Finally Hawass Opens Priest Sarcophagus

By Maydaa Abo El-Nadar

"The adventure in archeology makes me totally forget the pain," these were the words pronounced by famous archeologist Zahi Hawass while passing through very wide tunnels to open sarcophagus for the first time.

[caption id="attachment_44447" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Hawass Had to Pass Through Narrow Tunnels[/caption]

The sarcophagus is for a priest described as "The Great of Five" and he was the priest for Nit (goddess of weaving, war, and hunting) and the major goddess Hathor.

The eye-catching wrapped body was covered with gold from the feet till the chest. Amongst the golden objects, there were ones depicting goddess Isis and the four children of god Horus.

[caption id="attachment_44450" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The Body Was Covered with Gold from the Feet till the Chest[/caption]

Inside the tomb, interesting secrets were revealed. The place included a jar with mummification materials, a fact that proves that the priest was mummified privately.

Archeologist Sarah Ahmed mentioned that the priest enjoyed a special status and this was clearly reflected in his tomb.

Another captivating outcome was encountering a head carved with wax. In this regard, Hawass expressed, I have been excavating numerous tombs that belonged to the late ancient Egyptian period. This is the first time to find a wax head."

[caption id="attachment_44453" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A Wax Head Found at the Site for the First Time[/caption]

On his side, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa  Waziri said, "We have been excavating at this site for around year and a half, however, this is the first time to find a wax head."

Tweets show that numerous people around the world were eagerly following the discovery.