Saqqara, Egipto. Descubiertas primeras tumbas de dentistas de la época faraónica
Arqueólogos egipcios han descubierto las primeras tres tumbas de dentistas que datan de la época faraónica en una localidad ubicada a unos 25 kilómetros al suroeste del Cairo.
El hallazgo fue anunciado por el Consejo Supremo de Antigüedades (CSA), en un comunicado en el que precisa que las tres sepulturas fueron encontradas en excavaciones hechas en el sitio monumental de Saqqara, y que datarían del Imperio Antiguo (2575-2150 a.C.).
Esas tumbas pertenecen a un rey que gobernó a fines de la IV y a principios de la V dinastía faraónica, y fueron construidas con bloques de adobe y piedra caliza, indicó, por su parte, el secretario general del CSA, el egiptólogo Zahi Hawass.
Una de esas sepulturas, perteneciente a E e Mery, que fue el jefe de los odontólogos del faraón, tiene una entrada que conduce a un salón rectangular similar a un pasillo, y que contiene dos pequeñas antecámaras con escenas de la vida cotidiana esculpidas en sus muros, subrayó el responsable egipcio.
Hawass destacó que en el suelo de una de las antecámaras hay un conducto que lleva al pozo de las ofrendas, que, a su vez, tiene dos aperturas, una lleva a una puerta ficticia, mientras que la otra conduce a la cámara funeraria.
Entre las escenas esculpidas dentro de la tumba destaca la de la puerta ficticia, que representa a un cocodrilo y una serpiente devorando las piernas de una persona, y que en el Imperio Antiguo se hacía para ahuyentar a los saqueadores de los enterramientos.
Asimismo, el segundo panteón, que perteneció a un dentista identificado como Ka m Su, es de forma rectangular, y en su interior se encontraron los vestigios de una estatua del difunto con su hijo.
En su interior también se halló un pasillo con varias puertas ficticias esculpidas en sus muros, además de un pozo excavado en la roca, en el se descubrieron osamentas humanas, agregó Hawass.
Por último, la tercera tumba, que perteneció a un dentista llamado Resem, tiene un altar de ofrendas y una puerta ficticia con las imágenes esculpidas del difunto con su hija.
Hieroglyphic details including eye and tusk symbols representing the dentistry profession, below-right, on the entrance to 4,200-year-old tombs honoring a chief dentist, pictured on wall at left, and two other dentists who served the nobility of the 5th dynasty, at the Saqarra pyramid complex south of Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006. Enterprising but unlucky thieves, who likely didnt notice a curse inscription just inside the prominent doorway warning that those who enter would be eaten by crocodiles and snakes, led the Egyptian archaeological team to discover the three tombs, which were unveiled Sunday. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) AP - Oct 22 5:53 AM
Saqqara es el nombre de la gran necrópolis de la ciudad de Menfis, antigua capital de Egipto, y que es famosa por la pirámide escalonada de Zóser, la primera conocida de la época faraónica.
Fuente: Terra Actualidad EFE, 22 de octubre de 2006
Enlace: http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/
descubiertas_primeras_tumbas_dentistas_epoca_1157301.htm
(2) Thieves Lead to Discovery of Egypt Tombs
The whole point of a tomb was to last forever The arrest of tomb robbers led archaeologists to the graves of three royal dentists, protected by a curse and hidden in the desert sands for thousands of years in the shadow of Egypts most ancient pyramid, officials announced Sunday.
The 4,200-year-old tomb of a dentist who served the nobility of the 5th dynasty, at the Saqarra pyramid complex south of Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006. Enterprising but unlucky thieves, who likely didnt notice a curse inscription just inside the prominent doorway to the chief dentists tomb warning that those who enter would be eaten by crocodiles and snakes, led the Egyptian archaeological team to discover the three tombs, which were unveiled Sunday. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) AP - Oct 22 5:56 AM
The thieves launched their own dig one summer night two months ago but were apprehended, Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypts Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters.
That led archaeologists to the three tombs, one of which included an inscription warning that anyone who violated the sanctity of the grave would be eaten by a crocodile and a snake, Hawass said.
The site of 4,200-year-old tombs honoring a chief dentist and two other dentists who served the nobility of the 5th dynasty, at the Saqarra pyramid complex south of Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006. Enterprising but unlucky thieves, who likely didnt notice a curse inscription just inside the prominent doorway warning that those who enter would be eaten by crocodiles and snakes, led the Egyptian archaeological team to discover the three tombs, which were unveiled Sunday. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) AP - Oct 22 5:57 AM
A towering, painted profile of the chief dentist stares down at passers-by from the wall opposite the inscription.
The tombs date back more than 4,000 years to the 5th Dynasty and were meant to honor a chief dentist and two others who treated the pharaohs and their families, Hawass said.
A security guard stands near a statue at the newly opened tombs of three dentists, one of whom served the nobility in the 5th Dynasty, at Saqqara pyramids in Cairo, October 22, 2006. REUTERS/Tara Todras-Whitehill (EGYPT) Reuters - Oct 22 8:43 AM
Their location near the Step Pyramid of King Djoser _ believed to be Egypts oldest pyramid _ indicate the respect accorded dentists by Egypts ancient kings, who cared about the treatment of their teeth, Hawass said.
Although their services were in demand by the powerful, the dentists likely did not share in their wealth.
Sabri Farag (R), the Chief Supervisor for the digging at the Saqqara pyramids, and a security guard stand outside the newly opened tomb of a dentist who served the nobility in the 5th Dynasty, in Cairo, October 22, 2006. REUTERS/Tara Todras-Whitehill (EGYPT) Reuters - Oct 22 9:06 AM
The tombs, which did not contain their mummies, were built of mud-brick and limestone, not the pure limestone preferred by ancient Egypts upper class.
The whole point of a tomb was to last forever, said Carol Redmount, associate professor of Egyptian archaeology at the University of California at Berkeley. So you wanted to make it out of materials that would last forever. And mud-brick ... didnt last forever.
During a visit to the site, Hawass pointed out two hieroglyphs _ an eye over a tusk _ which appear frequently among the neat rows of symbols decorating the tombs. He said those hieroglyphs identify the men as dentists.
The pictorial letters also spell out the names of the chief dentist _ Iy Mry _ and the other two _ Kem Msw and Sekhem Ka. Hawass said the men were not related but must have been partners or colleagues to have been buried together.
Figures covering the pillars in the doorway of the chief dentists tomb tell archaeologists much about his life and habits, Hawass said.
They depict the chief dentist and his family immersed in daily rituals _ playing games, slaughtering animals and presenting offerings to the dead, including the standard 1,000 loaves of bread and 1,000 vases of beer.
Hieroglyphic details on the entrance to 4,200-year-old tombs honoring a chief dentist and two other dentists who served the nobility of the 5th dynasty, at the Saqarra pyramid complex south of Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006. Enterprising but unlucky thieves, who likely didnt notice a curse inscription just inside the prominent doorway warning that those who enter would be eaten by crocodiles and snakes, led the Egyptian archaeological team to discover the three tombs, which were unveiled Sunday. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) AP - Oct 22 5:54 AM
These would magically provide food and sustenance for the spirit of the dead person for all eternity, Redmount said.
Just around the corner of the doorway is a false door, its face painstakingly inscribed with miniature hieroglyphics. A shallow basin was placed below it.
That was sort of the interface where the dead person in the tomb would come up and interact with the living, Redmount said.
The tomb robbers were the first to discover the site two months ago, and began their own dig one summer night, before they were captured and jailed. We have to thank the thieves, Hawass said.
Although archaeologists have been exploring Egypts ruins intensively for more than 150 years, Hawass believes only 30 percent of what lies hidden beneath the sands has been uncovered. Excavation continues at Saqqara, he said, and his team expects to find more tombs in the area.
Saqqara, about 12 miles south of Cairo, is one of Egypts most popular tourist sites and hosts a collection of temples, tombs and funerary complexes.
The Step Pyramid is the forerunner of the more familiar straight-sided pyramids in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, which were believed to have been built about a century later.
Fuente: SIERRA MILLMAN / The Associated Press, 22 de octubre de 2006
Enlace: http://www.topix.net/content/ap/
0802592526227911120909124938890242657049
El jeroglífico de un ojo sobre un colmillo, que se repite varias veces en la tumba, identifica a las personas enterradas allí como dentistas. Foto: AP
Gracias a los ladrones
Sin quererlo, saqueadores de tumbas en Egipto ayudaron a los arqueólogos a descubrir los sepulcros de tres dentistas reales de la civilización egipcia.
Los ladrones fueron arrestados luego de que comenzaron a excavar cerca de la Pirámide Escalonada en Saqqara, cerca de El Cairo, que es considerada una de las más antiguas de Egipto.
Las excavaciones que habían llegado a realizar los ladrones llevaron a los arqueólogos a las tumbas -construidas hace unos 4.200 años-, una de las cuales tiene una inscripción que advierte sobre una maldición.
Según los expertos, dos jeroglíficos -que muestran un ojo sobre un colmillo- identifican a las personas enterradas allí como los dentistas de los faraones.
Zahi Hawass, el funcionario a cargo de las reliquias históricas de Egipto, dijo que la ubicación de las tumbas, cerca de la Pirámide Escalonada, muestra el respeto que tenían los antiguos reyes de Egipto para con los dentistas.
Sin embargo, el hecho que las tumbas estaban construidas con ladrillos de barro y piedra caliza indica que los dentistas no eran personas de grandes riquezas.
Escenas cotidianas
La tumba del jefe de los dentistas, cuyo nombre se escribe "Iv Mry", está protegida por una maldición escrita en la entrada de la construcción, dice Hawass.
"El hombre escribió: Quien entre a mi tumba será comido por un cocodrilo o una serpiente", explica el funcionario.
Hermosas figuras pintadas en las paredes y los pilares de la tumba también cuentan mucho sobre la vida cotidiana de los dentistas.
Lo muestran a él y a su familia realizando actividades rituales: sacrificando animales, presentando ofrendas a los muertos y jugando.
Hawaas cree que los otros dos dentistas, cuyos nombres son "Kem Msw" y "Sekhem Ka", eran socios o colegas que fueron enterrados junto a "Iv Mry".
Fuente: BBC, 23 de octubre de 2006
Enlace: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/
science/newsid_6077000/6077174.stm
4 comentarios
mariter -
martin -
m. camila -
mis felicitaciones al redactor de esta historia y al investigador y a todos los que colaboraron.
atentamente:m. camila
lucia marrero hernandez -