In the footsteps of Tutankhamun’s treasurer Maya the Lost Tomb
In 1975, British archaeologist Geoffrey Martin of the Egypt Exploration Society began exploring a very special tomb in the Saqqara Necropolis: A trusted man of the child Pharaoh Tutankhamun, an influential and powerful illusionist. But the tomb of this important man, who held the posts of supervisor of the treasury, head of work in the necropolis, and director of the Amun festival at Karnak, had been discovered years earlier, although its location had been lost.
Italian antiques collector Giovanni D’Anastasi explored the courtyard of a Maya tomb carrying three beautiful statues Limestone from the treasurer and his wife Merit, which they sold to the Leiden Museum of Antiquities in 1828. Years later, in 1843, the German archaeologist Richard Lepsius, leading a Prussian expedition, excavated the tomb chapel, bringing some of the reliefs to Berlin. But after his departure the place of the grave became unknown.
Tutankhamun’s stone coffin, a secret hidden beneath the golden chapel
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Horemheb appears
To try to locate Maya’s elusive tomb, Martin had a map made by Lepsius himself. In fact, following your instructions, The British archaeologist and his team found a large stone pillar. But Lepsius’ map was not actually accurate and the pillar was not part of the lost tomb of the Maya.
However, when Martin read the name inscribed on the pillar he was surprised. he found the grave by chance Of Another important character from Tutankhamun’s reign: none other than the General HoremhebThe man who later became the last Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.
“We are convinced that this is a miracle we had found For a long time lost tomb of One of the most famous people of Egypt, Horemheb“Whose actions were well known to all researchers thanks to the numerous surviving monuments and other sources from his reign,” the archaeologist wrote.
Coincidentally, Martin found the tomb of another important figure from Tutankhamun’s reign: General Horemheb, who became the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.
General Horemheb receives the gold medal for bravery. Relief from his tomb at Saqqara.
General Horemheb receives the gold medal for bravery. Relief from his tomb at Saqqara.
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Horemheb began construction of his tomb at Saqqara before he was proclaimed pharaoh, And when he assumed the throne of the Two Lands he ordered the construction of a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Thebes, emulating that of his earlier pharaohs. His Saqqara tomb was never completed, although two of his wives apparently rested there.
In one of the burial chambers, Martin discovered the bones of Mutnodjmet, Horemheb’s second wife, and what appeared to be the remains of a fetus or newborn. But The authentic treasure of the tomb of Horemheb at Saqqara is its reliefs, Very beautiful and made with extraordinary artistic technique. They represent the then general receiving awards from the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun, as well as several scenes of a military nature.
Two mummification workshops found in Saqqara
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Finally, Maya
But the impressive and unexpected discovery of Horemheb’s tomb did not distract Martin from his true objective: finding Maya’s tomb. The archaeologist and his team completed the excavation The general’s tomb and other nearby tombs were explored, such as the tomb of Ramses II’s sister and sister-in-law, as well as the tombs of other important figures of the time.
Thus, in early 1986, specifically on 6 February, Martin and his team continued excavations at Saqqara. As he and a Dutch colleague, Jacobus Van Dijk, crawled out of a freshly dug pit, they slipped on a staircase that appeared to lead to an adjacent grave. “A moment or two passed while climbing the stairs, Carefully so that nothing disturbs us while we descend , Martin says, “We didn’t expect to find anything spectacular, and at the time we were busy with the mundane business of getting our generator cables in perfect condition.”
As Martin and a Dutch colleague were crawling out of the freshly dug pit, they slipped on a staircase that appeared to lead to an adjacent grave.
In the background of the image, next to the god Amun in the foreground, is the statue of Pharaoh Horemheb. Egyptian Museum, Turin.
In the background of the image, next to the god Amun in the foreground, is the statue of Pharaoh Horemheb. Egyptian Museum, Turin.
Shutterstock
The archaeologist continues: “A second or two passed; my Dutch colleague and I raised the light bulb and looked down beyond the stairs. We were not at all prepared for what our eyes saw: a room full of carved reliefs, deep Yellow tinted with gold! van dijkFrom the Leiden Museum of Antiquities, carefully studied the text of the reliefs And, when he finished, a clear expression of surprise appeared on his face: “Oh my God, it’s Maya,” They said.
Geoffrey Martin wrote, “We were not prepared for what our eyes saw: a room full of carved carvings, painted a deep golden yellow!”
Golden yellow relief inside the tomb of Maya, Tutankhamun’s treasurer, at Saqqara.
Golden yellow relief inside the tomb of Maya, Tutankhamun’s treasurer, at Saqqara.
iStock
Martin knew that above them was the superstructure of the tomb. From now on, Archaeologists had two possibilities: They could clear the blocked corridor and sneak into cameras Funeral Home (Probably Full of Surprises) or they can seal off the area And the well they discovered by chance and postponed the excavation of the substructure until the next season.
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an impatient wait
Martin decided on the latter option after general surprise. How could the archaeologist curb his impatience? According to Martin, “The reasons are obvious, even prosaic: archaeologists are not supposed to be searching for treasure. In any case underground work will require careful forethought and planning, and logically it would make more sense to work below the surface of the desert than by other methods.”
Martin decided to postpone the excavation of the grave due to general surprise. How could the archaeologist curb his impatience?
The statue of Maya (right), with her wife Meryt (left), was created between 1325 and 1310 BC in the Leiden Museum of Antiquities.
The statue of Maya (right), with her wife Meryt (left), was created between 1325 and 1310 BC in the Leiden Museum of Antiquities.
Alexandervanloon (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Martin and his team had to wait a long two years to dig Maya’s grave. unfortunately, it was already looted In ancient times, like most tombs in the Nile country. But Inside, archaeologists found indications that its contents must have been grand. The floor was filled with fragments of the gold sheets that certainly covered the coffins, as well as many funerary objects left there by the fleeing robbers.
Links of a gold chain and carved ivory pieces that formed part of the decoration of furniture and boxes were also recovered. Archaeologists found the only thing intact inside the grave there were twelve pitchers Ceramic. But the lids with which they were sealed were also broken by thieves to check whether there was anything valuable inside. When Martin looked inside he realized why the robbers left them there and didn’t bother to take them: they contained only flour and bread.