Egyptian officials have unearthed several over 4,000-year-old tombs of palace officials, including senior diplomats, priests and a prince who lived in a time of natural and political crises. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam has this photo gallery with captions by Elle Kurancid.
Egypt Discovers Ancient Tombs of Palace Officials
![The five ancient tombs were discovered northwest of the Merenre Pyramid, in the Saqqara necropolis, or ancient cemetery, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/02660000-0aff-0242-9dee-08da0f3a94e6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The five ancient tombs were discovered northwest of the Merenre Pyramid, in the Saqqara necropolis, or ancient cemetery, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
![Among the findings are well-preserved paintings, funerary objects, sacred oil jars, and symbolic limestone gates to the afterlife, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/02660000-0aff-0242-94d9-08da0f3a707b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Among the findings are well-preserved paintings, funerary objects, sacred oil jars, and symbolic limestone gates to the afterlife, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
![The tombs belonged to a senior statesman, a priest, a prince, and two noblewomen, with only remnants left of their coffins and mummies, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/02660000-0aff-0242-3f7f-08da0f3a529f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The tombs belonged to a senior statesman, a priest, a prince, and two noblewomen, with only remnants left of their coffins and mummies, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
![The shafts leading to the burial chambers range between 3 and 8 meters deep. According to excavators, they use ladders and hand-woven buckets to avoid damaging the site, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/02660000-0aff-0242-b69d-08da0f3a31f8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The shafts leading to the burial chambers range between 3 and 8 meters deep. According to excavators, they use ladders and hand-woven buckets to avoid damaging the site, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)