudj-Ka fishing in the marshes. Above him is a depiction of boating on the Nile (bottom photo).


http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptian-priests-tomb-unearthed-in-giza.html