Fodor's Expert Review New Kingdom Cemetery
For more than 3 millenia, Saqqara was used as a burial ground, bearing witness to many mortuary practices along the way. The beautiful non-royal tombs of the New Kingdom (1550–1077 BC) feature underground burial chambers and open, above-ground courtyards with tomb chapels typically surmounted by small pyramids.
South of the Unas Pyramid's causeway are a handful of tombs that belonged to eminent officials of the 18th to 20th dynasties, all lying within one wider complex. Among these officials was ‘Aperizia, a vizier of Amenhotep III; Ptahemwia, the "Royal Butler, Clean of Hands” under the rule of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun; Maia, the overseer of treasury; and Meryneith, the scribe. A tomb intended for Horemheb, the military general during Tutankhamun’s reign, also lies within the complex.
The meticulous art etched on the walls of these tombs was done by the best ancient artists and craftsmen, many of whom had practiced in the royal capital of Amarna. Many tombs here... READ MORE
For more than 3 millenia, Saqqara was used as a burial ground, bearing witness to many mortuary practices along the way. The beautiful non-royal tombs of the New Kingdom (1550–1077 BC) feature underground burial chambers and open, above-ground courtyards with tomb chapels typically surmounted by small pyramids.
South of the Unas Pyramid's causeway are a handful of tombs that belonged to eminent officials of the 18th to 20th dynasties, all lying within one wider complex. Among these officials was ‘Aperizia, a vizier of Amenhotep III; Ptahemwia, the "Royal Butler, Clean of Hands” under the rule of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun; Maia, the overseer of treasury; and Meryneith, the scribe. A tomb intended for Horemheb, the military general during Tutankhamun’s reign, also lies within the complex.
The meticulous art etched on the walls of these tombs was done by the best ancient artists and craftsmen, many of whom had practiced in the royal capital of Amarna. Many tombs here were also discovered with stelas and statues of the deceased within, but these artifacts have been moved to museums elsewhere.
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