The discovery of the beautifully decorated tomb of the Fifth Dynasty dignitary Khuwy was selected by the Archaeology Magazine as one of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in 2019. The Archaeology Magazine is a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America and constitutes one of the leading “general interest” magazines in the field of Archaeology.

The tomb of Khuwy was discovered in March 2019 in south Saqqara near the pyramid complex of pharaoh Djedkare of the Fifth Dynasty by a team led by Dr. Mohamed Megahed, member of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague. The discovery is a part of the work of his Egyptian mission which excavates and documents the pyramid complex of King Djedkare in south Saqqara.

The tomb of Khuwy is extraordinary in many aspects, not in the least because of the painted relief decoration in its underground parts. The decoration was not applied on the walls of the burial chamber, as was common during late Fifth and Six Dynasties, but covers the four walls of the antechamber of the underground apartment.

Photos by Sandro Vannini