ラムセス２世時代の高官の石棺公開　エジプト

【カイロＡＦＰ＝時事】エジプトのサッカラ遺跡で１９日、３２００年以上前に古代エジプトの王家に仕えた高官の石棺が公開された。（写真はエジプト・サッカラ遺跡で発見されたラムセス２世の時代の高官の石棺。観光・考古省提供）
　観光・考古省によると、カイロ大学のエジプト人考古学チームが昨年、紀元前１３世紀に古代エジプトを統治したラムセス２世に仕えた「高官」の「プタヘムヤ」の石棺を発見した。
　石棺は花こう岩製で、「死者を守る」ための呪文や、「（古代エジプトの天空の神）ホルス神の息子たち」が表面に彫られている。
　エジプト考古最高評議会のムスタファ・ワジリ事務局長は、プタヘムヤは牛の管理責任者だったと説明した。また、古代都市テーベ（現ルクソール）の大規模墓地（ネクロポリス）にあったラムセス２世の葬祭殿の財務責任者でもあったという。
　十数基のピラミッドや動物の埋葬地、キリスト教の一派コプト教の修道院跡などがあるサッカラは、古代エジプトの首都メンフィスのネクロポリスで、国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）の世界遺産に登録されている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/09/20-15:02）

Egypt unveiled Monday a sarcophagus of a senior royal official from over 3,200-years ago at the Saqqara archaeological site south of Cairo, the latest in a series of spectacular discoveries in the area.
A team of Egyptian archaeologists from Cairo University found the red granite sarcophagus of Ptah-em-uya, a high-ranking official under Rameses II, who ruled Egypt in the 13th century BC, the antiquities ministry said.
The noble was royal secretary, chief overseer of cattle, head of the treasury of the Ramasseum, Rameses' funerary temple in the Theban necropolis at Luxor, said Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The official was also responsible for the divine offerings to all the gods of Upper and Lower Egypt, Waziri added.
The tomb of Ptah-em-uya was found last year.
Saqqara is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, a UNESCO world heritage site home to more than a dozen pyramids, animal burial sites and ancient Coptic Christian monasteries.
The current excavation season revealed the granite sarcophagus, covered in texts to safeguard the deceased and scenes representing the sons of the god Horus, according to the antiquities ministry.
Saqqara has been the site of a flurry of excavations in recent years.
Most recently, Egypt unveiled a cache of 150 bronze statuettes in May, five ancient tombs in March, and more than 50 wooden sarcophagi last year dating back to the New Kingdom, which ended in the 11th century BC.
Critics say the excavations have prioritised finds shown to grab media attention over hard academic research.
But the finds have been a key component of Egypt's attempts to revive its vital tourism industry, the crowning jewel of which is the long-delayed inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum at the foot of the pyramids.
Dubbed the largest archaeological museum in the world by officials, it is expected to open this year.