In Photos: Amulets and figurines discovered in newly unearthed sarcophagus in Minya

The sarcophagus of Djehuty Imhotep, a 26th Dynasty high priest of the god Djehuty, contained a collection of amulets and scarab figurines of different shapes and sizes

Nevine El-Aref , Monday 12 Oct 2020

Amulets and scarab figurines have been discovered in a newly unearthed sarcophagus of a high priest of the ancient Egyptian god Djehuty in the Al-Ghoreifa archaeological site in Minya, Upper Egypt.

After opening the sarcophagus of Djehuty Imhotep, a 26th Dynasty high priest of the god Djehuty, archaeologists discovered a collection of amulets and scarab figurines of different shapes and sizes.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and head of the excavation mission, said that some of the amulets are heart-shaped and others depict the head of the god Hathor, the four sons of the god Horus, and a winged amulet.

He added that more excavations in the area revealed another 10-metre-deep burial shaft containing a large chamber with three niches covered by stone beams.

"The mission will remove these beams later this week to reveal what is hidden inside," Waziri pointed out.

The sarcophagus was uncovered along with a collection ushabti statuettes last week in Al-Ghoreifa archaeological site inside a five-metre-deep burial shaft.

This was the mission's fourth excavations season, where they found a well-preserved limestone sarcophagus decorated with a scene depicting the four sons of Horus.

Djehuty Imhotep also held the position of the supervisor of the thrones, and was the son of Hersa Iset, whose sarcophagus was discovered in the area in 2018.

The archaeological mission started excavation in Al-Ghoreifa in 2018, and has since uncovered many communal tombs belonging to the high priests of the god Djehuty and senior officials of the 15th region of Upper Egypt. The mission unearthed 19 tombs containing 70 stone sarcophagi of various sizes and shapes, as well as funerary collections.