Egyptian life recreated in the ancient tomb

Belgian archaeologists have discovered an intact tomb of an Egyptian official who lived 4,000 years ago, including statues that simulate people's daily activities.

The group from Leuven Catholic University happened to find the tomb, one of the most intact at the time, while excavating an area in the Deir al-Barsha cemetery near the town of Minya south of Cairo.

The tomb belongs to Henu, a senior official during the period of ancient Egyptian instability, from 2181 to 2050 BC. Archaeologists found Henu's mummy wrapped in linen in a large wooden coffin and a sarcophagus decorated with hieroglyphs about the gods Anubis and Osiris.

The grave contains painted wooden statues of workers building bricks, women brewing beer and pounding cereals, a boat with steersmen."The statues were of the highest quality at the time. They carried very close-to-life patterns like the hands and feet of brick masons," said lead researcher Harco Willems.

Daily activities are recreated through statues in the ancient Egyptian tomb.(Photo: Reuters)

MT